The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-11-11
WORLDS RECORD FOR COTTON
John Nj. Caughman, of Lexington,
Makes Five Bales ON One Acre.

Lexington county and the town OF
Lexington is the home of John NJ.
Caughman, who holds the happy dis
tinction of being the champion cot
ton grower of the world. When it
was announced a year ago this was
the home of man who had
produced more than four. bales of
cotton on one acre of ground-on an
acre of land which he himself de-
clares would not have ''sprouted a
cowpea'' nine years ago-the peo-
pie of the whole country became in
terested. But when it was announc-
ed in this correspondence more than
q month ago that, with the prospects
at that time, this same farmer, on
this same acre of land, would prob
ably gather five bales of cotton this
!, year the entire world took notice.
# The announcement attracted the
attention of one of the largest NOV
ing picture concerns of New York
city and one of the largest promoters
of motion pictures in the world, both
: of whom at once got into communi-
cation with Mr.. Caughman. About
two weeks ago this concern sent one
of the expert motion picture photog-
raphers to Lexington for the purpose
of getting "snap-shot' of the cot
ton as it stood in the field, together
with the champion. The demand is
very great for this class Of attrac-
tions in many sections, and the pic
ture will be shown in every town and
city in the country using these films.
Already this firm has announced that
the demands. for these films have
piled in from every quarter of the
globe. Within the next couple of
weeks the pictures will be shown in
Columbia and in other towns and
cities in this State and other States.
F11CSG LSot odNs
Mr.. Arthur Jones, representing the
New Y ork film company, who photo
graphed the field, in an interview
stated that Mr.. -Caughman's cotton,
without doubt, was the finest ever
grown in any land ''I have had oc-
casion to travel from coast to coast,
visiting the famous cotton-growing
sections of5Texas and Mississippi, but
I have never seen anything to equal
what / have seen right here in Lex
ington. I consider that L have made
my first record today. This is the
first time that / have ever seen cot
ton the size of Mr.. Caughman's
where the bolls are so heavy and
we'll developed that their weight
causes the limbs to break. It is the
case, usually, in six-foot cotton like
this / have photographed today, that
there is mostly weed and the grade
of cotton very poor. However, Mr..
Caughman's is entirely different, the
bolls are large, well developed, the
grade of staple is extra fine, and I
venture to say that every boil will
open and the sample will be stain
lessly white. There will be no sign
of frost stain about this, even the
very latest openings, in my opinion,
will show up equal to that orering
now. 1t is the most remarkable cot
ton l have ever seen, and I consider
that we have secured one of the most
interesting and exceedingly profitable
films that the country's agricultural
world has ever produced" conclud-
ed Mr.. Jones.
=. = What is your estimate of the &C,
tual amount of cotton that this field,
this one acre, will yield?" asked the
reporter. "In my judgment would
say around five bales. 1t all depends,
however, on the amount that will be
wasted by reason of the boil rot. Had
it not been for this, with an average,
you might say, of ESQ to 800 we'll de-
ye1oped holls to each stalk, that this
acre would have made a yield of
about, or approximately, six bales
Points of Difference.
'.In what particular, Mr.. JONES'
does this field of cotton differ from
the other cotton coming under your
observation throughout the cotton
belt; you say that this is record?'
he was asked. ''Well, I have never
seen cotton cultivated just like this;
that is, have never seen it planted
lust like this. For instance, | be-
lieve Mr.. Caughman told me that the
rows are six feet wide and the stalks
FIVE feet in distance. This is most
unusual, speaking generally. 1t is
not often that you see cotton plant
ed in such wide rows and then five
feet apart in the drill. This accounts
for the well developed and we'll ma
L