Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-01-21


things to confuse the farmers mind
and make him hesitate as to who is
who and what is what when it comes
TO choosing the kind and variety of
crop to be planted.
Take, for instance, this question
of the value or lack of value OF the
so-called "half and half" cotton.
have waited patiently and watch
ed very closely to see what would b p
come of the warning sent out by the
United States Department of Agri-
culture in the spring of 1915. It's
conclusion was to the effect that this
variety is a dangerous cotton to plant
and that to plant IL meant the ulti-
mate lowering of the value of lint
cotton in that community.
In this circular letter sent out by
the Department, no doubt was ex-
pressed as to the ability of this cot
ton to make the limiting percentage
claimed for it; but attention was cali
ed to the fact that, according to such
investigation as had been made by
the cotton experts, this cotton was
not only short in length of staple,
hut was also low in strength OF fiber.
That IL was much shorter than the
lint of other improved and high lint
ing cotton varieties that the spinners
would not pay as much for it by sew
eral cents on the pound.
This letter went to many daily and
county papers over the cotton belt,
was distributed by the county farm
demonstration agents and was pub
lished in many farm papers. A few
farm papers, am informed, went
so far in the support of this letter OF
information as to refuse advertising
for this particular variety of seed.
Bditorially, however. I noticed that
practically nothing was said either
way about this cotton problem. Most
OF the editors, like myself, felt that
they did not know enough about it to
risk making any statement.
Personally, feel that the men of
the Department of Agriculture who
made this statement had the facts
just as reported upon which to base
such conclusion. But these facts
were ascertaned a long way from the
farmers market and where the meth
DDS of determining the value of bale
OF cotton are very different from that
which prevail on the local cotton
markets. This fact seems to have
been entirely overlooked when this
very positive and sweeping piece of
advance information was handed out.
What Did the Farmers Do?
But what did the farmers do when
they read this warning? Well, there
was about one in thousand who
had been caught with this cotton in
his possession or cotton that was GO
ing by the same name, and they had
trouble in finding a buyer for it; but
the other 999 had gotten by with
theirs under the hog around" sys-
tenn of buying and had received the
same price per pound as the rest of
their neighbors. and got a turn out
in lint that made the bale bring $5I
or $40 more.
The result was that storm of pro-
test came pouring in insistent that
the Department did not know what
1t was talking about. Some went so
far as to accuse the United States
Department of Agriculture of being
In league with the cotton oil mem
that the new cotton has small seed
was the evidence upon which this
claim was made. Report after report
was made showing that the limiting
percentage and price of sales were
far better than the Department pre-
dicted. One report in particular
came from the business men of a cot
ton market where they claimed to
have sent the cotton direct to the
sninners and received a report that
1t was as good as any of the short
staple cotton coming from that sec
tion of the country.
In fact, the farmers evidence was
practically all in favor of the new
cotton. Money in the hand is what
counts with the most of us, and that
Is what they got; so why give up
good thing? they said The acreage
has been increased for the season
just jast, and the farm reports are
coming in just the same as they did
last year.
In the face of this fact, the Depart
ment of Agriculture may be absolute
ly right in its conclusion, and the
truth may finally come home to the