University of South Carolina Libraries
COTTON PICK! Experiments Now E / eral Recent Yv*m. E. Curtis, ii Last epriDg, in a letter from Mem phis, I described a cottou picker which had reoeotly been invented by G. A. Lowry, a Boatoi man, and was being experimented ?with on the plan tations in that vicinity. It was rey garded as a matter of extreme impor tance. The scarcity of labor in the South is a very serious problem. The development of tho agricultural in dustries has beeo more rapid than the increase is population ?ad various at tempts have been made to introduce Mexicana, Italians and other1 foreign labor to take the place of negroes, who are attracted to the towns and cities by social excitement and better wages. Last year it is estimated that 5 per cent, of the eotton crop in the Mississippi valley was lost because the planters could not, Q nd people to pick it, and if the crop bad not been so large it would have been a se vere loss. In ordinary years it would have been the difference be tween success and failure, so that the labor factor is becoming more and more vital. The importance of a me chanical device for gathering cotton can be appreciated when it is known that the labor employed in picking time alone represents ad annual out lay of moro than $50,000,000. This sum does not in eludo the wages of the ordinary plantation hands who are employed in planting the crop, and cultivating the fields, bot is the extra cost of picking the ootton. And labor is so soarco that in several seotions of the South, the planters are com pelled to pay two and. even three times .the usual .wages to secure enough hands, The coarcity ox labor ir so great that it would be impossible to extend tho cultivation of tho staple in tho South. The area planted to cotton might otherwise be doubled. In Texas there are at ? least 20,000,000 acres. available, whioh would. yield fully 5,000,000 bales per year* instead of the 3,000,000 bales that aie now annually reported. In Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and other States the wau planted to cotton might be doubled, and the total annual crop of tho United StateB might bo iu ore as ed to 20,000,000 bales if '{labor were avail; able. The deliberate ton den oy of late years, as is well-known, has beau to keep down the orop on account of low pri?es. The principal object of the Oottosf Growers* association has been to persuade the farmers ?ot if plant so much cotton. It bas asked them tO?>ignt pledges and make affi davits to limit the area for i the pur poBe of ; increasing pri?es, but this condition is. only *emporary? The population of the wo" ?d is using more and more cotton every day and thc manufacturers will haye to come to the United States, for their raw ma terial, whiob wp cannot supply unless we find more labor or invent some machinery: by v/hioh the productive c ap ac ? ty of human hands; ra ay h ? mul tiplied. ; The. inyeptive genius, of America : bas for years been trying io devise somo machinery to pick .colton in the fields, but until now every device has been ?-f??iii?^-toW^ ventor"baa. not been abie to endow his machino with sufficient intelligence and ^ddgment, to detect the difference between ripe and t?tfrip? ootton. Got? ton bolls do not all ripen at the same time. . Th^ over tb^ree t?mesr and ?Om wlt^ ^i^s pfx two or three weeks, as the crop ripons, aud a - rueohaaioal picker must.baye th^lintel?ig?ti??; to' oeleot\:tfce ripe bolls and leave,'tho green ones. This remarkable faculty is alleged tb have been conferred upon ?:..thnt?p^ at," least, ? which *?? haw und?r ?bservai?on by agents ; of the ^department of agrien! tore, ?ana repres?^ asapejailionilg^p^^-7 \ ',. . - ?j^ojc..tiie machines ja made by John.)?. Appleby, the inventora? th?* tvine binder.: ?t weighs about 1,200 poand|ji?j^ ' a^^^^hi^^ wttU .tremendous avantage and save least & '" a bale or 10 - per cent, of the value bf the cotton crop of the Stoutbp The machine 4a mounted upon two whe??ay wUb^^ and tho axle is wide - eaottgb: to aUow it to pass , over ?w? ?o;*s ?talants. Ae*feh^yto ? ?he :-ft^pp^-^&::ji^g 't^Jpi?eb?s*. or pickers ' whi??i 80%?how or e^er automatically ??rip tb* boil* 0^ :?,' Wti$jy^^ ufiripe -fibre to: ?oUea^VleTa fc^fce? at 4??? Tearer the NG MACHINES. teing Made With Sev ; Inventions? a Washington Star. by a motor instead of horses. It is mounted on light steel framework, oopported by wheels having broad tires like a traction engine, so that they will not sink into the aoft earth aa they move through the ?e?d. At tached to the framework are a series of endless belts, and fastened to the surface of the belts are eurved hooks. The whsolo revolve around pulleys, driven by tue eugine, which moves thu cotton picker along the field. Eaoh bett is placed in a light, wooden easing, which is open at the outer end. Theas "picker arms," as they are termed, aro attached to the ma chine by a movable .joint, so that a a hoy oan move them ap or down or in any other direotion. i When the cotton is to bo p>cLod the operator merely guides ?ne outer end of tho moving belt -to the boll v?hich holds tho fibre atte teeth pull it out, thc belt carrying it to: the end of the arm connected with the msohino. Here fan*, revolved by maohinery, blow thu coi ton through light metal tubes int? bigs which aro suspended over the VC;J of the maobine. As these bags will bold several* hundred pounds, a "considerable section of a field oan bo harvested before it is ne cessary to empty them. This cotton.picker is so simple io ito construction that a six horse-power engine ora light automobile oan be used not only to move it over the field, but to drive the pioking belts and do all the other work. ? man or boy eau ooctrol the engine and any othor hands needed, are boys to guido the pioking arms. It is claimed that this maobine oan take from 2,500 to3,000 pounds of cot ton in a day/ of 10 hours, which is equivalent to the work of 20 average field hands, and it ia possible to in crease its capacity by making it wide enough to co vee five or six rows in stead of three rows, as at pre a ont. . : While neither of the maohines oan. be expected to bs perfect, they are oertaioly ft rnoet encouraging im provement upon every device that has ever been produced, and tho ex periments thus far have 'been remark ably satisfactory. Several changes have been suggested by praotioal ex perience in alt of ?be machines and tho invent oro are now perfecting ihem. - : ..; ; ly |-C ; Tho pol loy cf ?be agrioaltural do par tm c n t dur j og tho adrni ni a t ra t i ou o! Secretary Wilson bas been to encour age and promote eil mechanical and other devices by ?blob the labor, of tho farmer may be made more profi table and Us results enlarged. Many experiments of an economic nature are going on continually under Secretary Wilson's direction, ." and. while many of them fail, they all teach valuable I?SS?OB, .and those which are success ful have already added enormously tb the wealing tbe prosperity and ibe happiness, the leisure and tho con venience of - the farming \ .community.! ;Tbe work of th? forestry bureau, bi willoh. Mr. Piochot is the director, ie beginning.to attract national attention outside of the timber interests, whioh ?it, is especially designed.to serve. It ia eonoidoricc several inm?rlsnt prsb lems. One of : the most important is tbe luture supply of railway ties and : ^legrapb poles.: I halve bad several' arri?les on the subject of railway-ties, and flOt long ago described the plans oi tho Pennsylvania Railroad ooihV ' ianiv wblob proposes to raise its own supply OD tho waste lands along its righi of way? The telegraph and tele-? ! phoue companies aro gradually ap proaching a similar disposition. Tko espensQ of seouring polee in becoming a serious matter, v ' . . ; There; ? telephone poles iu the United States, au pp^pr ting BOODOO miles of wire. The Average life of a pole ia 12 years, and ibey ? bosrfrom *7 ?p $10??ob. pod twelfth of the entire number, or 2, .^66,OQ0j ^ve; tb. be renewed every year, without considering the number o?;n?w poles required fqr tfee extenV sion of lines. It requires a trcev at lee^j?&.y^s/old;^ ; poi e. Thoref oro' jL'e^p^l^ 7 fa /befogs ^roduP?d^ni? uotbing.1iaa'-;b8e^^v ;poi?d' ?anift lately:~t? relieve iho situ^ ?tion. Every timo a telegraph pole is 'ont five young tresa fihou?d'li^*j|??'nt- I Vd. Otherwise: the natural supply will ultimately b4 exhausted and our j^?jr?^ companies ; .^i^e^ hoi* ???bo.e i o: t he-.aride<^|| * tr?es of ?arop? end As?a, wbera''thara ft ?o timber, ?m- *o?es arr, tory expensive end aHboaghthsy lasi^H ;$^C*^4x??^?0^tV%^^^^|h??^'^^c? distanc?e '0t ^^pfj^^?Myk^, . ???ed:^Utes^ .to*;' or?gi??? iesp^n?o io ? almost ^ro- ? MbUiv*, v * : ' /; ^e forestry bureau of ?be agricul tural. :de3>?^0Bt'.^a? ;;l?ken vupvtb?s,; : r'i v ." ? : : 1.... ;. ? ' , ?V busaco io promote the planting of trees suitable for railway ties and telegraph* polos, hat is also making various experiments to ascertain how the material may be preserved as lcog as possible. All tho telephone aud telegraph companies in the United States, tho railway companies, the lumbermen and individuals who arc interested in the subject arc cooperat ing io a practical and generous man uer, and the agricultural colleges and experiment stations in the different States are takiog the matter up wUh iotolligent enterprise. It is too early to report the results of tho tests. It will be several years before the for estry department eau determine the varions questions, involved in tho ex periments, but, in the meantime it has issued a oiroulsr of instructions hnucd upon general knowledge of tho timber, wb ch should bo studied and observed by people who are cutting poles and ties in the natural forest. The first proposition is that timbe: out in tho winter season whoa the sap is in, the roots lasts a great deal longoi thea that out in the summer, wheo the (jap is in the trunks and branohes; and; eeoondly, proper caro in season ing a pole or a tie can make the fibre mora tough and durable. j Drinking Man Not Wanied. It is becoming more end raore evi dent thal there is no place ia the bus i nea a world for the drinking m an. Ii departments of labor whore he wai once tolerated he * csu no longer fiat employment. Even in the print oho] whero there seemed to prevail for ; long time the idea that a printer wa not expected to bo a oobor men, am for this very reason a high and hon orablo profession has been lookc down upon by some people, he can n longer find employaient. As ?ooo a his name is mentioned and the state ment is made that he uses strong drin quiok and sharp comos tho reply, 11 do not want any drinking man. This is doing a great deal ??o elevate tb profession. While the drinking ma is cut out, and not wafted at any prim the sober printer is ?ought after, ac commands wages commensurate wit with those received in other busiaei spheres and he is as highly honore and respected as any one. Beside he is not beating about from plaoe, bi has a position whioh ho can hold i will. Thia ia well and is just as should bo. The railroads have thrown aside tl drinking tuan long since, sud no me chant vfil\ have him behind his cont er. Moro and more closely the lin Gio being dirswn aud'pretty soon t tho time will como whoo the felic who drinks will have every door sh in his fr.co sad he will have either give tip hts whiskey or loaf and di His days are numbered sure and et tain.-reonwood Journal. slaw She Escaped. "My darling," . ssid Mr. Spoor more? as he finished the third he' ing of his wife's plum cake, "t lightness and flavor of your excelle oake give a grand aod emphatic den to ill the rubbish written in would funny papers about the incapacity yotiBg-wives to cook." She nestled close to him. "Oh, perhaps," he continued, may be that my own little) wifey-pH is-better, than all others:" ?'Oh, duoky," she Whispered, "h happy you make mel" And tbon eho thought how luokj was that she. had had the sense to t that cake at the baker's.-Puck-' Endoroes Williamson Plan. The contribution on oom culture by E. Molter Williamson, of Darlington, h wall worthy of the olosest study, aad I reoommeod that you reprint week after week until tho corn orop is all planted. The burden of tte prob lem i-j to put Che fertilizer in the ear and not in tho stalk. I have often said if I were in a raoe to make the greatest possible yield of oom on one aero without irriguticn taking the risk of the season, aud all fertilizers free of ohargo, I would not put it in tho stalk; I would not put it down before planting. I would plant dose in the drill and stout the stalk, then stimulate the plant to make tho oar. Pct tho manure io the ear. It oan bo done. A big ear on a little stalk. For it takes more manure to nnke a big stalk thah it deep to make a big ear. I have been advising this for scv oral years and am glad to seo a prom inent farmer lib J Mr. Williamson ver ifying it on a largo soale. Print it again, Mr. Editor; lots of farmers havo negleoted to read it. No matter if it is two and a half oolumns; it is worth its weight in goldi Two years ago I planted some oom for mitton in an old garden. I put a good lot of manure under beforo I planted. The stalkB and root system were yery large, but a severe drought oaught it while shooting and tasseling. Some stalks fell down and all dried up; so very little was made. But my field orop was planted without manuro and remained untouched-except to replant missing hills-for a' ut six weeks. For the speoial purpose of stunting tho growth of the stalk, then I manured it at eaoh of the two plowings and made a pier * of brag oom, for a big ear can bo made on a little Btalk, and moro stalks oan be put on the aoro. Some years ago Mr. G. S. Cooper told me of Mr. Bell's farming on tho Dr. James place. That he planted hi? corn without manuro and let it lie until people thought he would loee his oom crop. But ''after it was suffi ciently stunted he barred it off deeply and put down his manuro below his subsequent cultivation and made a oom crop that a?tocished his neigh bor?? But right here let me put in a word: Don't--don't do an early variety of Northern oom that way, especially sugar oom for mutton. I am talking about our long growth Southern oom. Now let mo say to everyone who failed to read Mr. Wil Hamson's article in last week's Coun ty Record, go hunt it up and read it over and over, ind if you can't find it, write to Editor Wolfe to reprint it and keep it to tho front. And now a word to those wbQwill try. A neighbor of mine who pots all his manure down when he plants, made a mistake iu trying my plan last year. For he sided his dorn and drop ped his lot manure in the sidiog fur row, and when he ploughed next time the "Dixie"plowed up his manure and turned it on top. Now, don't do that, but bed out; run a deep, scooter furrow to break out the last furrow, then bed back with the little wing "Dixie," and open with a scooter or shovel the same way; then drop your oom the proper distance, according to the width of row, and cover with a hoe, 'or the foo1 IV if the ground is fine and mellow, leaving- the hollow between the hills to drop the manure in later; never oroas-ploagb and rip it up. (but you can't oross-plough it; you have ?our rows terraced 'round on a lovel and woe be to your fertilizers if your rows run down bill.) Now, when tho grasa comes up rind starts to grow, sweep out tho tniddlos, but don't fill up the hollows between tho hills, for you must put your ma nuro in them half way between the hills, and cover it as you side tho corn afterwards, which should be about tho middle of May; then rapidly afterwards drop a little cotton seed meal tho next time, and, Mr. Wil liamson says, some nitrate of soda at tho last ploughing, aud X think he is right. Read what ho says. Mr. Shamp ' Eaddy, of Florenoe County, says in 1004 ho mado 130 bushels of corn on three acree by planting without fertilizer, then ap plying 100 pounds cotton seed meal at rtoh of thc three ploughings. Stunt thor stalk and feed the ear at each ploughing afterwards is a good rule.-"Possum Fork," io Kiogstrco Record. NOT A PATENT MEDICINE. Myome, a Soientiflo Trestmeat for Ca tarrh by Breathing Medicated Air. Breathed through tho pocket in haler that comes with every outfit, Hyomci destroys all oatarrhal germs in the air-passages of tho throat and nose, soothes and heals the irritated mucous membrane and effectually drivcB from the system all traces of oataTrhal poison. No ono should confound Hyomei with the patent medicines that are ( advertised as catarrh cures. It is ? as superior to them all as tho dia mond is more valuable than cheap glass. The complete Hyomei outfit, con sisting of a neat pookot inhaler, a medicine dropper, and a bottlo of Hyomei costs but $1, and extra bot tles oan bo obtained for 50 conts, making it tho most economical meth od of curing catarrh, as well as the most reliable. Kvat/S Pharmacy havo Bold a great many Hyomei outfits and havo seen such remarkable results from its uso, that- they sell it under an absolute guarantee that it costs nothing unless it cures. _ Proved lila Assertion. Representative Chalk Beeson, of KaoeaB, is tho hoad of a forestry sta tion that gives trees to farmers. In an aldross to a woman's con gress Mr. Beeson said: "Trees are like ohildren. In the beginning they give us a great desi of trouble and worry, hut in the end we are very proud of them. Young trees are vexatious. Young ohildren * are vexations. I know a men who sst in his study the other afternoon writing a speeoh when his little eon called shrilly from the gar den: " 'Paps, papa, look out of the win dow.' " 'What a nuisauce ohildren arc/ grumbled the man, but nevertheless he put down his pen, end with a half a smile ho advanced to the window promptly and stuck forth his head. ' '"Well, what is it?' said he. . "The hoy, from a group of young sters, called up: "'Jimmy Smith wouldn't believe you had no hair on the top of your head."' Biggam/V^MSffiZS^ ^^^^^ Jg Big Crops .^BIL''^'- '" Less Acreage ' fl ^?^?^^BHB?^^^ ? Fewer acres, lighter labor, larger yields-a happy BBBHBBB^ secured with FARMERS* BONE, the B^??^?S^fl^ fertilizer proved perfect by twenty-one years of great ^^t^^Sl?P^ .-. . v cfo$s ?? from ; Southern ' soil. ? y Fanners' . Bone is richest iti fi m -aMT balanced food for every stage of plant growth from planting ?^? ^ time tiU harvesting ls suited to" a great diversity of crops, pte'^Jr ' ' from cotton to corn, wheat to small truck*- ' . ; W- Made with Fish ' ^?K flt < setup k used In every ton bf farmers* Bone, insuring nourishment fl^^^^fet?.''?fl.crop conditions and making it famous as k crop saver. Look ' . flfll^-.'. ' . fof the Royster trade mark? ?. ' # ^BBBS^^?. 'M?B??m :*J?PB ' SA MB9 RECORD ? v " THIBOB: pr THE CROP REGOR? . yB'.: ; JT. 1895-12,000 TONS \. K / 1906-58,455 TONS X : B - '.4 1^ ?cB:?- . ? Maws mass G OOD> big "mealy" potatoes 'o. cart not be produced with out a liberal amount of POTASH in the fertilizer-not less than ten per cent. It must be in the form of Sulphate of POTASH of highest quality. "Plant Food" and "Truck Farming" are two practical books which tell of the successful growing of potatoes and tilt ether garden truck-sent free to th os? ?who write us for them., Address, C1ERMAN KAU WORKS. New York-93 Nassau Street, or Atlanta, Oa.-22>j So. Broad Street Now cornea the "Good Old Summer Time" when you want ono of our ...... Up-to-Date VEHICLES for Pleasure. Carriages^ Surreys, phaetons* Buggies, Bun-a-Bouts, BUCH board, Traps, And in fact auvthing you need in the Vehicle line you -will find at our positories. A fine line of HARNESS, SADDLES, UMBRELLAS, CAN OPY SHADES, DUSTERS, &c. I Call and examine for yourself, and if we cannot auit you it will be oar Fault. Very truly, FRETWELL-HANKS CO., Anderson, S. 0. and Harness Now is a good time to buy a new Buggy and Harneas^ and we want you to look at our large stock of the latest and best up-to-date styles, and it will be no trouble for you to make a selection. Our work is all sold under guarantee. We have extra bargains to offer. Grive UB a trial. Our prices are low and terms to suit. THE J. S. FOWLER COMPANY. i P. S.-We have a lew last Fall's Jobs to go at Cost. THE SOUTH'S GREATEST SYSTEM? Ussaxcelled Bining Car Service. Through. Pullman SleepinglCars on all Trains. GoLvsaient Schedules on all Local Traill "WINTER TOURIST RATES are now In (feet to all Florida Pointa For Aili information aa to rates, routes, etc., cortult ncsicEt Souihesa Railway Ticket Agent, or ;P" W. BUNT, Bivifiion Paseenger Agent,. Charleston, S,.C BROOKS MORGAN, Atti Gen. Pas. Agent, Atlanta, Ga. ' tm . GB ' 66 IM I M ? o ' . Gd 6? fe o fe ? fe 4 S H ?t? M ll fe O i 4 m W o w H fe Q a o QQ fl H H! fl S O SB *4 *S 89 ka ONE CAB OF HOG FEED. Have just received one Car Load of HOG FEED (Shorts) at very CIOBO prices. Come before tbey are ell gone. Now is the time for tbrowing LIME Around your premises to prevent a case of fever or some other disease, that will coat you very much moro ths.n the price of a barrel of Lime (81.00.) We have * a fresh shipment in stock, and will be glad to send'yon some. If von contemplate building a barn or any other building, see ns before buying your CEMENT and LIME,1 1337^ Aa we sell the very^besOraalitieiTonly." O. D. ANDERSON.; ?*. ?I. MATXISON, , i bTATJB AtifflnC, . Paoplet?BankBoUdiOflANDKRSON, aC. ? LONG LOOK AHEAD A man thinks it is when the matter of life insurance suggests itself-but circumstan ces of late have shown how life hangs by a thread when war, flood, hurricane and fire suddenly overtakes you, and the only way to be sure that your family is protected in case of calar \ity overtaking you is to in sure in a Bo'h.i Company like The Mutual Benefit Life Ins. Oo. jOrop in And see us about it