The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-01-23
STATE WILL LOSE MUCH
In DAMAGED COTTON.
Farmers Should Put Their Cotton
Under Cover - Loss Runs In
to Millions.

III tQ6re are oUV,UVV OdleS OIL CUT
ton exposed to the weather in South
Carolina the loss to the owners will
likely be about $4,500,000, in the
opinion of T. B. stackhouse Of Co.
lumbia.
Mr.. Stackhouse says that nothing
like so many bales are in the open
in his opinion, but that there are a
greater number of bales of cotton
now lying out exposed to rain and
sunshine than ever before in the his
tory of the State. In opinion of Mr..
Stackhouse there are about 100000
bales in the hands ofSthe farmers Of
the State, and a considerable part of
it is not housed at aIs
This is a matter deserving of the
most serious consideration in the
opinion of Mr. Stackhouse. He is not
influenced by any selfiesh motive for
the eight warehouses belonging to the
Standard Warehouse Company, Of
which he is president, has it's full
capacity, and is out Of the market
for the storing of cotton. An embargo
on all shipments of cotton to the
warehouses here has been in force
for several weeks.
Mr.. Stackhouse says the condition
of the warehouses under his control
is that of every other warehouse in
the State. In other words, all ware
houses for the storing of cotton are
full and it is a matter for each indi-
vidual farmer to consider what he
shall do with his cotton.
Mr.. Stackhouse says that by every
token each bale of cotton which is
permitted to remain in the open will
lose about 25 pounds in rotten cot
ton by May.
As to the amount of cotton which
is in the open, Mr.. Stackhouse told
of one farmer in Florence county
who has 500 bales and others Of
whom he knew. He says that in 80
years experience he has seen moth
ing like it.
In respect to the damage to cotton
by leaving it unsheltered Mr.. Stack
house tells of go bales which he had
some years ago and which he sold
in May following it's production.
When sold about 5000 pounds of
rotten cotton were pulled from it. He
tells of farmer in Anderson who
had 16 bales. He stored II bales and
left five bales in the open. When the
lot was sold enough rotten cotton
was pulled from the five bales to
have paid for the storing of the whole
16 bales. He cites numerous instances
like this. The rot will commence be-
hind the metal tie and will eat into
the middle of the bales, sometimes
extending the entire length of the
bale.
Since the warehouses are full the
matter of putting the cotton under
shelter is one for each farmer to pro-
vide. In the opinion Of Mr.. Stack
house it will be much better for the
farmers to leave wagons and buggies
in the open and put the cotton under
the sheds.
Mr.. Stackhouse says that the
Southern farmer has the cotton sit
uation more fully in his hands than
ever before in the history Of the
country. This is due to the fact that
the greater part of the 1918 crop
is yet in the hands of the producer
himself.
If cotton remains in the hands OF
the producer there will be greater in
centive to reduce the acreage next
year and to raise more foodstuffs,
says Mr.. Stackhouse. In his opinion,
the prices Of foodstuff will remain
high, and with the amount OF cot
ton remaining in the hands OF the
makers the price of cotton is uncer-
tain.