The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-05-04
WOULD LENGTHEN STAPLE,
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICIrL.
TURE WOULD MEET DEMAND.
Distribution OF the Seed-Making of
The Finer Cloths Lessons the Con-
sumption OF South CaroIipa Up-
lands.


partment of agriculture to encourage
the growth of long staple cotton and
TO this end seed have been funrished
TO 1900 farmers in the cate. The
growth of long staple cotton means
great saving In freight rates. both D
the producer and the manufacturer
The textile plants of the State are de-
sirous that the farmers discard the
short staple for the long staple cot
ton.
Commissioner Watson and Ira w.
Williams. State agent for the United
States Farm Demonstration work in
this State, have been urging for some
time the growth of the long staple
and are using every means of inter-
esting the farmers.
Speaking of the situation yesterday,
Mr.. Watson said:
This whole matter of the situa-
tion In South Carolina. and as to our
efforts to cure IL. Is due to an entire
ly changed economic condition. The
main facts In the case have been cor
rectly stated in the press. Practical
ly all OF the South Carolina cotton
crop today Is short staple, an a de-
creasing proportion of II Is now being
used In the textile plants Of the Stae.
A considerable part of II Is being sent
TO export. There were at the end Of
the year Of 1909 only 15 mills In the
State on the old-time coarse goods
The truth of the matter Is that an
increasing proportion OF the cotton
being annually consumed in the mills
OF this State Is imported from the
Yazoo section of Mississippi and from
Egypt, the stples being required rang
ing from 1 is TO 1 Ia inches. This
condition having begun to develop
some years ago. IL has been our effort
TO develop an upland long staple cot
ton. carrying the length of staple in
dicated right here in South Carolina
and here In this office hangs a diplo-
ma certifying to the award of gold
medal In this State for the produc-
ton Of this very variety Of cotton.
AT several points In this State the
special breeding of at least three
varieties. which. upon tests in South
Carolina mills. meet the requirement
Of the manufacturer. has been un-
der way for several years, and every
! pound of the seed that Is now being
introduced in the effort to raise cot
ton at home suitable for manufac-
turing at home Is South Carolina
raised cotton seed, and we have not
bought one pound outside the State
What we are endeavoring to do Is to
raise our own seed of the exact staple
necessary and then to get the farmer
TO use this seed instead Of the COM
mon export short staple so that the
virtual import freight charges on the
one hand and the actual export
freight charges on the other will not
be taken from the pockets of our
home people. In other ords, We are
trying TO do, thought We are not go
ing so far as to try to produce too
long a staple. for that will be just as
bad as too short a staple.
II shall not discuss the export and
the Eastern side of this matter with
all Of the details OF which this de-
p1rtment Is thoroughly familiar.
might say. however. for the irforma-
t''n OF the farmer who Is raj ing cot
ton that goes to export that tire class
Of cotton he has been rails ng is now
being almost shut out of the great
continental manufacturing markets
for the reason that the staple is too
short. the mills there now requiring
a staple not less than 2s millimetres
-1.1022 inches-and not more than
80 millimetres-1.1S02 inches.
''In this whole matter this depart
ment. with the assistance of the man
ufacturers and with their encourage
ment-and / mean not only the con-
sumner at home. but the consumer
abroad-is endeavoring TO bring
about such conditions as will save
thousands of dollars to both the cot
ton producer and TO the cotton manu-
faeturer In the State Of South Caro-
lima. and I'm bringing 1t about by the
utilization OF home developed and
grown seed and raw material"