The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1910-06-16

able weather conditions affected I,
maturity OF the fiber, and consequent
" the yield of lint was less than nm
der the better conditions during the
-precedin g season.
The sea island crop of 1909 was.
the bulletin states, practically the
same as that of 1908. Expressed in
running bales, this crop was 933. or
three-tenths of / per cent. 1t is Stat
ed that it would appear practicable
to increase the production Of sea is
land cotton by giving more attention
to seed selection and to methods OF
cultivation and by increasing the acre
age within the present sea island ter
ritpry. Other difficulties, besidesSSNi
and climatic conditions, in the way of
extending this culture beyond present.
well-defned limits, are enumerated.
The bulletin states it has been dis
covered tnat long-staple cotton can
be produced in many sections of the
cotton-groWlng states, and that some
OF this cotton is graded almost as
high as sea island, having been sold
last year for as much as 80 cents per
pound. The fancy prices obtained
and the success which has attended
the growing of this superior upland
staple encourage the hope that at no
very remote period the United States
will be producing upland staples
which will meet many of the require
ments of sea island cotton. The up
land cotton is produced at less cost
than the sea island, and, were the To-
calities in which it is grown supplied
with facilities better suited for gin
ming the fiber, the competition be-
tween this and the lower grades OF
sea island would be even greater. At
present saw gins are used on this
kind of staple, and these cut and fire.
quently materially damage it. Atten-
ton is directed to the fact that the
Egyptian and sea, island cottons are
treated by roller gins, which contri-
butte to uniformity in the fiber.
1t is stated that the breeding of
cottons fitted to escape boil Weeyil
injury, to produce longer staples and
heavier yields, and to resist wilt root
rot, and other diseases, has been con-
Quoted with gratifying results by the
department of agriculture.
The average value of cotton seed
for the crop of 1909 was $27.73 PEI
ton, compared with $1565 for 1908,
$17.63 for 1907, and $1S.76 for 1906.
The cotton. crop Of 1903 was fully
equal in grade to that of 1908, but not,
so good in body and staple. On the
other hand, it is tne most valuable
ever grown, considering its yarn-prU-
ducing quality and the financial re-
suits to the growers.
On the subject Of official cotton
standards, the bulletin states that,
while there are practical difficulties
in the way of establishing uniform
standards for the leading grades of
cotton. they are not believed to be
insurmountable, and that the estab-
lishment of such standards, even if
applied only to cotton rendered on
future contracts, should go far to re-
lieve the present situation.
With reference to the estimated
seed production, the bulletin states
that greater care than heretofore IS
now being exercised in selecting seed
for planting, and that this, with i'm
proved methods of ginning, tends to
the production of more lint than for
merly In view of these conditions,
averages of 35 per cent lint for up-
land and rs per cent lint for sea is
land cotton have been produced in
1909.
one of the most important tables
in the bulletin is that relating to the
production of cotton per square mile
in the important cotton-growing states
and in selected counties in 1889, 1899,
1904 and 1909. The statistics show
the general distribution, present dem
sitv and. fluctuations in the produc-
finn Of cotton. The largest increases
between 1889 and 1909 in the produc-
,tion ner SQUARE mile are for South
Carolina. with an increase from 24.8
bales to 1858 bales; and for Georgia,
with an increase from 2O.2 bales to
30.5 bales The states showing loss
es for the same period are Louisiana,
with a. decrease from 14.5 to So
bales. and Mississippi, with a de-
crease from 249 bales to 1873 bales.
Texas shows only 9.6 bales per square
mile for 1909, compared with 5.6 in
0 The cotton crop Of 1904, however,
Z, ~ nearly represents the Norman
,,rSa especially in the western
s+etes The production in Texas that
vear averaged twelve bales per square
mile while that Of Louisiana was
twenty-four bales.
The effect of improved methods Of
in recent years on the
nroJnction of cotton per acre is re-
F eo in the statistics for Georgia
onS South Carolina; in the former,
the acreage planted increased during
tae twenty years 424 per cent, ana
fbe nroduction 59.6 per cent; in t.
Iat+or the acreage increased about Is
- 80 cent and the production about So
~ ~. cent In Marlboro county, s. G.,
tba average production per square
Iii, Nil for 1909 was 1872 bales, compar-
~ l.si'S With 1873 bales for 1904, and 63
6alas for 1889. The bulletin refers to
Az statement that intensive farming
I ad IFS beginning in this county about
4Ss7 and it argues that, il it may be
= aS that the record of this coun-
o. for 1g09 indicates the poteniality
! ~ =. cotton ay growing for all the S12 coun-'
t - for which ginning was returned
y fa IL wear. the possible production for
thn limited States would be. estimated
- ~ MORE than S0,000,000 bales, without
t - into account any further ex-
tension of the cotton-growing area.