The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1922-04-14
COMMUNICATED.

In the columns of Better Farming,
our County Agent has had quite lot
to say regarding Half and Half Cot
ton. Not only there but has been on
an extensive school house campaign,
put on by the Express orator from
Gibson county, who seems to think a
| farmer would commit an unpardon-
able sin to plant H. & H. cotton. This
Express orator, have been authenti-
cally informed admitted that he was
interested in five cotton seed oil mills.
This may partly account for part of
this extensive wind work.
The oil companies have always
fought half and half cotton and have a
right to do so as it means less seed
and less seed would mean higher
prices.
The greatest complaint against
half and half cotton has come from
the local buyer. He will buy it and
dock us from two to three cents per
hundred if he knows what we plant. II
he does not know, he will pay just the
same for it as for any other short sta
pie cotton.
Mr.. J. G. Maulding. of Barston,
Texas, who has just ordered 80
bushels Of half and half seed from
Crook Brothers, wrote: "Please ship
in plain bags. The buyers here will
dock me two or three cents per hun
dred if they know what it is. | plant
one-third of my crop in Half and Half,
one-third in Arcola and one-third in
Rowden. They do not know ! plant
Half and Half, and pay me just as
much for it as the other. make more
per acre with Half and Half, besides
it only takes 1850 pounds of it to
make a 500-pound bale, while it takes
$500 of the other. Discard it, | say
NO. We cannot afford to discard it,
Mrs. Viola B. Hall, of Midwife, Ca,
says: ~ planted twenty acres Of Half
and Half cotton. Had l planted the
other twenty acres in it, ! would have
made twice as much cotton. 1t is the
cotton for US here to beat the weevil
with"
These are just samples of hundreds
of letters we have on file.
The buyers raised sue ha kick few
years agone here that many farmers
made a change and planted Trice cot
ton seed. This was done, too, from
the advice of our County Agents. At
ter almost losing one or two crops and
not getting any more per pound than
for half and half, our farmers went
back to half and half. Then in year
or so some other self-styled apostle of
the farmer induced several farmers
here to plant Mebane Triumph again.
Some good farmers got little ner-
vous and bit. These farmers told me
personally that the Mebane did not
make but little over half as much per
acre as Half and Half; that it took
200 lbs. more to make a bale, and the
worst Of it local buyers failed to pay
any more than for Half and Half.
Then they came again with the
Ketchi Staple Cotton, brought in by
Prof. Charles G. Marchall, who spent
several days with me selecting cotton
plants for seed. Marshall was work.
ing for the U. S. Department of Agri-
culture. At that time the u. s. De-
partment was discouraging the growth
of Half and Half cotton. Marshall,
after locking over ten acres Of my
Half and Half cotton, said: "Crook,
this is one of the best patches of cot
ton l ever saw" He also told me and
T. ]. Sparkman that the prices would
not be cut as long as it made such sta
pie as we had. After Prof. Marshalls
visit, the U. s. Department of Agri-
culture ordered bill of seed for dis
tribution.
Now back to the Ketchi staple.
Some six or seven of us fellows plant
ed it but found it too late for our
county, it only making about three
fifths per acre as Half and Half and
requiring 1000 to LOO pounds seed
cotton to make bale.
Our local buyers (who had been
groaning worse than horse with the
collie because we planted Half and
Half bought the 1S Ketchi Staple
and only paid cents per pound more
the first year and the second year on
ly paid the same as for our Half and
Half cotton.
Now they come again, insisting on
our going on another rainbow chasing
and plant the Express and picked the
old thread-bare lie that the buyers
won't buy it next year to scare US into
planting the Express.
Gentlemen, have any farmers re-
quested you to make this school house
campaign? II the farmers are those
you are interested in, why do you not
consult them? They are the ones
whom you should consult. believe H.
A. Powers has done a great work, yet
friend Powers you are in bad company
when you pilot the Express orator
over our country to villify the cotton
that the farmers are wanting because
| 1t means dollars and cents to them to
plant it.
My advice is plant it, if it yields
more net profit per acre and if 1t don't
then plant what will.
But it is sheer nonsense to talk of
growing a staple cotton with any de-
gree or success this far North.
Why not make this campaign a lit
tie more interesting.
In order to do so, would be pleas
to meet Mr.. Huff, Prof. Powers, our
County Agent, Mr.. Beck, the Chester
County Agent, in joint debate regard
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