220 COTTON PLANTER'S MANUAL. 



given in your paper, to give the result to the public through 

 its columns, with the hope of contributing something to render 

 the planters more independent, and add to their comfort. 



During the late war with England, when bagging was scarce 

 and very high one dollar per yard I purchased a sley, made 

 for the express purpose of weaving bagging, forty-two inches 

 wide, sixteen "bier" At that time I grew flax, and made 

 several pieces of bagging, as good as the imported article, 

 which I sold for one dollar a yard. Twelve or thirteen years 

 ago, I put up a screw for packing cotton ; since which I have 

 made all my bagging, rope, and twine of cotton, which was 

 spun upon a common wheel, and wove in a common loom in 

 the old sley. The warp should be sufficiently stout to work 

 two threads in a reed, and the filling coarse enough to keep 

 the cloth the full width of the sley. Every girl that can draw 

 a thread, can spin the filling ; and if the warp and filling are 

 sufficiently stout, the bagging will be of as good quality as 

 may be desired. I make mine to weigh from 1|- to If pounds 

 per yard, and in four and a-half yards I pack 330 to 350 

 pounds of cotton. I always save the inferior cotton to make 

 the bagging and rope, and my bales look as neat as any bales 

 I see in the market, and generally, I believe, command as 

 good a price as any, according to the quality of the staple. 

 None need fear of success if the thread be sufficiently stout, 

 and the sley be of the right kind. I therefore think that 

 almost all planters, particularly small planters, may supply 

 themselves with an excellent article of bagging and twine of 

 their own make. 



There is another article I find greatly to my advantage to 

 manufacture at home, which is wove in the same sley and 

 loom, I mean blankets for servants. If made heavy, and 

 well wove, they will be as warm as, and much more durable 

 than the imported article. They may be made of any con- 



