The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-02-03
COTTON.

Better Production ard Better
Marketing of the Crop.
Address of Maj A. J. McKinne n, of |
at the Rally in Lumberton
Jan. 26]
"Shall speak of it's CONNER
cial and industrial value and say
the raw cotton and seed produced
in Southern States represent the
enormous value of our nine
hundred millions Of dollars an
nually and that our national gov
eminent depends for it's balance
of trade on this great product.
or shall l tell you that cotton
furnishes 81 per cent of the SPIN
ming fibers of the world; wool ID
Ter cent, silk 5 per cent and that
cheaper fibers. hemp, jutes and
flax combined makes the remain
ing q per cent? Or would you be
interested to know that the South
produced CT per cent, or two
thirds of the worlds supply of
cotton and that the 33 per cent
raised in other countries is very
inferior as compared with our
production and that wool is the
only practical competitor Of our
cotton and it is worth 20 per cent
per pound, or thereabout?
Would you be interested to
know that your county, the great
est in your State, stands among
the first counties in the South in
the production of cotton and &C.
cording to the census of 1900
produces one and one-half bales
cotton for man, woman and child
in it's boundaries?
Il will take a more practical
view and endeavor to say some
thing on better production anC
better marketing.
"You must lay your foundation
right. No wise man will builC
on a poor foundation and no struc
]! ture on poor found; ton will stand
Thorough preparation. intelligent
fertilizing and pure selected seet
: is the correct foundation. Afte
taking this tip and laying tn
proper foundation each goot
. farmer must cultivate and manure
according to the seasons and re
quirements of his land, keepin,
in mind at all times that the pro
y fit lies in making more bales, O
more bushels on fewer acres AM
smaller number OF laborers.
The most urgent need at presen
is knowledge and methods tina
will bring best results in market
ing our crops after making them
In other words, we need education
There are various reasons for this
A few years ago we never entire
ly thought on this side of tn
question. We left that entirel
with the other fellow.
I'VE simply produced what w
could with our limited means an
took what we could get for GU
production. But thank God
there is another page to the boo
now. We are getting indepen
dent. our lands are producing
we'll, we are thinking some an
setting a little taste Of what it
to live and provide for our fam
:, lilies like we should and we Xix
i, n the taste of it. We are going
is think more. produce more, Sc
y better and try to take our tru
position in life.
"Only a few years back, 1901
r Robson produced 81, 600 bales
$, the maximum 70 that date. |
al 1909 we produced 10000. |
1915, with the increased wealt
= judiciously invested / predict W
! will be producing more than on
hundred thousand bales. A
present prices, this with the see
would bring the enormous SUI
Of owe r eight millions annual.
Should this enormous wealth pr
Queer be handled or marketed
A. a careless or haphazard way, {
J. should we combine the brazil
money and energy and low NAL
ing power of the country to pr
duce and market it to the We,
best advantage? say combin
combine all influences to get goo
Il prices established and keep the
permanent.