Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-01-20
, FARMER AND
. PLANTER
PRIMITIVE AND MODERN corron
Cotton from Msxieo--Crlgln Of In
Portart variety-Has Many Differ
ent Names--AlI from Same
Stock.

| STOCK.
have never even during my boy
! hood followed any other vocation th Il
farming. Not single side issue have
j | ever had in any way connected witt
my farming operations. And the pur
pose | have in view is to give youl
many readers my knowledge and ex
perionce of cultivating cotton.
When boy some sixty years ago
recollect rowing over my fathers farm
here in Troup county and listening tc
the controversies of the middle aged
I men, discussing cotton culture. There
was then no variety used but that call
ed Green Seed" very inferior vari
! ETY. Small bolls, only partially open
ing and extremely late in its maturity
Cotton From Mexico.
reco Get well when the report
vas being circulated that q new varie
ty of Co.tC-. had been landed at Col
uabus, Ca, from Mexico, called the
hurried off to Columbus to procure
seed. A warehouse and steamboat
man named Gilmer had The seed i'm,
ported 10 him from Mexico, 1t 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 o
very excellent variety, much of it be
ing yet planted in some localities, and
| see it advertised for sale
Then came next a variety from the
west called Texas Storm Proof" its
name making it popular, as the "MeX
lean Burr was easily blown out much
of 1t being destroyed. Storm Proof
is yet to be found out west and 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 tc
growth and development and there
was considerable Improvement as tc
yield
The Horlong may be an offspring
of the primitive Green Seed as the
color of the seed is the same, but il
so there is a very great change in
yield 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 vel
low Not a very protective cotton
but planted to some extent purposely
on account of it's indelible color l.
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 tasty dress. The
variety is now about abandoned.
This brings us up to the latter fiji
ties when the civil war completely de
moralized agriculture, and kept it dor
mant in manner for several years |
During the interval | rode horsebacB
to the farm of Colonel David Nixon in
Hancock county, then considered the !
foremost cotton farmer in Georgia tc |
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 a very superior cotton, |
growing in Meriwether county on the
plantation of a Mr.. Wyche, an elder,
ly 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 |
emgrated to Algeria, where they ex.
pected to join the French colony for
more remuneratiVe service than their
native land afforded On their arrival
at their adopted home they engaged
in farming and, among other things, |
cotton cultivation After 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 to
the country where he found cotton one
of the principal farm products. See
ing it so inferior to the varieties in
Algeria hn sent hpok for eo,no coed /