The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-10-01
TO THE FARMERS.

see more IrOu Ills pen. 1llefe1
is so much good reading in these
days that one could spend all of
his time in profitable reading,
but then, there are other claims
for time.
I hope every cotton planter in
the cotton belt has read the ar
ticle in the Progressive Farmer,
of September 9Th. by Mr.. W. r.
Meadows, on Losses in Cotton
Marketing" Mr.. Meadows ta-
ught cotton grading at Clemson
College, before taking hispresent
position with the Department OF
Agriculture as Cotton Tech
nolgist.
I read with pleasure TWO az
ticles in your issue of August
9th, by "Farmer" and by L. B.
McFaddin. These articles are
shooting close to the target Of
some of the things in hopes to
see realized in the next few
years.
In speaking Of picking cotton.
1 want to agree with "Farmer"
when he says, Some of US are
very careful when picking, or
having it picked, no wet cotton
or trash allowed. others do not
care, and we do not like to have
gined cut, trashy and stained
cotton mixed in a nice clean
bale"
One of the largest merchants
and cotton buyers in our town,
in explaining the course OF the
local daily cotton market said in
substance; 'The Cotton brought
here from some of the large
plantations is so badly gathered
and handled, that it makes poor
samples. or grades. causing the
average price paid through the
day to compare unfavorably with
that paid by the smaller towns
on the same day, when most of
the cotton sold was gathered
and handled by the owner, with
more case.''
There is much room for better
management at the gins, by in.
telligent and reliable men. 1t is
a common thing to see cotton
push from the press in a shame.
full condition. I would be glad
to see Mr.. McFaddin's sugges-
tion for smaller bales put into
practice, then one man could
handle his cotton, now, as a rule
it takes two men.
In this connection let one say,
it would be a good plan to have
all fertilizer put up in 100 pound
sacks, and I believe this should
be brought about, either by uni.
ted petition to the manufacturers
or by legislation.
We know the inconvience of
always having to send men to
haul fertilizer. unless there are
two or more wagons hauling at
the same time. We know also
the position of the older and
stronger men to put this work
off on the young men or boys.
This change would be in the
general interest and sympathy
for young humanity, white and
black.
What Mr.. McFadden says a.
bout a smaller bale is in direct
line with what Prof. Meadows
says about "Gin, Compression
and Direct Selling" as follows:
"There are both round and
square gin Congresses now in
use, which make satisfactory
bales of the required density,
and their general use is advo-
Gated" See how these writer's |
come close together again. Mr..
McFaddin says:
"The ginners should be able
to grade cotton as it comes from
his condenser very easily, he
being in position to see all of the
cotton that goes into the bale;
with his stencil and platform
scales he could weigh and stamp
the cotton with grade, weight
and his name, so he would be
responsible tor grade, etc.
That bales of cotton would be
accepted by the world by the
brand it wears and be sampled
and weighed by every Tom Dick
aud Harry. When that cotton
is put on the market, it could be
handled in transit without being
torn to pieces by hooks
Prof. Meadows says: "Anoth-
er advantage of gin Compression
is that sampling IS done before
baling: and the necessity for
cutting numerous holes in the
bagging in order to draw out
samples is obviated.
Then by putting the growers
name, the gross weight, amount
of tare and net weight on each
bale IN indellible ink, we could
greatly simplify the question OF
tare and pave the way for dealing
on a net weight basis.
Warehouse and ship loss would
be reduced to minimum, and
the City Crop largely curtail-
ed."
Fellow farmers one of our