The Washington herald., 1909-08-15

proved during the war between the
States Al that time thousands Of mill
operatives In England were thrown out OF
employment and were on the verge OF
starvation. because the cotton supply
I from the South was cut of. Then II
was that a tremendous impetus was given
/ by the English government 90 cotton
growing in every country which was
thought capable Of producing the STABLE
Such enormous prices were paid TO COT
ton planters IN India that some Of these,
says the report furnished in 1869 by the
Indian cotton commissioner. bought silver
plowshares and tires Of solid silver. and
| fancy prices were paid for bullocks Of a
favorite color or possessing some pecuIl-
arlties Of tail"
The experiment Of cotton growing was
] tried strenUously. not only I'm Asia and
Africa, but IN Turkey. Greece. Italy Peru.
and Brazil, ending in dismal failure
Shortly after the close Of the war. the
/ South, with fields devastated and labor
totally disorganized. again controlled the
markets Of the world.
TwO-fifthS Now Cultivated.
An idea of the vast resources Of the
Southern States and Of the future which
awaits the cotton industry may be gained
when we remember that only about two
ifths OF the land IN tho South is under
cultivation as farm lands. In the great
Southwest alone. great areas never
touched by a pillow are capable OF yield
/ Ing 100000 bales OF cotton annually. and
| # her every acre OF uncultivated land
were turned into a cotton field. the South
could produce a crop Of % 100000 bales or
more. This. with the present unsatis-
factory labor and the present low yield.
The average yield Of cotton I'm the
/ United States, says an expert. is only
about 100 pounds Of lint per acre, while
on many large tracts. carefully cult
waited. a yield Of 500 70 500 pounds Is fire.
| Quently obtained"
In many OF the South's great rural dis
I tets the farmer does little more than
subslst on an acreage capable Of yielding
for him the comforts and many Of the
luxuries Of life-in these farms improved
implements and scientific methods are
unknown. Among the greatest OF the
South's pCtentallues may be counted
many hundreds Of such farms.
Industry in It's Infancy.
SO, though the South has raised cotton
since the planting OF the first field IN
Virginia in 1921 II may be said that the
industry has never. except in particular
instances, passed beyond the crudest
stages. Scientific methods Of farming are
not yet employed by the majority OF
planters. Not only do they raise less
than half the potential yield Of the
land, but many millions Of dollars
are lost annually In waste which
attends the planting. hoeing har-
vesting. and ginning OF the crop.
And though the South possesses a superb
water power capable Of turning every
spindle required IN the manufacture OF
numberless millions Of bales OF cotton.
the Southern States are selling raw all
but a fraction of the crop they produce.
Notwithstanding the fact that the profit
on the manufactured product is far
greater than on the raw When the
/ Southern farmer makes one acre Yield
what is ROW growing on Two; when
waste IN production IS eliminated. and
when the factory fourishes throughout
the entire section as In the North, and
viii have attained 10 r degree Of prosper
ity unsurpassed in the history Of the
world
Nor Is that day far distant.
The forward movement has begun.