The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-10-25

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of cotton on Northampton planta-
ton, but the crop failed because Of a
lack of knowledge as to the cultiva-
ton.
Capt. Peter Sinkler, Of st. Johns
Berkeley, planted his cotton in hills,
four feet square, leaving two stalks
to each hill after thinning. In 1899
he planted three hundred acres on
Belvidere plantation in st. Johns,
which yielded an average production
of two hundred and sixteen pounds
per acre.
He sold most of this crop for rs
cents per pond, some of it for so.
Four workings were deemed suffi-
cient for a crop. The seed was plant
ed in drills, and thinned and selected
by hand. The daily task of man be-
ing three and a half acres for the first
thinning pc rday, and four for the
second.
No manuring of fields or attempt
at fertilizing was made; as one field
showed signs of failing, another was
selected.
Before the introduction Of machin-
cry the seed was separted from the
lint by hand; the average yield was
one pound of lint to three pounds Of
seed. Very little care was taken, as
quantity and not quality was the OBJ
ject. -,
The first gin was a clumsy affair,
and was worked by the foot. The
greater part of the ginning was done
at night or in the early morning. A
hand doing four or five pounds each
time.
1887, two bags Of cotton were
sent to England as samples, It was
reported back that it was not worth
producing because Of the difficulty in
separating the seed. This, however,
was before the invention Of the gin.
Cotton planting advanced rapidly
after 1894, and finally entirely sup
planted the culture Of indigo, which
previous to that time was the staple
crop Of this section Of the country.
Col. William Thomson Of Orange
burg county, was the first extensive
planter Of tina tsection in 1874. John
FMayrant, in 1897, was the first to
plant cotton in Sumter. Gen. Wade
Hampton introduced it into Richland
county in 1901. He was the first to
use water power for propelling the
machinery Of the gin. he gathered :
crop Of six hundred bags from six
hundred acres. is, ~. go s.l{.. !;
Weaving Of cotton cloth was done
entirely by the hand loom until 1913.
The power loom was not successful
until 1922. &, ,..,.,- 4, ~. ~, ,,,
z Tho hrSt .sea island cotton Was
planted on st. Simon.s Islsnd, . Geer--
gia, in: 1888, from seed brought from,
the West indies. Mr: Kinsey Burden
obtained some sesd. and was the first
to introduces Is Into South Carolina.
His frst experiment failed, hut he
persisted in his efforts in the face Of,
difficulties. ). -: -,
Mr.. William Elliott planted q small
crop on Hilton Head and met with
success. Mr.. Burden continued his!
efforts, and by careful selection OF
seeds, noting results obtained, finally
improved the staple, and developed
the sea island cotton as we now know
it. For many years he kept the secret
of his success. In 1926 he sold sixty
bags for one dollar and sixteen cents
per pound, and in 1928 for wo dol
lars. Mr.. Burden was the first plant
er to use Hessian cloth for packing
his cotton. So carefully was this pre-
cious product put up that for a time
the outer bags were lined with cotton
cloth to protect the cotton from dust
and dirt. ! 49,. 49,.
At first some Of the English, spin
ners complained that the staple was
too long, and used to cut it shorter.
The cultivation Of sea island cotton
increased enormously, and the sea
coast planters grew rich. Many are
the tales told of the wealth and hos
pitality of these ante-bellum cotton
growers. .. g.. ~.
So well known were their brands
that often the crop was sold by that,
rather than by sample.
OF course the civil war brought
ruin and desolation to this industry.
The seed deteriorated to such an ex-
tent that after the war the only pure
seed known was contained in an or
dinary envelope, which was given by
Cant. Georpe c.. Howard to Mr.. Jo-