ripened, that we were offered two cents
per pound above the ruling price of ordinary cotton. As a result, this
one crop gave the farm a cash income of $65,000. $60,000 for the fibre,
and $5,000 for the seed, oil and oil cake. Choice seed for planting, was
a large item in the last named amount.

"Heretofore, the great difficulty experienced by single farmers in
growing large crops of cotton, has arisen from the want of sufficient
help during the picking season. At Solaris, we always have an abundance
of help. If the needs of the work seem to demand it, we can put two
six-hour reliefs of pickers into the field each day, with 200 pickers in
each relief. By working such a force, a large crop can soon be gathered
without waste or damage. The pickers, all receiving the same daily
wages, have a pocket interest in saving the cotton, therefore clean,
careful picking, with a view of preserving a high grade of fibre, soon
becomes the rule. This is an important matter, as green, immature fibre
is worthless for the purpose of making a strong, durable thread or
fabric; therefore pickers must be sufficiently intelligent, to
understand why they should select only the thoroughly ripened cotton.

"Care is taken to make the pickers as comfortable as possible. For this
purpose, broad, movable awnings, are provided to protect them from sun
and showers. Under such circumstances, the picking season becomes one of
fun and frolic, to which our co-operators, look forward with rejoicing.
Six hours in each day spent in such light, pleasant work, is hardly
regarded as toil. Yet, the amount of cotton picked by each individual,
measured by the number of hours employed, is fully up to the standard
set by good pickers, under the old system of long hours. The
nimble-fingered women easily bear off the palm, as the expert pickers.
If they were paid by the pound, their earnings would be greater than
those of the men. Judged by such practical work, women cannot much
longer be classed with the weaker units of an agricultural colony!"

"I consider that, as a very important point, well stated! But pardon me
Fillmore, for the question! You spoke of better methods for the
destruction of insect enemies. What are those insects, and how did you
manage to destroy them?"

"Those that proved the most troublesome, were the cut-worm and
boll-worm. Both were hatched from the eggs laid by certain kinds of
moths. During the nights of the egg-laying season, for these mot