The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-08-31
COTTON CAN NEVER EQUAL
OURS.

COTTON CAN NEVER EQUAL
OURS.
San Domingo Lands Unequal to
Carolina Coast.
News and Courier.
Another scare fallen through, is
the opinion held by Mr.. ]. Swinton
Whaley, who has just returned to
this city after a visit to the West
indies, made for the purpose prin-
Cpally of ascertaining the value of
the land in San Domingo for pro-
duclng sea island cotton. Mr.. Wha-
ley returns with information that
the Charleston planters have moth
ing whatever to fear from this
source, as there is no Danger of
the soil in San Domingo ever be-
ing able to produce cotton of a
grade equal to that grown on the
Carolina coast.
Mr.. Swinton left Charleston for
New York several weeks ago. He
sailed from that place for San Do
mingo on July 20, in company of a
party of Northern men who had OBJ
tnined his services as a sea is
land cotton expert to investigate
The land in San Domingo and re-
port on the probability of a large
cotton plantation deal yielding prof
liable results. With the party
was one other gentleman besides
Mr.. Whaley who had practical
knowledge Of cotton soils and con-
ditions this being a cotton man from
Baltimore.
Mr.. Whaley said yesterday in
an interview with a reporter for
The News and Courier that the
gentleman with whom he went had
heen attracted to the proposition by
the reports of the United States
consular agents in San Domingo,
whose reports had been overflow
Ing with expressions of the wonder
ful cotton possibilities of San
domingo. The counsel had reported
That between 5000 and 5000
pounds of seed cotton and from L.
$50 to 1,050 pounds of lint cotton
or the finest sea island staple could
De raised on each acre of land. The
consul also reported that the land
was cheap, the labor good and plen-
tiful, and that the cotton met no in
sect enemies. Just how much faith
can be placed in this cotton report
may be judged by what Mr.. Whaley
had to say:
Il cannot find anything to sub
Inc SOHoul as 10
the results per acre. 1 found the
land good and also found that a
good grade Of cotton could be rails
ed: But no such results are prob
able as are indicated in the cot
sular report. The whole thing is
In the experimental stage. With
the industry thus in its infancy, it
was impossible for me to get the
exact amount Of cotton produced to
the acre. The whole island of
San Domingo last year shipped in
the neighborhood OF 500 bales of
cotton. The outlook for this years
crop is from 800 to 1000 bales.
II fact which should be remem-
bered Is that this cotton Is not OF
the same grade as the Carolina long
staple cotton. 1t is far from 1t
and the cotton raised in San Do
mingo approaches more nearly in
grade the Mississippi long uplands.
The bulk of the cotton in San Do
mingo is being planted by ma
tives. There is a profit in il for
them, as well as for the men who
receive 1t from them and ship it.
There are two companies which
handle the cotton, Lempke G. Co.
at Monte Christi, and Nevada, at
Porto Plata. They buy all the cot
ton. Lempke shipping to the I'm
tied States and Neverna sending
the cotton tc European markets.
The object of our party was to
find out IL sea island cotton could
be grown on very large scale prof
ltably. In a ride OF about $50
miles through the northern or cot
ton section of the island, | failed
TO see where the crop could be
| grown as the counsel reported. I saw
nc advantage over the Carolina
coast in the way of cultivation. AS
| said before, the whole thing there
is in the experimental stage.
This point is important. The
consul reported that the cotton had
no insect enemies in San Domingo. |
found the opposite of this true. Not
only was the cotton infested with
caterpillers, but a strange insect,
the cotton stainer, said to be in
digenerous to the West Indies, was
found in all the cotton. The cot
ton stainer Is small red bug.
When / first examined the cotton I
found some of the boil, rotted and
the cotton otherwise in a bad con-
ditlon. / could not account for
this as none of the insects com
monty seen on our plantations were
In evidence. But /. soon foun,
this stainer and learned the extent
Oh the damage of which he Is cap