The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-06-10
THE COTTON PICKER
WILL 1T BE A BENE!EIT TO TIE
COTTON GROWERS.
Mr.. Lewis ". Parker Thinks it Will

Put Many of Them Out of the
Business.
Wednesday, in his address before
the graduating class of the South
Carolina University, MI. Lewis w.
Parker summed up in masterful
manner the industrial situation of
today in the South in general and
South Carolina in particular, looking
conditions squarely in the face and
recognizing opportunities Of the fu-
ture. Speaking of the cotton picker
he said:
There has recently been perfect
ed another agricultural implement
which bids fair to have upon the in
dustrial history Of the South an eff
feet equally as great as that Of the
cotton gin, with this difference: The
cotton gin facilitated the production
Of cotton growing states, whereas
there is good reason to believe that
the other invention that Of the cotton
picker, may so accelerate the pro-
duction of cotton in communities in
which the picker can De used to the
greatest advantage as 70 make much
less proflta BILE, and possibly later to
prohibit altogether, the production Of
cotton in those communities and un-
der those conditions in which the
picker.can not be used to greater ad-
vantage. 1T is correct statement
of fact to say that the acreage in
cotton and the growth thereof has
been limited heretofore by the pick
ing capacity of the snuth generally,
for the limit OF what the individual
planter can cultivate is that which
he can pick; no man can safely plant
more than he can pick; but If pro-
vision be made by which the picking
Is tremendously accelerated, then
there can be correspondingly an in
crease in acreage If that be neces-
sary-or certainly such increase in
improved methods Of culture through
the use of machinery as to cause
great increase in the number Of bales
grown.
Heretofore, there has been little
inducement to use the most improved
methods Of culture and agri-
cultural implements for the rea-
son that this decreased during the
period of culture the amount of la
Dor required and left the planter
without necessary labor to pick, upon
the maturity of the crop. If, however,
relief. is given through. the cotton.
picker towards the reaping Of the
harvest, there will certainly be ap-
piled those agricultural implements
that will decrease the amount OF la
Dor in the growth Us the crop.
These agricultural implements, as
also the picker itself, can unques-
tionably be used to much greater ad-
vantage in the bottoms of the Mis-
sissippi and other rivers, and upon
the plains Of Texas, Oklahoma and
Arkansas, in the fertile fields Of the
Pee Dee and Savannah, than they
can be in the hilly section Of the Car
alinas and Georgia and Alabama. 1t
Is not an unnatural expectation that,
with the development Of the cotton
picker and it's successful use, cot
ton culture will be- gradually re-
stricted to those communities where
the picker, the steam plow and sim
liar implements can be used most
advantageously.
This is not necessarily to be re-
garded as an unmiXed evil, in oHr
state, for even in an agricultural
view it may become "a blessing as
tending to force upon OUT Teople a
diversification Of crops, which has
not heretofore existed. But as the
effect Of this action will be to le"-
sen the number required upon the
farm, and, correspondinIgly. to in
cresae the movement to the towns,
it is we'll to consider what is to be-
come of this urban population and
how it is to be employed