The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1921-08-20
FOUR COUNTY COT
TON MEETING HELD
County Agents, Business Men
and Farmers Talk Classi-
ficatiOn and Pooling.

OF COplan ana j, ". ElntueI4Sh "a
Walthall, with district agent repre-
senting the Pike County agent, who
was unable to be present; a number
of farmers and few business men
met at the Court House Wednesday
morning to discuss pooling and CO.
operative marketing of cotton. Mr..
Legett presided.
Mr.. T. M. Patterson, state market-
ing specialist, with headquarters at
A. & M. College. stated that people
are planting and marketing a poor
variety of cotton in Mississippi, large
ly because localebuyers pay practical
ly the same price for any grade.
Much Of the cotton was fit only for
the manufacture of lamp wicks and
duck, and impossible for use in high
class materials.
In practically all of Mississippi the
varieties are mixed, and undesirable
for the spinner because Of the waste.
The planting Of pure varieties in or
der to have the staple Of uniform
length was urged. The staple of all
cotton grown in the state should be
longer.
There is a preventable loss Of $70,-
100000 due to improper picking,
ginning and storage.
Cotton is bought and sold on the
basis Of middling, a state Of affairs
which should be corrected in busi-
ness-like way.
A few bales of cotton cannot be
sold to advantage; rs to 100 must be
marketed at a time, and Brookhaven
is ideal for cotton marketing cen
ter. Holly Springs draws sufficient
cotton to sell in lots every day, and
the same thing could be done here.
There should be government
bonded warehouse in Brookhaven
with a licensed weigher and licen-
sed grader. The certificates issued
would then be good collateral accord
ing to the Federal Reserve. Brook
haven should be the leading cotton
market of South Mississippi.
The government bonded warehouse
would be one of chain under SUI
pervision of the government, would
'be inspected regularly and operated
efficiently.
Mills could order cotton here in
stead of its being passed through the
hands of numerous successive buyers.
w. e. Gordon, an expert on coop
eratiye selling of cotton was the
second speaker. He stressed the i'm
portance of cotton pooling and grad
ing, stating that Texas now has 100
such centers, South Carolina, 20, and
North Carolina 10.
The saving to the farmers, as a
result of grading is about SIS per
bale.
The farmers business is one that
must go on, but farmers are the only
group not organized for protection
and DEVELOPMENT Of their. interests.
Few farmers keep books and know
in a business-hke way where they
stand"
While there are about 1000 fafms
ers in the county, there are only, a.
bout 200 in the Farmers Bureau.
Banks and honest cotton buyers
urged system and pooling, and stand
ardization.
The farmers must control the sit
uation and can do SO only by organ
ization and employment of a grader.
Mr.. Gordon said he was not max
ing a fight on local buyers, and knew
nothing of this particular town. He
also said that as the honest, cotton
buyer does not often know middling
from strict middling. he is obliged
to protect himself by buying at a
middling figure.
Brookhaven needs a. disinterested
classer and can become "a center,
marketing double what it is market
ing now.
In Aiken, S. Ct, the Chamber of
Commerce backed the movement. In
Canton, the banks wanted it. The
system is fne thing for the banker
and the man who wants money from
the bank, and will help the town by
bringing in more money.
The speaker said that contracts
were being signed by hundreds and
thousands Of farmers with the Farm
Bureau, for the grading and sale Of
cotton.
1t was stated that the contract
WHICH entails fee Of $1.00 for the
grading and sale Of each bale is not
to tie the farmer but to provide a
basis for business, as a large volume
of cotton is necessary to insure the
success of the plan.
II the guarantee is sent to "A. &
NJ. College, they send a competent
man.
The Copiah agent, Mr.. Bearden,
said Copiah will cooperate with Lin
coin and would put up about 1000
bales.
Mr.. Emmerich, of Walthall. en-
phasized the point that this was not
selfish enterprise to help the farm
er alone but would benefit the busi-
ness man and community as well. He
urged that the Farm Bureau do all
in its power to get the business men
to cooperate.
A merchant present stated that he
welcomed anything that will come
and take the responsibility Of loss
That the matter OF not understand,
ling each other often caused antagon
ism between the farmer and the mer
chant: He brought a hearty laugh
when he said that there were farmerl
is his community who made tw.
Grades of syrup. one to feed to thei,