The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1916-07-14
IMPROVING OUR COTTON.

| lhttV Is u stiShb ii AtI HNNt
quality of cotton and careful handling
of the staple until it reaches the manu-
faeturers. This need of better STAPLE
and careful handling Was rcsponsihl,
for the English spinncrs promoting tn,
large plantations in the Delta of Mis-
sissippi,
Under prevailing conditions it i.
more difficult to produce cotton at u
profit than formerly, and for this rea.
son the formers of Mississippi are urged
to use their best efforts to grow good
staple and see that the bales are not
weather,aamaged before placing on the
market.
BY all means there should be stand
| ardized warehouses; bonded and sens.
bly, managed in each county where cot
ton. could be stored at minimum of
| expense and given a maximum Of pro.
lection. The staple should not be al.
lowed to get wet before marketing.
The State If Mississippi could well
afford to supply these warehouses for
protecting crop that brings to the
state from seventy to ninety millions Of
dollars annually. And there is no res,
son why, with sensible management by
honest men, that such system Of ware.
houses should not be seIf-sustaining.
shortly before the outbreak of the
European war, the writer had the pleas,
urc Of spending several days with one Of
the large manufacturers of England
who was here to make first hand study
of cotton and tho conditions under
which it was produced.
He repeatedly emphasized the nccrs,
sity of better staple and the e1crciS'
ing of care to prevent waterdamagc.
Under date of June 20th, personal
letter from this gentleman contained
the following advice that is worthy Of
careful consideration by our farmers.
II would like to exercise my views
to you, and other leaders Of the different
states, the conclusions that reached
while in your country. They were, that
the conditions are ideal for cotton grow.
ing and there is ample room to encour-
age the people to grow better staple.
Each district could be offered sub,
stantial prize or bonus for the most sue,
cessfui Improvement shown, the same TO
be passed upon and classified by gov
ernment experts.
"Secondly, that concrete stores should
be erected in every totton area where
same could be graded officially and
bonded, to be released only when
prices were profitable to the grower,
You know how it is exploited before it
reaches the consumer by people who are
Of no benefit whatever to the producer
or consumer, and it would avoid the
market being flooded at certain periods
of the season.
"What is to stop each state taking
this upi They should be govrnmcnt'
owned, government financed and a mini
mum interest charge made until such
time as it is released from bond Cot
ton does not d"preciate with keeping
and am firmly convinced that the de.
mand will grow very largely after ""
have settled the account with the mad
Huns
This suggestion from one of the
large manufacturers is well worth the
most careful consideration by our safest
and best men. Cotton is our principal
money crop and must continue 80. The
cotton states should grant to the pro
Queer every help possible to aid in
financing and handling this, Uncle
Sam s greatest export article Of com
merce. H. f. BLAKESLEE, Com,