1 Sepr., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, 335 
Water power varies from 7°50 to 15 dollars (£1 11s. 3d. to £8) where the 
power is applied directly to the machinery and not used for electrical 
generation. It is calculated that from 6 to 8 tons of coal per day are sufficient 
to operate a 400 horse-power engine during eleven hours’ continual service. 
About one and a-half cords of pine wood are equal to 1 ton of coal. 
The wages paid to the hands include one spinner at 1:50 dollars (6s.), six 
boys at from 40 to 75 cents (1s. Sd. to 3s. Id.) each, and twelve girls at 26 
cents (1s. 1d.) each. : 
The combination of advantages the manufacturers have enjoyed has enabled 
a few of the companies to earn enough to declare, if they desired, a dividend of 
from 10 to 15 per cent. annually, after allowing from 8 to 10 per cent. for 
depreciation of machinery and buildings. Few such dividends are announced, 
however, as it has been the general policy of late years to add to the surplus, 
making it a fund for enlargement and betterment. 
This is why quite a number of the Carolina mills have doubled their 
capacity within the last ten years, putting aside so much for enlargement out 
of the profits of the original plant. 
One mill located at Gaffney, South Carolina, earned 22 per cent. yearly 
for the first three years it was in operation, and its machinery operated twenty- 
two hours out of twenty-four during the first two years. It manufactured a 
certain grade of sheeting, and during the period mentioned actually controlled 
the prices of the American market. 
Instances are also known of mills which have cleared as high as 80 per 
cent. in a year on their capital stock, or enough to give shareholders a dividend 
of 20 per cent. after allowing for wear and tear and new machinery. The 
inducements to build mills have resulted in possibly a score of similar plants 
being built on the instalment plan. 
There are several of this character in South Carolina; for instance, a 
1,000,000-dollar (£200,000) company would be recognised, divided into 1,000 
shares of 100 dollars (£20) each, each shareholder being allowed to buy at the 
rate of 50 cents (2s. 1d.) per week per share, the idea being to have the stock 
fully paid up at the end of two or three years. As soon as 25,000 dollars 
(£5,000), or enough had been accumulated to start work, contracts would be 
let for a certain portion of the mill building. By and by it would be finished, 
and a small amount of machinery installed and started, the balance of the 
machinery being added as subscriptions were made to capital stock. The 
employees were actually helping to pay for the plant out of the wages received 
from the company. The plan followed ix quite similar to that pursued by 
building and loan societies. 
The mills in the south manufacture 17 per cent. of the cotton products in 
the United States, which represents 70 per cent. of the world’s production. 
The whole consumption of southern cotton is rapidly increasing, as may be 
imagined from the activity in mill-building, and calculations haye been made 
that at the present rate of progress fully 5,000,000 bales will be converted into 
cotton yarn and cloth in 1901 by the plants in the sections referred to. 
HOW TO PLANT CUTTINGS. 
Many amateurs make great mistakes in planting cuttings. They leave 
three-fourths of the length of the cutting above ground, and very often push 
the cutting down by main force into the soil. The most successful way is to 
‘make cuttings from 6 to 12 inches long. Make a narrow trench, and put 
1 inch of sand at the bottom, and place the cuttings at such a depth that only 
about two eyes or buds are exposed above ground. Throw a little more sand 
against the base of the cutting, fill in the soil a little at a time, and tread it 
yery firmly against the base of the cutting. Leave the surface loose. 
W 
