The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-09-08
THE CARE OF COTTON.
Farmers Urged to Take Better Care
Of Their Cotton-Saving to
Them.


Them.
Hon. B. Harris, President Farmers
Educational and Cooperative Un-
ion, Pendleton, S. c., and Hon. E.
D. Smith, President S. C. Division
Southern Cotton Association, Co
lumbia, S. G.
Gentlemen:
The time for picking cotton hav-
ing arrived, has it ever occurred to
you to look into the question Of DAM
age brought about 5y lack Of care
for the staple from the time it is
ginned to the time Of marketing?
, Having lived on a plantation for
twenty-one years, and at present own
ing and operating one, as well as be-
ing in the cotton business for the
past ten years, I thought possibly
that my observations along this line
might tend to show the great amount
tof money lost to this cotton produe-
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,
! and manufacturer. A large portion
of the farmers, as we'll as the car
riers, treat the staple as though it
were coal, allowing it to lie on the
ground for months after ginning sub
ject to 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 disregarded until subjected to
the buyers inspection, who, in pro-
|tecting his interests, will either dock
for the damage or have the cotton
lpicked, resulting in great loss to the
farmer. Unquestionably it is to the
farmers interest to store his cotton
in reputable warehouse, thereby
protecting himself from loss from
lffiire as we'll as damage, and in addi-
ton he can secure warehouse receipt
for same, which is prime mercantile
paper, and can be discounted at any
bank, allow ag the farmer to sell his
cotton when he desires to do so.
Ny object, however, is to impress
[upon the farmers to house their cot
ton as soon as it is ginned, whether
it be in warehuse, or in their barns;
or dwelling, thereby reducing the
element Of damage to minimum.
To my mind, one Of the most i'm
,portant things the Farmers Union
and the Southern Cotton Association
coula 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
ohma on the West. to North Caro-
lima on the East, I 60 think I am in
very fair position to speak intelli-
emily Of the item Of damage, large
caused BY carelessness.
In addition 10 the rotten cotton on
rousands Of bales, varying from five
as much as three hundred pounds
pr bale. all of which has to be pick
off before settling for and which
caused by allowing the cott~n to
t on one end or lie on one side in
be mud and rain for months before
eing offered for sale; there is an
her element Of damage which is not
easily detected, bnt which has a
r more reaching effect on the buy
as. we'll as the manufacturer. I
fer to what is called country dam
Ee.
When cotton is allowed to stand in
e weather after being cinned for
y length Of time. although the
Fner may turn it about from side to
he to keep it from rotting, the
APPLE of the cotton on the outside Of
IL. =. oAeo.taJ s-,-+ =,