Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-06-07

3 wild land, )grown up in grass, which
has not been TILED within the memory
E of the Oldest inhabitants upon it. and
some Of my tenants are 80 years old.
There are millions of acres in nv
4 neighborhood uncultivated,- peo-
pie being naturally indolant. Al the
e commencement of the rains, | offered
them this good land one one year for
: nothing, them and also offered 10 loan
money to assist them TO bring the land
r into cultivation, but they wholly de-
! clined making an effort. / according
ly hired them 10 do for me what they
would not attempt for themselves, and
that too at price that would not
purchase negro sing lie meal. They
! do not understand the management of
) horses, but plough with bullocks. The
f native plough is of rude construction,
but acts admirably in the place of our
Coulter plough in tough land; until
: theirs has passed through it once or
: twice tits almost impossible to use our
ploughs.
There has been great drouth this
year; the rain ceased in August, just a
; month sooner than usual, and conse-
quently our crop did not turn out as
it otherwise would have done, but had
we been prepared in time, and been
able to plant full crop, it would have
: made handsome profit this year. l
see that the papers in the South are
rejoicing at what they call our failure,
and that a letter Of one Of our party
has been published; the opinions it
contained were evidently formed be-
; fore the writer had an opportunity of
/ forming a correct one. Notwithstan-
ding all these unfavorable expressions,
: | beg leave TO exercise an opinion,
= and [ now assert, as few years will
prove, that cotton can be produced
here fifty per cent cheaper than in the
United States. 1t requires more ener-
gy, industry and perseverance here
: than in the States to get things under
} way, but after we have once learned
t the people how TO use our implements,
( they handle them with good deal of
E dexterity. When | first commenced
ploughing with our ploughs, it took
three of the natives to manage single
plough and the bullocks: then go.
two of them to manage it, and finally
one man, after some practice, manages
y both the plough and bullocks with
!. ease. The natives are afraid of horses
! unless it is those whose profession or
q cast il is TO take care Of them. The
bullocks here arc fast walking and a
. fast trotting animal, and capable of en-
!" during any degree Of heat withoutinju-
e ry, and will trct in carriage all day.
r. Ihave six natives. and one white man
e as overseels, (but the natives will per-
form double the work for 'Burra Sab,
as they call me, than for any one else
, and 1 have been very successful in
Il training the natives in my way of doing
e business; that | can give an order aud
J. have it executed expeditiously without
going near them. | cannot describe
the thrilling sensations | experienced,
while my Arab Steed was bounding
TO and fro among 200 ploughs which
n [ had in operation at one time;to me il
; was scene peculiarly interesting. lam
n so well convinced Of what can be done
e that shall plant 500 acres or more or
l. my own responsibility, though there are
= individuals Of our own number so dis;
x hea:tened that they will not risk any
n thing in that way. The English are
e not planters, and will not plant them.
l selves, and the people Of India are no
L hasty in adopting new modes, but if al
,. the people here were to commence a
y good system OF cotton cultivation i'm
: mediateIy, the world would be filled
= with cotton bales; but they are not go
o ing to adopt any new thing hastily, bu
y they will gradually, and no doubt il
Is another century India will furnish the
re English and China markets, if not I'll,
WuOIC VI EuIOpC, VIII GOIloH1 W
d years must elapse b fore the marke
1t can be Influenced by Indian produce
y Our good friends ofthe "Free Trader
Or forget that the consumption is increa
as sing almost in the same ratio with tn
Id production Of the article.
ID From my proceeding remarks upol
OF the low rents of lands and cheapnes
N of labor, you may judge whether o
ur not this is the country for. poor bu
NJ industrious man; you can, in my opin
I'd ion, start business here with what ivy
US or three negroes would cost in Mis-
If, sissippi, and in ten years be better o
de than nine-tenths Of the planters there
1t. You can live in greater luxury, at il
lin fniteIy less cost, than in any part {
sr, the world.
/ Governments. has built me a larg
sD comfortable house, which is .furnishe
p in plain substantial manner. / al
nd situated i'll an ont of the way place f
nts Europeans to visit, but cap soon reac
res an English station upon an All
he Steed. We travel as far on horsebac
&c ,lou