Evening star., 1942-04-12
Longer Staple Cotton
Is South S Goal 10
Shorten War
Varieties Improved
By Careful Planning
And Research
BY PHIL CLARKE,
Associated Press star Writer.

ATLANTA, April II. - Longer
staple cotton is Dixie's new goal for
a shorter war.
To meet the needs of its armed
forces and to replace reduced sup
plies of import fibers. the land of
cotton has been asked to plant 27,-
400 900 acres Of the fiber this year.
The South Is answering with not
only more cotton but also better
cotton-the kind that Uncle Sam
needs for military use.
Improved cotton varieties on the
American market are result of
careful planning and patient re-
search. In Georgia, for example,
only 16.5 per cent Of the 1880 cot
ton was 1916 and longer in staple
and only per cent of the crop was
! inch and longer. In 1941, SO per
cent of the crop was / inch staple
and longer, and this year prelimi-
nary surveys indicate that rs per
cent Of Georgia's farmers are now
planting improved cotton varieties.
The picture is the same through
out cotton planting areas Of the
South.
Consumption Expands.
With prices ranging around 20
cents a pound for average grades
to above 40 cents for American
Egyptian varieties delivered at New
England mills, the cotton farmers
are assured of a ready market for
their big 1912 crop. And domestic
consumption of cotton Is still ad-
vancing from a February total of
81 per cent above the pre-war high
In December, 1886.
Despite limited capacities and
labor supplies, textile mills are turn
ing out cotton goods at a record
breaking rate. II the 1912 crop Is
equal to present expectations, the
mills will have some 1880, 900 bales
OF cotton-more than a million bales
above the average for the past 10
years.
The Department of Agriculture
lists these reasons for the unpre-
cedented rate Of cotton consump-
tion:
/. Reduced imports of raw and
manufactured fibers, including tute.
abaca. sisal, henequen, wool and
silk.
2. Heavy military requirements
for cotton goods of all types and
weights.
3. Heavy civilian defense require
ments for blackout cloth, sand bags
and first aid equipment).
4. The expanded need for work
clothing resulting from greatly in
creased employment.
Industrial Uses Grow.
S. Greater need for industrial
fabrics, bags and bagging resulting
from the unusually large production
Of industrial and agricultural goods.
much of which must be TRANSPORTED
to far-of areas.
6. The sharply increased purchas-
ing power of domestic consumers
resulting from high money income,
and the fact that many of the goods
for which consumers normally spend
a large portion of the income are
becoming scarce.
Z. Exceptionally large exports of
cotton textiles. particularly to Can
ada, Great Britain and other Allied
nations.
In view of the expected continued
heavy demand, farmers are being
encouraged to expand their plant
ings Of long staple cotton this year.
The Governments 1912 farm loan
program provides high premiums
for such varieties.
State and county U. S. D. A..
war boards are assisting cotton
farmers throughout the South in
shifting from short varieties to me-
dium and long staple varieties.
These boards are helping farmers
obtain desirable seed for planting,
and all indications point to the
highest production of long staple
cotton in the history Of the South.