Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-10-07

cotton manufacture in England Is
coincident with the coming OF Elem
ish refugees from the Netherlands,
in the year 1900. Nineteen years lat
err the colonists in Virginia grew cot
ton along the banks of the rivers. In
the same year the first negro slaves
were imported to the new world.
According to George Bigwood the
year 1871 is given as the real be-
| ginning Of the cotton industry in
| England. Prior to that date cotton
had been used only to make candle
wicks, he says. In 100 cotton Guilt
walton in North Carolina furnishes
one-fifth Of the population with
clothing the cotton being mixed with
other fibres 10 produce cloth. Every
farmsted has its cotton patch (Craw-
ford the heritage of cotton.)
During the eighteenth century Bra
iii and the West Indies were the two
| great producing countries OF the New
! World. In 1888 Kaye invented the
flying shuttle. In 1856 Manchester
Act was passed in the English par
| lament allowing cotton and linen
mixed calico 70 be manufactured,
while importation Of Indian goods is
still forbidden, thus giving Lanca-
shire the monopoly in cotton goods.
By 1850 there were no less than 80
600 people in Manchester and Bolton
districts in Lancashire engaged in
the various phases of cotton manu-
facture, and the industry was spread
ing to every village and hamlet in
that portion of northern England.
Carolina sent eight bags OF cotton to
the Mother Country in 1864. By 1850
il is estimated that Manchester and
Bolton Jointly manufactured cotton
goods valued at $4,000, 900. Two
years previously Hargreaves had in
vented the spinning Jenny, and three
years later Richard Arkwright pat
ented his spinning frame. The follow
ing year, 1910, three bales of cotton
az about 200 pounds each went from
New York 10 Liverpool, ten were
sent 20 the same destination from
Charleston, four from Virginia. and
three barrels were sent from North
Carolina.
During the Revolutionary War cot
ton manufactures in America we're
stimulated through the colonies be-
ing cut off from English goods. In
1919 Crompton invented his famous
spinning-mule. In 1883 the first
piece Of cotton goods entirely made
Of cotton was produced in Lancashire.
Two years later Cartwright invented
the power loom. In 1857 and 1883 the
first permanent cotton factory built
of brick was erected al Beverly, Mass.
IL was not, however. an economic
success. A factory was built at Phil
adelphia equipped with expensive
machinery for carding and spinning
at about the same time.
II was the great impetus given to
the cotton industry by the series of
wonderful mechanical inventions in
Lancashire that put southern agricul-
ture, so TO speak, on It's feet, because
these inventions reyolutionized cot
ton spinning and weaving develop
ment in England, and soon led to
tremendous expansion in the cotton
textile trade.
And then came perhaps the most
marvellous invention Of all-steam DOW
er in the operation of cotton facto-
ries in Lancashire and adjoining
counties. All this created an insist
ent and rapidly increasing demand
for American cotton. Then came
what growers of cotton will regard
as thee limaX in the matter Of inven-
tions-Elias Whitney's cotton gin.
Three years previously Samuel Sla-
ter, an English emigrant, had built a
factory at P~awtucket. Rhode Island
~embodying the coveted English inven-
lions. With the cotton gin an es-
tablished fact the greatest obstacle
to large-scale production OF short
staple or upland cottoa-from which
the greater part Of the worlds cot
ton goods are manufactured-was
overcome.
Will Continue Valley Crop
Thus Gotten growing was made
profitable in 4 country where land
was cheap and labor was scarce. Cot
ton growing increased 50 rapidly in
the old south that in 1850 it was six
times what it was in 1880, and still
only a small percentage of the avail
able area suitable for cotton had
then been brought under production.
Despite the assertions Of some who
wish TO pose as authorities on the
subject, II seems probable that cot
ton Will continue TO be a popular
summer crop with the majority Of
farmers IN the Lower Rio Grande
Valley. More specialized methods Of
farming, however, TO fit in with Val
ley conditions, so far as one is able
viii come into operation. High-priced
land entails particular methods OF
combating the several obstacles which
crop up in the path of the cotton
planter in the Valley.
One hears a great deal about the
ravages Of the boil weevil, but il
questionable, in the writer's opinion
whether this Is at the present day
the chief obstacle. Root rot anC
boil rot both seem to be doing much
more damage than boil weevils. AZ
any rate in the Valley. The latter
insect has arrived at a point where
It's operations may be said to be eff
tectively controlled by the poison
larsenate) route, although il would
ne a grand thing and leave many
thousands Of dollars IN the Valley II
all planters could be persuaded 70
clean up and burn all the cotton
stalks and residue from their ola
cotton fields every year. The sui
phuric acid treatment OF seed will
1t is said, effectively control the boil
rot or angular lear rust disease
which did such an enormous damage
last year. This simple remedy. &C.
eording to directions from the Col
lege OF Agriculture Experiment Sta
ton at College Station, Texas. ba,
been published in the Valley Far.
mer, and will be again at an onnor-
tune time. As for the root rot. per-
haps the most practical control u
view OF u present knowledge is ~
practice rotation and avoid plantins
cotton on the same field year after
year.
Weevils. boil rot, root rot, or anv
other disease or pest, il may be TAX
en- Ior granted that King Cotton will
~ marching merrily on through the
ages, and long after the present Oan-
Grafton is no more cotton will CON
ttnue TO be the greatest cron 4, ~.