The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-08-17
TALKS ON HARVESTING
THE COTTON CROPS
aANKER GIVES FARMERS VAIL
liable AND TIMELY ADVISE
ON PICKING AND GINNING.
LOAN ONLY ON BtST GRADES

Farmers Experience Greater Losses
BY Ginning the Staple Damp Than
From Any Other Cause. Banking
Interests to Take Care of Crop.
The Dawson National Bank, one
of Dawson's strongest and most con-
servative financial institutions, that
always has the interests of its pat
rons at heart, especially their pat
rons who farm for living, has just
issued a circular letter which con-
tains some valuable information and
sound advice. For the information of
the general public The News repro
duces the letter below:
Looking back over the past twelve
months business under abnormal
conditions caused by the European
war, recalling the alarm and strain
under which all business operations
have been conducted, it is we'll that
We take SlOCh anu CAuO"' WI ~ ~
certain why our losses were and try
to prevent them in the future; make
a note of the events of material bene-
fit to us and strive therefrom to Sc
cure greater results.
From the bankers standpoint we
believe the greater loss was caused
by harvesting the cotton hurriedly
and then ginning it damp, thereby
producing such cotton that no Ameri-
can mill cared to spin.
In previous years when cotton was
selling for 10 to IA cents per pound
this great loss was scarcely realized,
but when the price drops SO per cent,
as at the present time, the profit is
gone, besides the great loss caused by
improper picking and ginning. These
methods must be changed at once.
The banking interests are arranging
to take care of the cotton the com
ing season; but only under certain
conditions, namely: cotton will be
carried as collateral security at 6
cents per pound, based on white cot
ton and in proportion to grade, and
grades below low-middling will not
be accepted at any value on a basis
of new loans.
This may seem arbitrary, but such
is not the purport. On the contrary,
it is to cause the people to think.
Take fourteen months to produce a
crop, then rush it to the gin hurriedly
and lose what little profit there might
have been in it. You are paying just
as much for picking as if you were
making good middling cotton. This
is all wrong, and there is no way to
convince you of the fact except to dis
criminate against the low grades.
There was very little cotton har-
vested in Terrell county during the
last season, had it been ginned in
the proper condition, but that would
have graded as good as low middling.
There is no necessity to rush cotton
to market, so take your time and see
that it is in the proper condition be-
fore sending it to the gin. Put it
in a house or somewhere and let ii
go through a sweat for some days
and it will be greatly improved in
texture and sample, besides no loss
in weight. Be sure that this cotton
looks good to the party who you ex-
pect to make advances on it, else
there will be nothing doing.
Do not accept warehouse receipts
unless they indicate the character OF
the cotton; that is very essential.
Last fall many hesitated to turn over
the receipts to their creditors, fear
ing that they might be sold out at a
low price; many stood around on the
streets doing great damage to the
business by advising others not to
put up their receipts. We trust that
no one will be so foolish as to repeat
this practice, as the people who were
prODCunding this doctrine were final
~ compelled to come up with the
goods.
Let us strive to have this crop
properly prepared for market and as
soon as the ocean channels of trade
are open good cotton will bring mon
ey, but for poor cotton there viii be
no demand, as the greater part OF
that grade goes to Germany.
To those who viii cooperate with
Us in the proper harvesting of the
cotton crop we stand ready to assist
There is a movement on foot to exact
uniform warehouse receipt all over
the state. If you have in view hold
Ing your cotton be sure that you Sc
cure that receipt. If you sell imme-
diately any old form might suffice
The great amount of funds necessary
for an undertaking so great as above
mentioned make it necessary that all
receipts be as familiar to the party
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