The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-07-25
LATE TODAY COMES THE REPORT THAT TIE BRITISH HAVE
ALSO TAKEN THE OFFENSIVE
Associated Press)
ORG GANIZATION OF THE
MIDDLE FLORIDA COTTON
GROWERS ASSOCIATION

Pursuant to a call issued by MIR.
Nathan Mayo of Summerfield, there
assembled in Summerfield on Friday
afternoon, July p, 1918, between
two and three hundred. prominent
cotton growers of Lake, Marion and
Sumter counties.
The meeting was called to order III
the schoolhouse, and Mr.. r. w. Black
lock, the governments agricultural
demonstrators for Marion county, was
elected chairman. and Mr.. Hamilton
F. Dobbin of Altoona, was elected
secretary.
The chairman then introduced Mr..
Nathan Mayo. who. IN well chosen
words, forcefully explained the OBJ
ject of the meeting, and gave brief
outline of the long-staple cotton sit
uation. He brought out in detail the
Cardinal points which confront the
cotton growers of this section, to-
wit: the difficulty of marketing the
crop so as not to disturb the present
prices; and the abnormal and precar-
ious conditions of labor. He advo-
Gated a closer cooperation of the
growers and the fixing of wages for
the picking of cotton to be adhered
to by all He invited the attention of
/ those present to the general move
ment throughout the cotton-growing
states of plan by which the farmers
are to withhold part of their cotton
and not congest the market by sell
ing as fast as picked. A letter from a
large cotton brokerage concern OF
Jacksonville was read by Mr.. Mayo
suggesting that the growers be in
Iduced to gin two bales out of every
three only, holding the other bale
! in the seed in order not to have the
cotton reports show their holdings as
sscotton ON hand or in sight" This
letter also brought out the startling
information that there were over 22,-
900 bales of long staple cotton now
in the hands of the spinners, and II
iexcess of $4,000 bales being at pres
ent held by brokers and ginners. Mr.
Mayo reminded the growers that this
year the government was going te
practically assume control of all the
gins and that he had already been In
! formed that not only does the gov
eminent demand that a ginner ust
Imodern machinery and every means
at their command to gin the cotto1
in an efficient and careful manner, bu
the government, he said, also insist
. that the cotton be free from dus
, and trash. Mr.. Mayo explained tha
no matter how untiring might be tn
, efforts of the ginners and no matte
, what care they might take IN ginning
! they could not make the best grade
Iof cotton if it was carelessly gather
ed and full of foreign substances, an
thereby comply with the govern
ment's request, unless the grower
exercised greatest care and attentlo
in having the crops picked to avoi
! the possibility of all trash and dirt.
Mr.. Raiford Simmons of Ocala mex
addressed the meeting and intereste
the growers by giving them an n
Isight into the vicissitudes of cotto
{ growing by illustrating his own pei
sonal experience of years as cotto
e grower which began when he wa
ten years old in the gold old state
e EGeorgia. He spoke of his struggle
and failures which was finally follow
4 ed by a successful coming back an