The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-08-25
INTEREST TING LEfTER
WRITTEN BY COL. JOHN D. FROST
OF COLUMBIA.
To the Farmers Of South Carolina
Better Methods of Caring for Cot

To the Farmers of South Carolina
Better Methods of Caring for Cot
ton.
Col. John D. Frost, of Columbia,
who has handled thousands of bales
of cotton annually at Columbia, has
written an open letter that is of eX-
ceeding interest to the cotton grow
ers of the state. The letter follows:
Columbia, Aug. %. 1908.
Hon. B. Harris, President, Farmers
Educational and Cooperative
Union, Pendleton, S. c., and Hon.
E. D. Smith, President, S. c. Div
ision, Southern Cotton Assoc1a-
ton, Columbia, S. c:
Gentlemen: The time for picking
cotton having arrived, has it ever
occurred 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
|
plantation for twenty-one years, and
at present owning and operating one,
as we'll as being in the cotton busi-
ness for the past ten years, thought
possibly that my observations along
this line might tend to show the
great amount of money lost to this
cotton producing country. l desire
to impress upon the farmer the
necessity of caring for his cot
ton after laboring hard all the
year to make it, and thereby lessen
friction between producer, buyer,
and manufacturer. a large portion
of the farmers, as well as the car
riers, treat the staple as though it
were coal, allowing it to lie on the
ground for months after ginning
subject to climatic conditions, which
results IN rot and country damage
When the cotton is ready for mar
ket it is picked up and offered 1or
sale, the damage, as a usual thlng'
being disregarded until subjected 10
the buyers inspection, who, IN pro-
tecting his interests, will either
dock for the damage or have the cot
ton picked, resulting in great loss
to the farmer Unquestionably 1t IS
TO the farmers interest to store his
cotton in a reputable warehouse
thereby protecting himself from loss
bv fire as we'll as damage, and In ad-
dition he can secure warehouse re-
ceint for same which is prime mer-
camille paper, and can be discounted
at any bank, allowing the farmer 10
sell his cotton when he desires to DO
so.
NV object, however, is to. impress
unon the farmers to house their cot
ton as soon as it is ginned, whether
II he in warehouse, or in their
harms, or dwelling, Thereby reducing
the element OF damage to a minimum.
To my mind, one of the most I'M
portant things the Farmers Union
and the Southern Cotton Association
could handle is the caring for cotton
i ei'r~ it is ginned, and mp to the tlme
lit 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 Oklaho-
ma on the West, to North Carolina
on the East, T do think l am IN
very fair position to speak lnteln-
gently of the item of damage, large
" caused by carelessness.
In addition to the rotten COTTON
on thousands of bales, varying from
five to as much as three hundred
mounds per bale, all of which has to
be picked off before settling for and
which is caused by allowing the cot
ton to sit on one end or lie on one
side in the mud and rain for months
before offered for sale; there is an
other element Of damage which IS
not so easily detected, but which has
for more reaching effect on the
buver, as we'll as the manufacturer.
I refer to what is called country
damage.
When cotton is allowed to stand
in the weather after being ginned
for arv length of time, although tine
owner may turn it about from side
O siHa 20 tnon i. fr":l rotfin". f'e
, .-''..-- r.. ortSi 'e
of th,. y%lc l. aT,rt' N y
portion TO the time it is allowed TO
remain exposed to climate conditions
To illustrate, a bale cotton ginned
..l ot