Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-13
THE JOURNALS LETTER BOX
THE SEA ISLAND COTTON

Editor The journal: In these days OF
great uncertainty for the cotton grower,
when practically the whole state is already
invaded by the boil weevil, believe that 1t
is the duty of any individual who has infor-
nation at his disposal that is valuable to him
and can be made equally so to others, to pass
it along, giving it the widest publicity pos
sible. For this reason and because I know
that your paper covers Dixie like the dew"
l am writing this letter and asking you to
publish it.
For good many years past there has been
strong demand at remunerative prices to
the grower for 100000 to 1850 bales
of sea island cotton. AS all, at all familiar
with the facts know, it is utterly impossible
to grow this variety of cotton under boil wee
vii conditions. The whole belt in Georgia
and Florida where it has been grown in the
past is fully infested with weevil. The conse-
quence is that the acreage this year was very
small, and even on that planted almost no
crop was made. Next year there will be pear
tically none planted.
What will the mills using this finest grade
of cotton do II they cannot procure a supply
equally good? What will the consumers of
the products Of these mills do?
Fortunately the United States Department
of Agriculture several years ago foresaw the
extinction of sea island growing and set to
work to breed a cotton that was Of sufficient
length and fineness, that could be success
July grown III SlC6 OIL the Wo0Vll. IL Sue
Geeded admirably and bred the variety now
known as Meade cotton. 1t was only planted
on a commercial scale in 1917, when five
bushels of seed was furnished to one grower
in Georgia, and a like amount to one in
South Carolina. From these ten bushels Of
seed planted in 1917 have been grown all
the Meade cotton now on the market and
when properly ginned bringing from roc
early in the season to soc at present The
total crop of Meade and sea island combined
this year will be not more than 10000 to
1900 bales this to meet normal demand
of over 1907 bales. But for some heavy
carry-over for the last two years. there is no
telling what this very small supply would be
bringing.
There are not enough Meade seed in the
whole country If every one is planted, to
produce more than 25,0 900 to 10000 bales
next year-and sea island growing is dead.
Who can intelligently estimate what it will
be worth IL months hence?
For two years have grgown it, Last year
free from w eeVil damake and this year
fully infested. Both years it has proven it's
worth and ability to make as much per acre
as any of the short staples. A vigorous grow
er, 1t Wlthstands adverse weather conditions
we'll; an early fruiter it puts on a fair crop
before boil weevils are sufficiently numer-
Gus to get all. Vigorous and hardy, it with
stands wilt or black root. being, 1 believe,
fully immune from this terrible cotton dis
ease.
It will pay we'll for anyone who can pro-
cure good seed to plant as much Of it as he
can properly handle I forgot to say that
the bolls are very large, open out freely and
1t is as easily picked as any standard short
staple.
Another thing to which I wish to call your
attention and through you that of your
readers, is the great and growing value Of
the velvet bean, both as a feed crop for cat
tie and hogs and as a soil builder
1t is fact that the prosperity of large
section OF Alabama is due much to veIvets
When cotton growing was given it's bad
black eye by the weevil there, these beans
were planted very extensively. Indeed you
will seldom see a corn field there without
beans growing along with the corn. So much
better off are the people now than under
the Affection regime that some counties
are discussing the raising of monuments
to the weevil. He forced them into diversi-
dcation and more rational and balanced svs-
TENS of farming.
Some object to the bean vines overrun-
ming the corn and rendering it impossible
to pull fodder or cut and shock corn.
This objection can now be overcome as
there is a true bunch bean, as distinct and
separate from the running varieties as are
bunch snap beans from those grown on and
supported by poles. They are fine bearers
OF fruit and are not in the wav of HANDLING
corn crop desired
II you will give this letter space in both
your daily and sen1i-weekIy issues therebv
reaching all your vast army of readers T n,
sure every one who will be induced to trv
either OF these crops, will rise up and call
you blessed
Yours truly,
J. P. MATHEWS, LCvett Ga