The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-08-06
Cotton Marketing.

1t seems as if there is great deal ol
dissatisfaction in the condition of pack,
ing and sampling the cotton crops OF
the South, and, according to the figures
presented, and my own observation OF
cotton on the market, there Is tre-
meudous waste in the handling and
poor packing OF it, and it's all from the
Door method we have.
| l see farmers every year with cotton
thrown around their yards on 2Xls for
months in all kinds OF weather. and
some of the bales that were originally
packed in secondhand bageing was en-
tirely gone. l don't see how the buyer
can handle cotton put op the market in
that condition.
From years OF experience rs glnner
and farmer, l would like to make q few
suggestions TO the cotton growers and
ginners of the South. My plan would
be something like this: To require gin
ners to reduce their press boxes 10
measure 1SX36 inches: that would give
you bale with cubic feet with Il deS-
tiny of 81 10 80 pounds to the loot, the
bale to weigh from 250 to 800 pounds.
The press of the present size can be
changed for about $40, aud can be done
by any workman.
With the present power and strength
OF the press, you could put up better
bale with less wear and tear OF your
machinery. To wrap that bale you
should use good burlap, or coarse cot
ton cloth would be better; it would help
the South to consume the cotton crop.
You should cover the cotton on ali
sides, and use No. 10 galvanized wire
for ties.
The ginner 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 aud platform scales he
could weigh and stamp that cotton with
grade, weight and his name. SO lie
would be responsible for grade, etc.
That bale Of cotton would be accepted
bv the world by the brand it wears. and
not be sampled and weighed by every
Tom, Dick and Harry. We buy our fer
cilizers, grits, meal and everything by
the original weights and grade. regard
less OF shrinkage, ETC., and cotton is the
only thing put up in orr sinal packages
that is weighed every time 1t chaLSes
hands.
By adopting this method you would
not see cotton thrown around on the
ground, but when man came home
from the gin with his cotton in neat
package he would put it away IN his
cotton house, because he could handle
it without much trouble. He would not
mind stacking it up on his front porch.
When that cotton is put on the market
it could be handled in transit without
being torn to pieces by hooks.
Now, you will lind objections to this
plan-not by the ginner, he will get
little more out of it: not by the farmer:
because he will get millions out of it:
not by the spinner, because he will get
what he buys, and not a lot Of damaged
stuf-the objection will come from the
man who gets an unjust living between
the farmer and the spinner. The kick
will come from the one-horse cotton
buver who loads his scales and mis-
grades your cotton the public weighs.
who will be thrown out of a job, and
probably the compress man.
It is hoped by everybody that the
South will wake up to some better sys-
tenn of handling the cotton crops and
save the $40, ,OOO,0 900 thrown away every
Year.-L. B. McFaddin: Sardinia. S. G.
in Southern Ruralist.