| SPARKS OF SECESSION - WESTVILLE, GA 1861 NOTES ON COTTON PRODUCTION in 1860 |
| 1793 - Eli Whitney invents the Cotton Gin - Increases cotton production 8 fold. Cotton utilizes a Hoe Ridge Cultivation. Tools required: Cultivators, harrows, side harrows and double shovels. Planting Cycle Feb-March: Clean out old debris. Seed bed setup. April-May: Planting. May-June: Plants thinned. Swept and hoed 3-4 times. June: Cotton blooms. Plant height is 6"-12". Late July-Early Aug.: Cotton Bolls open. Aug 20: Picking Begins. Sept-Jan. Shipping to Markets. Avg Yields = 100-1500 lbs per acre. Slaves average picked per day = 120 lbs. All slaves (domestic, cook, house, etc) were utilized during picking season. Total 1860 US Production = 1.9 million lbs. 1860 US Production equaled 2/3 of worlds supply. A 400 lb bail requires 1200-1500 lbs of cotton produced. Price per 400 lb bail in 1860 averaged $49.60 per bail. (12.4 cents per lb.) 1861 - Confederacy places embargos on cotton to Europe. |
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