The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1945-05-24
Cotton A Challenge, Not A threat
BY Mrs. Dorothy Lee Black
Manager Delta Council

The pending problems Of cotton
should be regarded az a challenge by
producers in the Yazoo-M Mississippi
Delta. We know the competition
that is coming after the war from
synthetic fibers and foreign cotton.
But let's not give up in despair.
Let's put to work the information
and research data we have on low
cred production, harvesting, ginning
and marketing method costs; let's
listen to the mills when they tell us
what kind of cotton they want. In
short, let's wake up and get to work.
We IN on the brink of n OF the
most significant changes In cotton
marketing in the entire history Of
the cotton industry. That fact Il q
direct outgrowth of the excellent
work done by F. L. Gerdes, Senior
Cotton Technologist, u. s. Cotton
Ginning Laboratory, in the field Of
fiber testing and the recent breeder
spinner conferences sponsored by
Delta Council Advisory Research
Committee. The recent trip made by
George b. Walker, Chairman of that
group, and Mr.. Gerdes to Boston
confirmed anew the information at
tained and interest created by these
meetings.
Mills are rapidly becoming variety
conscious. In addition to specific
grades and staple lengths. certain
characteristics Of particular varie-
ties are very important in the pro-
.ductjpn Of. . certain. end product.
One. mill may. want flness, another
.etrenxth, and 20 on. Spinners are
now realizing that these desirable
.uual{tieg ne definitely correlated
With variety. More and more they
are reQueqting variety Identification.
Cotton shipper, note carefully. One
buyer in. Greepville, Miss, Il going
to sell on this variety base next
year. Congratulations on your fore
sight sir.
Several years ago cotton producers
az this Delta we're disturbed about
the great amount Of Arkansas cot
ton that was moving before the cot
ton Of this section, which they
thought to be superior. We've learn
ca the q Why. Cotton farmers,
note: rsfllh were able to get certain
desired varieties in sufficient guam
tity to meet their needs. When the
mills begin to call for a specific
variety they are going to want large
quantities Of it. That means the end
81 such planting practices as eleven
varieties on q single plantation. Few
er varieties, one-variety communi-
tes ana possibly counties. The day
S coming if we stay in cotton.
Men such as r. N. Hopson at
Clarksdale know the significance OF
the research work done, OF the mill
contracts made. MIR. H0pson has on
file q considerable number of re-
plies to q recent QUESTIONABLE he
sent to mill representatives. The in
formation he has win elaborate ana
substantiate all these points.
The mill people are asking for
area, gin, variety and year identlfi-
cation for the cotton they buy. The
Yazoo-Mississippi Delta is well down
the road by virtue Of Delta Council
bale Identification program. But we
have farther to 60. When the cot
ton producer is made aware OF the
facts being developed BY the fiber
testing service and brought out IN
conference with the 1pinners, the
program can be completed.
II won't be easy. It's going to take
a lot of education, some very care
full planning, and straight thinking
But the road we must travel IS map
ped out. .
II we stay in the cotton business
we've got a job to do: we've got to
SELL our products, the mills don't
HAVE to use it.. Research, again,
has pointed the way. The fine leader
ship that characterizes this Delta
distinguishing it from any other
area of the nation has again proved
its vision and intelligence. Now ITS
time for the rest Of us'to 60 to work.
The future of cotton IS a challenge
not a threatl
~ 80