Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-08-26
s12,5oo,ooo A YEAR WASTED.
What the South Can Save in The
Item of Damage to Cotton.

What the South Can Save in The
Item of Damage to Cotton.
Columbia, S. c., Specialized.
John D. Frost, of Columbia who has
handled thousands Of bales of cotton
annually at Columbia, has written
an open letter that is of exceeding
interest to the cotton growers Of the
State. it follows
Hon. B. Harris, president Farmers
Educational and Cooperative Union,
Pendleton, S. c., and Hon. E. D.
Smith, president S. C. Division, Sou
thern Cotton Association, Columbia,
S. C.
Gentlemen: The time for picking
cotton having arrived, has it ever oc-
cured to You to look into the question
of damage brought about by lack of
care for the staple from the time it
is ginned to the time of marketing
Having lived On plantation for
twenty-one years. and at present
owning and operating one, as we'll as
being in the cotton business for the
past ten years, 1 thought possibly
that my observations along this line
might tend to show the great amount
of money lost to this cotton produc-
ing country. I desire to impress up
on the farmer the necessity of caring
for his cotton after laboring hard all
the year to make it, and thereby les
sen friction between producer, buyer,
aud manufacturer. A large portion
Of the farmers. as well as the carriers
treat the staple as though it were
coal, allowing it to lie on the ground
for months after ginning subject 10
climatic conditions, which results
in rot and country. damage.
When the cotton is ready for the
market it is picked up and offered
for sale, the damage, as usual thing,
being diregarded -until subjected TO
the buyers inspection who, in pro-
tecting his interests, will either dock
for the damage or have tie cotton
picked, rsulting in great loss to the
farmer. Unqestionably it is to the
farmers interest to store his cotton
in reputable warehouse thereby pro-
tectins himself from loss b. fire as
well as damage, and in addition he
can secure warehouse receipt for
same which is prime mercantile PAL,
per, and can be discounted at any
bank, allowing the farmer to sell his
cotton when he desires to do so.
My object, however, is to impress
upon the farmers to house their cot
ton as soon as it is ginned, whether
is be in a warehouse, or in their
barns, or dwelling, thereby reducing
the element cf damage to a minimum.
To my mind, one of the most i'm.
portant things the Farmers Union.
could handle is the caring for cotton
after it is ginned, and up to.the time
it is marketed. Having personally
handled, during the past ten years,
about 100000 bales of cotton of all
grades and staple, this cotton being
shipped here from Texas and Okla-
homa on the West, to North Carolina
on the East, do think l am in a
very fair position to speak intelligent
ly of the item of damage, largely
caused by carelessness.
In addition to the rotten cotton
on thousands of bales, varying from
five to as much rs three hundred
pounds per bale. all of which has 10
be picked off before settling for and
which is caused by allowing the cot
ton to sit on one end OF lie on one
side in the mud and rain for months
before being offered for sale: there
is another clement of damage which
is not so easily detected, but which
has far more reaching effect on the
buyer. as well as the manufacturer!
I refer to what is called country
daTlage.
When cotton is, allowed to stand
in the weather after being ginned
for any length of time, although the
owner may turn it about from side
to side to keep it from rotting, the
staple of the cotton on the outside
of the bale is affected just in proper
tion to the time it is allowed to re-
main exposed to climatic conditions.
To illustrate, bale of cotton ginned
and packed December the first and
allowed to remain in the weather I'M
til the first of March, will have about
half as much country damage as
the same bale would have if it re-
mained in the weather until May
the first, and when the manufacturer
opens this bale, he will find that the
cotton sticking to the bagging and
extending inward is practically with
out any strength of staple, and as
a result all of this affected cotton
will go in waste or be found in the
shafting overhead. Should tue buyer
detect this country damage the farm
er is the loser, should the buyer
not detect it, the buyer is the loser
in any event, dissatisfaction is the
result. all of which could have been
avoided by housing the cotton. The
amount of country damage varies in
proportion to tine time the cotton lies
out in the weather, and will vary
from three to twenty-five pounds per
Urges Relief for Seneca.
Cll: C,o.;,I ITpon pnritior