The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-02-08
From the Carolina Planter.


ing which is necessary to their proper in
|terest. So long as the management Of
crops is chiefly left to overseers, and the
owner allows them to have their own way
pride and resprit dc corps makes them 60
alone for the "main chance" If a cotton
planter make good crop of cotton and a
tolcrable one of corn, it is generally con-
sidcred that he is doing well-especially if
he has to buy only a little corn. Most
men, who consider themselves practical
men, and 60 for five or six bales to the
hand, say nothing if the overseer gets in
the quota of cotton. They sell their cot
ton, and buy corn, and sometimes they buy
pork for bacon-But on these plantations
it is rare thing for regular allowance Of
meat to be given out 1t is old saying,
familiar to the farmer, that "bougM corn
ncver .tattens any thing;' andthcre is smuch
truth in the remark. With most planters
a large crop Of cotton is aimed at, and ha-
bit and faith in the advance of the market,
always make them look to cotton alone,
A portion of land, it is true ;, is set apart
for provisions, but this is usually minor
consideration Cotton is the object-fve,
six or ten bales are the inducements to
strain the negroes, the land, and themules,
and when the mules are broken down,
they have two or three months, when the
crop is laid by to fatten on pasture; and if
the land is exhausted, other lands are sub
stitutcd. If the provision crop is short, it
has to be supplicd--the work animals have
to be supported, and the negroes have to
be fed, and economy is now the order OF
the day. Stock, which every planter has,
must live or die according to their power
of endurance or the mildness or severity
| of the season; and the planter hopes for
better season next ycar-or as Jacob
Faithful has it, "bettcr luck next time" p"
This is too common with us, and for the
sake Of the country ought not to be so. If
a man is heavily in debt, and obliged to
furnish large amount from his "only
chance" there may be some excuse; but
for planters generally, who in our State
owe but little, to push every plough and
strain every nerve, however much their
land suffers, merely to make as much or
more to the hand than his neighbor, we
look upon as bad policy.
We arc reasoning upon the fixed axiom
that we arc to stay where we arc, andnot
to be living the life of wandering Arabs,
seeking soils to exhaust, and to work out
our fortunes at the expense Of our mother
country.
We are for imparting value, If we can,
to our own soil we are for saving and
putting in as well and taking out-and We
hope to see our planters, now in state of
wakcfulness to their true interests, press
on with vigorous e1ertions in their good
cause. 1t is thought by many that now no
rich land is to be boug ght among us-that
to be successful agriculturists, we must
seek another soil in new State. Is this
always to be the feeling of our plantersl
Is South Carolina, an indulgent and foster
ing mother, to be deserted and forsaken
for few bales of Cotton, and no other
more valuable considerations? Are the
bonds which bind us to her soil to be Sc
vered by the desire for little more tenn
porary gain, and all other interests left for
nought? We hope not. The experience
Of most of our friends who have deserted
our So; has been dearly bought-that they
should have remained in their own coun-
try, that their own Rcuniary interests have
but in a few instances been benefited,
while all domestic comforts and the educa-
ton of their children,are by no means such
as they wish.
We think the time has come for us "to
calculate the value of our SOIL" and to
render it productive in various ways. 1t
is the policy of our country generally, to
supply our own wants, and to raise all the
articles of ordinary need on our planta-
tons. One of our first considerations to
effect this object, is attention to stockton
without stock we suffer in most important
particulars. We hope shortly to lay be-
fore our readers a calculation of the a.
mount annually given by us as tribute to
the western States forbeef and pork. And
surely much of this can be saved. 1t cer-
tainly cannot be the interest of planters to
give a pound of cotton for a pound Of
0orI, a,d thi. 10 the state Of thjnDs at