The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-05-10
PRIMITIVE AND MODERN COTTON,
Cotton from Mexlco-orIsin Of Inn
portant Variety-Has Many Differ
ent Names-AIE from Same
Stock.

have never even during my boy
hood followed any other vocation than
farming Not single side issue have
/ ever had in any way connected with
my farming operations. And the pur'
pose 1 have in view is to give your
many readers my knowledge and ex'
perience of cultivating cotton.
When a boy some sixty years ago
recolect rowing over my fathers farm
here in Troup county and listening to
the controversies Of the middle aged
men, discussing cotton culture. There
was then no variety used but that call
ed Green Seed a very inferior vari-
ETY.. Small bolls, only partially open.
ing and extremely late in its maturity.
Cotton From Mexico.
/ recolect well when the report
was being circulated that new varie'
ty of cotton had been landed at Col
umbus, Ga, from Mexico, called the
Mexican Burr cotton. Everybody
hurried OF to Columbus to procure
seed. A warehouse and steamboat
man named Gilmer had the seed i'm
ported to him from Mexico, It being
brought over the western plains on
broncos to the seaport of Texas,
thence by water to the mouth of the
Apalachicola and on up the Chattahoo-
chez to Columbus All who could got
a small quantity of the seed until the
supply was exhausted.
Then enthusiasm prevailed at high
pitch, and no pains was spared in at
tention to the cultivation. And with
the primitive mode of cultivation the
results were more than satisfactory.
Compared with the Green Seed" the
mexican Burr was and is today
very excellent variety, much of it be-
ing yet planted in some localities, and
1 see It advertised for sale.
Then came next variety from the
west called Texas Storm Proof, its
name making it popular, as the Mex
lean Burr was easily blown out, much
of it being destroyed. storm Proof
is yet to be found out west and 1 still
see it advertised for sale.
More New Varieties.
Next came Dixon Cluster" ALLEN
Prolific" Money Bush" and Her
long Green Seed" The first named
three varieties were about the same
in appearance and habits both as to
growth and development and there
was considerable improvement as to
yield.
The Horlong may be an offspring
of the primitive Green Seed" as the
color of the seed is the same, but if
so there is a very great change in
weld and growth. The seed are much
larger and the foliage is more portly.
A variety was also introduced by
name "Nankin Cotton" with pale vel
low seed, medium size, but line yell
low. Not a very protective cotton,
but planted to some extent purposely
on account of its indelible color, 1t
was used mainly for making Sunday
clothes for both men and boys. A
full suit of Nankin cloth spun and WOW
en- at home made a tasty dress. The
variety is now about abandoned.
This brings US up to the latter fif-
ties when the civil war completely de-
moralized agriculture, and kept it dor
mant in a manner for several years.
During the interval l rode horseback
to the farm of Colonel David Nixon in
Hancock county, then considered the
foremost cotton farmer in Georgia to
inspect his operations and get cotton
seed His mode of farming and infor-
nation he gave to me well paid me
for the trip / used the Dixon variety
then until about 1877 when l was in
formed of very superior cotton,
growing in Meriwether county on the
plantation of a Mr. Wyche, an elder
1y gentleman, who some time previous
had obtained a few seed from Algeria,
where it's said the finest cotton in the
world is made This is French terri
tory, where France had colonies for
agricultural and horticultural purposes
on the coast of the Mediterranean sea
just east of Morocco.
Origin of Important Variety.
In the early fifties two German lads
emigrated to Algeria, where they ex
pected to join the French colony for
more remunerative service than theiI
native land afforded. On their arrival
at their adopted home they engaged
in farming and, among other things
cotton cultivation. After a short stay
one of them returned TO Germany and
then emigrated to America, landing
at Charleston, S. c., and seeking his
favored occupation. he had come t.
the country where he found cotton one
of the principal farm products. See
ing it so inferior to the varieties il
Algeria, he 7ent back for some seed
After some two years, he received the