Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 204, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 September 1917 — Page 2

We're Growing Sea Island Cofen in America Nowadays

by W.A.Orton

■f ■ - SEA Island cotton differs from the ordinary upland cotton in many respects. The plant is taller,'the leaves smoother and more deeply lobed, the flowers brighter yellow, the bolls smaller, longer, and tnore pointed, the seed nearly bare of fuzz, and the staple longer and "cUner. ft is more CldSeiyTeTafyd to Egyptian cotton, which it resembles in ■ appearance. _i— The original home of the plant is thought to have been the West Indies. When first introduced into the mainland of America, it is reported to have been considerably different from the present form. Through several generations the planters have selected seed from the earliest, most compact, and most productive plants with the longest and finest staple, until the character of the plant has been radically Changed and greatly Improved. A well-regulated water supply Is the most Important factor Influencing sea Island cotton. Thorough drainage ’ls essential. On this account more and better cotton Is grown on the slightly elevated margins of the Sea Islands than In the lower central portions. Tile drains make possible the cultlva-

Map of the Sea Island Cotton Area of the United States. Each Dot Rep- £ resents an Average Production of SOO Bales.

tlon of land otherwise too wet. In the interior, cotton is grown only where there is stiltable drainage. On the other hand, a liberal and regular supply of water is needed, and wherever cotton is planted on the dry hills in the upper edge of the Sea Island cotton belt inferior results are secured, the staple becoming shorter and harsher. The lower lying lands are better, provided they have adequate drainage. Soils very rich in humus appear to be unsuited to Sea Island cotton, producing too rank a growth; but a deficiency of humus is also a sm-ious objection, as such land produce" a small plant with a tendency to the shedding of bolls and to rust. Atmospheric humidity appears to be a prominent factor Influencing the quality of the staple. On the Sea Islands, fields having an ocean exposure are said to produce- a finer and glossier staple on account of the moistureladen ocean breezes, and in the interior one advantage of the lower lands Is douhtTesstherf moisF air .which is conserved by protecting forests and near-by swamps. In the absence of sufficient moisture in the air the staple becomes harsh and shorter. This is further shown by the fact that a wet season is more favorable to Sea Island than to Upland cotton, while the Upland varieties do better in a dry season. The relative production of Upland and Sea Island cotton in- tire northern counties fluctuates with, the season and the changes in acreage due to varying market conditions. The mixing of seed and the hybridizing which result from planting cotton of both types in the same community are a serious handicap to the growers of Sea Island cotton. In this respect portions of Florida where only

Sea Island cotton is grown possess a marked advantage and the introduction of Upland varieties should be discouraged. In addition to the effect of the high prices in stimulating the industry and of low prices in depressing it, a factor which must be considered in connection with the production of cotton in either old or new sections is the supply of available labor. Until present methods are revolutionized a relatively large amount of fairly cheap labor is required, and it is a great advantage If the laborers have had long experience with the crop. Throughout the Sea Island cotton belt there is now a growing scarcity of labor, which is likely to restrict the acreage planted. The farmers must meet the tew conditions by the adoption of labor-saving machinery iif planting and in cultivation, but there will continue to be dif-‘ Cculty in getting" the cotton picked.

Irish Wit.

The pat answer which has been defined as “an Irish come-back” is more typical of Irish wit than the bull. Bulls which are common to the humor of all lands usually indicate slow comprehension or lax thinking. But the Irish bull Is often an instance of thought overleaping itself—a flash "of perspicacity. When a shrewd doctor say* that “warm stockings are the best chest protectors," we recognize a forcible and picturesque statement; when Napoleon declared that “most j

The development of trucking and lumbering industries restricts the less profitable cotton crop, and there is a steady exodus of laborers to engage in railroad building, etc., making the labor, problem still more serious. . a The cost of cotton production Is greatly increased by the prevailing credit system, owing to the high cost of supplies and the reduction of the farmers’amhition and efficiency. Thechange from credit to a cash system now going on is a great gain for good farming and should be encouraged. The common practice of renting land for a share of' the crop greatly hinders the adoption of improved methods. It means instead of the continuous planting of cotton without attention to seed selection or soil improvement. When the owner cannot operate his farm himself, he should retain strict oversight over the work done by his tenant and provide, through a written contract, for a specified system of rotation and seed selection.

If the period of renting were three or five years instead of one, there would be more incentive for the tenant to build up the soil. The owner who keeps his land in a high state of cultivation has no difficulty in securing the best Class of tenants. „ There is a tendency among cotton buyers to pay an average price for all grades of Sea Island cotton, especially in the smaller markets. This means that good cotton brings less than its value, and inferior or dirty cotton too much. This practice Is an injustice to the fanner who produces a superior article, and it tends to discourage him from selecting for quality. Unless buyers are willing to pay full value for the bests cotton, farmers cannot be expected to improve their seed in any respect except to secure larger yields per acre. It is an advantage to the farmer who has a superior grade of cotton to securq competitive offers from large buyers- before selling. In this direction much good can be done by farmers’ organizations. Tn .Georgia, and Florida the breeder

should work for a staple not less than one and five-eighths inches dr more than one and three-fourths inches in length. In South Carolina each planter is guided by his own preferences, sotne planters choosing the medium kinds on account of their greater productiveness and others finding it profitable to grow the extra fine and long varieties. Experience has shown, however, that these fine strains, having a staple two Inches to two and onehalf inches long and selling from "Hie Sea Islands at 40 to 60 cents per pound, are not profitable in the interior. As compared with the medium sorts, they are less productive and more subject to disease, while the bolls are smaller and the cotton harder to pick. The fine staple requires more care in handling than the interior farmers are accustomed to give, and the interior markets will not pay as high prices as Charleston. In the past the best results in the interior have been obtaln-

A Bale of Sea Island Cotton in the Interior Cotton Region Ready for Shipmerit.——— ——

ed with strains classed on the Sea Islands as medium fine, such as Hinson and Seabrook. In the cotton market the ’term “staple” refers to the length and fineness. of the fiber, and these points are influenced most by seed selection. The term “grade,” on the other hand, indicates the appearance of the cotton as regards cleanliness and color, qualities influenced mainly by the manner in which the cotton has been handled. The price is considerably influenced by the grade. The best practice in handling the crop may be briefly’ stated by describing the method followed on the Sea Islands, which should be adopted in the Interior in so far as the labor conditions will permit. • Picking is done whenever enough cotton is open, about every ten days. The cotton is gathered as free from frash as possible and carried to the storehouse, where the. next morning each picker sorts his own picking, throwing out diseased or yellow locks and pieces of bolls, leaves, and other trash. The cotton is then spread on arbors to dry in the sun. It is watch-

people dig their graves ■with their teeth,” we see a pointed truth. But when a Kerry doctor remarks dryly that “people are dying this winter that never died before,” we see a merry Irish “bull.” —Catholic Citizen.

A Cure-All 400 Years Old.

The Indian “swallow stick” is 400 years old. In Indian ceremonies, it was customary for the priest to thrust the stick down his throat, causing the reaction, thought by the natives to purge him of all Impurities.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

ed and turned frequently, and usually dries in one day. After sunning, the seed cotton is assorted by women, who remove any yellow of leaves, etc. If very dirty 4t is whipped over a coarse wire screen stretched" across a small box to take out the* sand. Very fine cotton is again sorted dr overhauled by another set of laborers. The cotton is then bulked and allowed ta remain fropi 1 four, to six weeks before ginning. -During the ginning, one or two hands inspect the

Ideal Form of Cotton Plant. The Leaves Have Been Removed in Order to Show Branching.

cotton as it passes to the gins, to remove impurities, and one of two others “mote” the lint as it passes from the gin to the press, by picking out yellow tufts, etc. By all these means a high grade is maintained for Sea Island cotton, which Is reflected in a price per pound several cents higher than that paid for inferior cotton.

The Australian Aborigines.

— XsnaTiunter the native Australian is marvelously adjusted to his environments. His success lies in an intimate knowledge of the habits of animals on land, in the ground, in trees and under water and his wonderfully developed powers of observation. He decoys pelicans by imitating their cries, catches ducks by diving below them, locates an opossum in a tree by marks on the bark or by the flight of mosquitoes, finds snakes by observing the action of birds, and follows a bee to its store for honey. Any animal which leaves a track, how-ever dim, in sand, on rock or in grass, falls an easy prey to the black fellow. Children are taught to track lizards and snakes over bare rocks and to find their absent Another by following tracks too indistinct to serve as a guide for a European.

Seventeen, but Looked Eighty.

In 1909 a young girl, Louise Gasquet by name, living in Paris, is said to have met with a peculiar death, though-barely seventeen years of age. In appearance she was an old woman of eighty, her skin wrinkled, her eyes tull, her hair gray and scant. Every effort known, to science was tried to bring back her lost youth, but her cheeks grew more shriveled -and her eyes more sunken every day, until, a month after her admission to hospital, she sank into a deep sleep and "died wifhouraT sigh? mortem was in the presence of many English and Frencii doctors, and revea led the fact that the entire organization of the body had been attacked by nsenile decay, and£llibugh the girl was but a child in years, she had undoubtedly died of old age.

Half-and-Half Music.

A jobbing carpenter came into the Wheatsheaf tavern and ordered a halfpint only, instead of amount of refreshment. The proprietor expressed amazement. “ ’Tis like this,” explained the carpenter : “I’ve alius been quitfir willin’" to reduce my expenses once I saw the quality give a lead. And, just now, coming from a job of work up at the hall, I noticed that Sir ’Enery has made a start in what is called economy. His two daughters was playing music in the drawing room, and they was i both of ’em playin’—mark you this —both of ’em playin’ on one and the self-same piano.”—Liverpool Post.

Avoiding Waste.

“Isn’t there a good deal of waste in the bone of a sirloin steak?” “Not for me,’’ replied the merchant. “I am careful to sell the bone for as much as the meat.”

There’s a Difference.

“How can I be successful In life, Uncle Jim?” '•• • ' **Let me understand you, boy. o Do you want rules for being successful in life or do you merely want a formula for getting rich?”

The Kind.

“Edward said he was going to take the baby upstairs to have a game with it. But listen tor it! ( What kind of a game could he have started?” “To Judge by the hoise It is making. I should say it was a bawl game?*

Soyotes of Siberia

TUCKED away in southern Siberia against the Mongolian boundary is a little corner of land where perhaps more customs curious may be found than anywhere else in Asia, and that Is saying a great deal. It is a country not easy to get into. From Krasnolarsk, a station on the Trans-Siberian railway, there is a river trip of two days up the Yenisei to Minusinsk, which is a city of some pretentions, about 140,000 in population, and in many ways not unlike a hustling American city passing through its boom period. From Minusinsk there is a 72-mile stretch covered by wagon road in the curious Russian wagon called a taliega, then there is 120 miles by trail over the mountains and then another 156 miles by wagon road again. For crossing the river a ferry is used most surprising to the traveler on first meeting, says a writer in Grit. One may come up to a river and hail the ferryman on the other side. Immediately a boat puts -out driven by splashing paddle wheels of which the motive power is at first a puzzle; there Is no smoke or steam and no gasoline popping. When the craft comes nearer, the secret is revealed. Three horses on a raised platform .pull around a sweep attached to a vertical shaft which is itself geared to a horizontal shaft and drives the paddles. Home of the Soyotes.-—^--

The native inhabitants of the extreme border region are a most interesting people. They call themselves Tubanulus, the Chinese call them Urlnkhi and the Russians Soyotes. The strip they inhabit was for many years a “no-man’s land,” its ownership being in dispute between Russia and Mongolia. It is a beautiful, wellwatered mountain country, rich in -vegetation and in game, including many fur-bearing animals. Recently Russia established her claim to the country. The Soyotes are therefore now a Russian people. They are nomadic by nature, living in sheltered mountain passes in winter, on mountain terraces in summer and in the broad valleys in spring and fall. They migrate thus to get pasturage for their herds and flocks. Some among them are cattle breeders ; such live in tents, round like a cheese, 10 to 15 feet in diameter, made As felt an inch thick mounted on a lattice framework. Others are reindeer breeders who live tn conical huts made like an American wikiup of birch bark and skins. Men and women dress in the same way, cloaks and breeches, made of furs and sheep skins In winter, and of cotton and Chinese silk in summer. They are fond of bright colors and are picturesque in their pointed hats and long flowing cloaks. They are fine riders, have excellent horses and train and take good care of them. But horse stealing is a virtue among them. Therefore the Russians on the principle of “set a thief to catch a thief,” employ them as cowboys and shepherds. All Thieves and Liars. They are a quiet people, submissive to authority, kind to their wives, but thieves and liars all, and until recently practiced torturing as a form of punishment, including such pleasant practices as burying alive and freezing off the hands and feet, while ideas of morality are not highly developed among them. When a cild is born, it Is named after the first object seen by the woman after its birth. The results are both comical and poetic. The Soyotes pay their taxes in the form of pelts of squirrel, sable, fox, mink, marten, etc.

The Russian peasants here, not the Soyotes, carry on a kind of farming, probably t%e queerest in the world—elk raising. It seems that the Chinese who still cling to the medieval system of medicine which is mostly superstition and not altogether unlike witchcraft, prize nothing more for their prescriptions than the horn of the elk in the velvet. They send agents all over Siberia to buy this commodity, and since elk are getting scarce, the price 'is going up and the canny peasants see chances for big profits in raising the beasts for their horns. They get $4.50 a pound for the horn, $6 if the elk has been shot and still has its skull bones, and a,pair of antlers will weigh up to 70 pounds—-a fair profit, considering that after harvesting his horns you still have your elk for next year’s crop. Communal Elk Farms. There is indeed a craze for elk-farm-ing; even villages have communal elk farms. •The elk are pastured in enclosures surrounded by ten-foot fences and are bred like cattle while fresh wild elk run down bykj?ea§ants on

snow shoes, are added to the herd every winter. The business may be profitable for the peasant but It is anything but pleasant for the elk. When it comes time for dehorning the poor beast is thrown and held down while a peasant hacks away at his antlers with a saw, usually a dull one. The operation may take half an hour, and all this time the animal shrieks in agony. And the peasants say it does not hurt, that he merely cries from fright! East may be East, and West, West, “and never the twain shall meet,” as Kipling says; but here certainly North and South meet. For while elk flourish in this land of contradictions and reindeer as well, yet one of the popular beasts of burden is the camel —Lapland and. Arabia. The camel is a most satisfactory animal for packing goods over the trail in winter. He costs only SSO, will carry a 600-pound load faster than a man can walk, and will make a four days’ trip with no food whatever provided only he be given from time to time a little weak tea. Tea might be expected to be popualr along the border between the Russian and Chinese empires, but for camels —well, at least, it seems odd. Because the national ownership of the land was in dispute, some goldbearing gravel deposits, the existence of which was known, have never been worked. Now that the Russians have definite possession, these prospective gold mines are attracting people into the country and when transportation facilities are Improved it will become better known.

Judges Love Profession.

The great majority of judges have possessed a strong love of their profession, some even for the technical part of the law. Lord Wensleydale once apologized for his late arrival at a dinner party, Informing his hostess that he could not tear himself away from a “beautiful demurrer.” Mr. Justice Ratteson found so much pleasure in his work on the bench that he was afraid that he might continue It after his increasing deafness made it expedient in the public interest that he should retire, and he exacted a promise from, a friend which was faithfully fulfilled—that he would tell him Immediately he thought his impaired power of hearing unfitted him for the work. —London Tit-Bits.

An Analogy.

To renew one’s youth! Is that only a fantastic dream, delusive mirage, or is it a promise? Sub-human nature offers a hint of this human experience. The new-born butterfly which, having dried its wings in the genial sunlight, has Just flitted away across the garden, exhibits every mark and sign of youth. Last spring, this same creature was born a caterpillar. Between these two states of youth successive the one to the other there is no break in continuity of Individual existence. From the laying of the egg to the spinning of the cocoon, the,insect passes through all the natural stages of infancy, youth, maturity. But 10, a second youth!—Edward Lewis, in the Atlantic.

Justification.

A former Berlin correspondent was talking about Admiral Holweg’s book in justification of the submarine war. “The Germans, with their queer, blind souls, can justify anything—anything, I mean, that they do themselves,” he said. “The Germans are like the lady who had a costly string of pearls sent home. “ ‘You ought to be ashamed to buy those pearls,’ said her husband, bitterly, ‘considering how I’m situated.’ “ ‘Why, George;’ said she, ‘that’s just it. Do yofi think I want everybody to know what a hole you’re in?’ ”

The Tactful Writer.

When writing to those away from home or distant relatives or friends see to it that your letter fairly sparkles with cheer and good news. Bring a smile to the reader’s lips and make him or her long to be with you to share the happy joys you tell about. These are the kind 1 of letters that go straight to the hearts of those who receive them, majority of us have a full measure of cares and responsibilities to contend with, but everyone of us can often think a happy thought or speak a good word and we should in all fairness pass it on.—Exchange.

The truth that occupies a nutshell finds some minds too narrow to give If room*

BIG CROPS IN WESTERN CANADA

Good Yields of Wheat, Splendid • Production of Pork, Beef, Mutton and Wool. The latest repbrts give an assuraitce of good grain crops throughout most of Western Canada, where the wheat, oats and barley are now being harvested, about ten days earlier than last year. Manitoba, Saskatchewan apd Alberta are all , “doing their bit” in a noble way towards furnishing food for the allies. —■ While the total yield of wheat will not be as heavy as in 1915, there are indications that it will be an average crop in most of the districts. A letter received at the St. Paul office of the Canadian Government, from ft farmer near Della, Alberta, says harvest in that district Is one month earlier than last year. His wheat crop is estimated at 85 bushels per acre, while some of his neighbors will have more. The average In the district will be about 80 bushels per acre. Now, with the price of wheat In the neighborhood of $2 per bushel, it Is safe to say that there will be very few farmers but will be able to bank from forty to fifty dollars per acre after paying all expenses of seeding, harvesting and threshing, as well as taxes. The price of land In this district Is from $25 to S3O per acre. What may be said of this district will apply to almost any other In Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta. Many farmers have gone to Western Canada from the United States in the past three or four years, who having purchased lands, had the pleasure of completing . the payments before they were due. They have made the money out of their crops during the past couple of years, and If they are as successful In tho future as in the past they will have put themselves and their families beyond all possibility of lack money for the rest of their lives. It Is not only in wheat that the farmers of Western Canada are making money. Their hogs have brought them wealth, and hogs are easy to raise there —barley is plentiful and grass abundant, and the climate just the kind that hogs glory In; The priee is good and likely to remain so for a long time. A few days since a farmer from Daysland, Alberta, shipped a carload of hogs to the St. Paul market, and got a higher price than was ever before paid on that market. Two million three hundred and seventy-seven thousand two hundred and fifty dollars was received at Winnipeg for Western hogs during the first six months of this year. 181,575 hogs were sold at an average price of sls per ewt., and had an average weight of 200 pounds each. Tile raising of hogs is a profitable and continually growing Industry of Western Canada, and this class of stock is raised as economically here as' anywhere on the North American continent. There ia practically no hog disease, and immense quantities of food can be produced cheaply. It has been told for years that the grasses of Western Canada supply toboth beef and milk producers the nutritive properties that go to the development of both branches. The stories that are now being published by dairymen and beef cattle men verify . all the predictions that have ever been made regarding the country’s importance in the raising of both beef and dairy cattle. The sheep industry is developing rapidly. At a sale at Calgary 151,453 pounds of wool were disposed of at sixty cents a pound. At a sale at Edmonton 60,000 pounds were sold at even better prices than those paid at Calgary. The total clip this season will probably approximate two million pounds. Many reports are to hand showing from six to eight pounds per fleece. 35 carloads were sent to the Toronto market alone. — Advertisement.

The Only Way.

“The Carnegie Foundation’s recent resolution to the effect that the only way to insure a permanent world peace is to crush Germany,” said Capt. W. E. Dame of the Rough Riders in his New York office, "remands me of the stocky, well-dressed Chap in the police-station. “A big burly drunk had been brought in on a stretcher, and the sergeant said to the stocky chap rather sternly: “‘What have you got to say for yourself?’ “ ‘Sergeant,’ said the stocky chap, ‘I have merely been acting the part of a peacemaker.’ ‘But, good gracious,’ said the sergeant, ‘you broke six of this man’s ribs.’ “‘lt was the only way,’ said the stocky chap, ‘to get peace.’ ” ,

Well Worth Trying.

“What do you think of the plan to do way with pockets in men’s clothes?” - “I think it’s a good idea,” replied the busy man. “It may be the means of curing some people of the habit of—standing around with their hands In their pockets and criticizing other people who are at wqrk.” The kiss of a homely girl may be sweeter than that of a pretty one—to a blind man. Men have a right to bet if they choose, but they should be careful how they choose „„ ’