May, 1909.] 



425 



Fibres, 



old ridges witli the plough ; most of it 

 decays, but any which germinates is 

 destroyed in subsequent ploughings. In 

 this practice the island cultivators con- 

 firm Egyptian experience, as they find 

 large late applications of slow-acting 

 organic nitrogenous manures interfere 

 with germination and retard ripening. 

 It is generally considered that all blooms 

 which appear after the first week of 

 September never mature, as they are 

 checked by cold or frost. 



The first ploughing is deep (12 inches 

 when possible) and subsequent plough- 

 ings shallow. The first deep ploughing 

 encourages deep rooting, making the 

 plants more drought-resisting. The shal- 

 low ploughings give fine surface " tilth," 

 which is so necessary for germination 

 and rapid early growth. 



When the soil is ready for ridging a 

 dressing is given, either in the drill or 

 on the flat, consisting of 600 lb. of 

 Peruvian guano and 50 lb. of potassium 

 sulphate per acre, and after germination 

 50 lb. of nitrate of soda are applied. 



By this treatment, combined with 

 judicious selection, Captain Rivers of 

 James Island raises the finest Sea Island 

 cotton. The 1900-1907 crop of 419 lb. of 

 lint per acre was sold privately to a 

 French firm at 2s. 6d. per lb., or a gross 

 return of over fifty pounds sterling per 

 acre. 



Marketing and. Shipping.— Railway 

 Rates.— The island-grown crop is market- 

 ed in bags 7k feet long by 2k feet in 

 diameter, containing approximately 350 

 lb. of lint. The cotton is never com- 

 pressed in bales as this is considered 

 detrimental to the fibre. The crop is 

 practically all sold in Charleston, and 

 forms 35 percent, of the cotton marketed 

 at that port, selling at from Is. 3d, to 2s. 

 6d. per lb. 



The mainland Sea Island, which is by 

 far the larger crop, is principally 

 marketed and shipped from Savannah, 

 the largest port on the Atlantic seaboard 

 of the cotton-belt. This cotton, like 

 Upland cotton, is sent trom the farms 

 to the cotton factors in uncompressed 

 bales of between 400 and 500 lb. The 

 factors take samples (from 2 to 5 lb.) 

 from each bale, and expose them in their 

 sample rooms for sale, the price being 

 fixed by the grade and the cotton- 

 exchange fluctuations. The charge for 

 factoring varies from 4s. 2d. to 0s. 3d. 

 per bale, irrespective of class, species, or 

 value of cotton. This charge covers 

 insurance for the first fortnight the bale 

 is in the factor's hands, but, if held over, 

 an extra charge of 2s. Id. is made for 

 storage. 



54 



The railway rates for transport vary, 

 but the following figures give an 

 approximation :— 



Satesboro to Savannah, 00 miles dis- 

 tance, lid. per 100 lb. 



Macon to Savannah, 191 miles distance, 

 Is. 5d, per 100 lb. 



Valdosta to Savannah, 100 miles dis- 

 tance, Is. 3kl. per 100 lb. 



Americus to Savanuah, 198 miles dis- 

 tance, Is. 10|d. per 100 lb. 



Albany to Savannah, 170 miles distance, 

 Is. 4|d. per 100 lb. 



After the bales are sold they are com- 

 pressed for shipment, the cost being 

 borne by the purchaser, the usual charge 

 being 4s. 2d. per bale. Shipment to 

 Liverpool costs from Is. 5£d. to 2s, Id. 

 per 100 lb,, depending on the time of 

 the year. 



The mainland Sea Island cotton is 

 classified according to length into " East 

 Floridas," If to 2 inches; "Eloridas," 

 lg to If inches; " Georgias," If inches; 

 and further gradedaccording to strength, 

 cleanness and evenness of staple, into 

 " fancy," " extra choice," " choice," 

 "extra fine," "fine,' and "dogs." The 

 average mainland Sea Island cotton 

 realises from 17 to 25 cents per lb, 

 B — Upland Cotton. 

 I. Short-stapled. 



Upland cotton is the principal cotton 

 of commerce, and is very extensively 

 cultivated in every State of the 

 American cotton belt. 



The principal Upland Cotton States 

 are — South Carolina, Georgia and Ala- 

 bama, on the east side of the Mississippi ; 

 and the eastern half of the immense 

 State of Texas on the west side of the 

 Mississippi. It is considered that 

 Georgia and Alabama grow the best 

 short-stapled Upland, one of the best 

 varieties in this country being " Cook's 

 improved." The soil of Georgia and 

 Alabama is red and rich in iron, much of 

 it being light and specially suitable for 

 fruit-growiug, which is an important 

 industry in those two States. This soil 

 responds to liberal manuring, but large 

 areas are producing under 100 lb, of lint 

 per acre, owing to continued cotton- 

 planting without fallowing, manuring, 

 or growing leguminous crop. This is 

 especially noticeable on negro farms, 

 where the farming is of a very poor 

 class. Under normal conditions Upland 

 cotton never attains the height of Sea 

 Island or Egyptian, and on some of these 

 impoverished soils the plants do not 

 exceed 18 inches, although remarkably 

 well fruited considering the poverty of 

 the soil. In Alabama and Georgia sur- 

 face mulching is firmly believed in, and 

 in dry weather the fields are treated 



