The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-05-24


Prospects Of the Crop The SaaLtR Regisa ant
me Snad.ai9s-The Question Of Secsssios-A
CoSntu Mopeme,a 10 separate Ssate AtIoH, &c
After passing several days among the cotton
kelds and cotton planters, sandhill' and South
Carolina politicians, these subjects are naturally
suggested as very acceptable materials for the
daily naIa,ge of newspaper correspondents. With
more leisure than a writer constantly on the wing
~sn afordlwe should compile the facts and informa-
sion We have collected into sort Of magazine essay
Dor the Herald. But this sort Of thing is excessively
stupid, when news, or gossip, or politics, or any
~hing along the track Of birds eye view of the
world is SC much the spirit Of the ago and the
spiri. Of the press. At our leisure, however, We
propose to give \ broadside on cotton, from facts
~aa information collected in the cotton country;
bit, in the meantime prefer dish Of varieties,
seasoned with the pepper and salt Of South Caro-
EHa politics.
The eo.ten section os the United Estates COM
prises all the Southern country below Missouri,
Kentucky and Virginia. including the border tier OF
Abe counties in The eastern part OF the old mother
commonwealth. The five principal States in the
production Of the staple are Mississippi, Lca sana,
Albania, Georgia, and South Carolina. Bat the
superior article with its fine silky fibre, known as
sea island cotton, is limited 10 the sea-board Of
South Carolina and Georgia. Some is produced III
Florida and along the Gulf coast; but the superior
tlnoI pure island cotton Is limited 70 the At an
tie margin Of Georgia and South Carolina, ami Ito the
pesuliar network Of islands and peInsulas which
tank the coast Of these States, from ten to twenty
thirty miles inland along distance o. about three
bsndTed miles. All experiments % produce sea
island cotton inland, beyond the Influences Of the
sea breeges, have Jailed The seed has been planted
tAc plants have been wsterci with salt water, and
encouraged cy compost, similar N its chemical
properties TO the soil Of the sea isanGssand, vege
cable and animal matter, and salts bus the expert
ments have ali failed beyond the reach % The sea
hrsszes. It i. therefore, determined that It Is the
ssa sar that produces the island cotton, and
that nothing else produce i but me sea air ard
those light warm coils of the sea Islands which
have the full benef; Of the ocean bree1es.
The MAN land Of the coast country, subject 70
overflow by Trash water, or which may ~ overlooked
by aid Of the tides, fresh water streams r the ice
section The rise fields have to be oyerhowed two
three times during the season, and the water
drawn OF again. South Carolina is celebrated for
the quality and quantity of her prodac. q rice.
Ner low lands admirably adapted 70 the culture.
The tdesrise in hes rivers six or seven teet4 very
important advantage. Enbankmeuts, d.tches, aud
gaze. TO let in and draw oil the water, do the rsss
or nearly al. else that il required TO produce the
srop. GO level these rice lands thata depth OF
OF three inches lot upon them through the PIT
sel bitches hieh eroH them at ntegs as Of TWEEN
~ feet, or lcss will very often suffice 70 coTer
with water field Of thousand acres, to the aver
age depth 0: nearly three inches. And siekiy il
this coast region oi South Carolina IL the summer,
the value CT rice and island cotton sueh that
the land sells 10! sixty 10 hundred dollars per
acre.
Ihe upland Coss0L section cxlenUS lrUul inc Dor
ASrs OF the sea Islands over the whole Southern
soanIy The entire state of South Carolina Is
adap ed to cotton. The auyill district. extending
inland hundred miles more from the sea, u
Sat covered indigeaousiy with pines, and with ey-
press woods in the swamps which b0-der tbs water
courses. The soil Is ligh. and sandy resting 1pon
deer substratum of clay, almost as hard ~ stone.
Hence the numerous ssSamrs IN these iowlands,
from North Carolina TO Florida, Eherc the water
cannot be absorbed by the soil. The aliuvial or
seaboard country extends inland hundred miles
ss more. Then the ocean Of sandhills, tof which
ne shall presently say methng;l then the rolling
primitive country, with all its redceminS features
e hill, valleys, mountains fresh flowing river, and
waterfalls.
descendants Of equatorial Africa car stand and
enjoy. We saw, the othcr day, males and females,
sfal ages, from fourteen to fifty, az least hun
aTsd slaves at work blowing and hoeing the plants
NJ . single cotton field. !. was no holiday cAhib-
lion, and We must therefore admit thai as a fair
specimen OF his class, this psnte. keeps his slaves
comfortably cl).hcd, and tat anu cheerful. But
thry certainly the laborers foF hot climate.
THE cline 0: tbs sun,
Nov he smiles the foli where the work well done
The women in this field. about hall the force, in
stead Of bonnet against the heat OF a sunshine
which trembled over The surface of the fields IN
Thin transparent blaze, had their heads bound up
in bandkcrchicfs, tuiban fashion, aud their arms
have to the shoulders. Some were singing, others
were converting, and, contrasted with the tsmishcd
peasaDtry Of ireland, or the manufacturing popu!a-
fion q England, of this same article Of cotton, the
scene was cheerful and comfortable Nor is the
endurance Of heat by the black race matter Of
surprise, rejecting that on the coas. Of Africa
aDder the equator, they require NO other clothing
than a fabrication Of palm oil over their ebony
skirs. But hear the old darkie.-
.And he had No eye. for to see,
And he had teeth FIR a. eat Dc ss'rn s.ks,
SO he had 70 let d. ccrE cake T.
In conversation with planter, upon tho cotton
srop of the season. he SAID at he ddnot think there
was much planted in South Carolina this season
40 the last The corn crop last year was rendered
short by the autumn foods and the planters have
put in more this .eason than usaal, the supply
Of last season being exhauatet. In the Interior, u
is selling at a dollar bushe and they have TO buy
it at Charleston. Most planters ind IL saving 60
raise their own corn, withdrawing cotton sells
better, and Is always cash article. Seasons occur
IN which ii il good economy T. have surplus Of
band and the System Of raising the nece--
sary corn for the plantation consumption, i nov
pretty generally in practice throughout the south
Our informant thought the breadth Of land planted
in cotton not 50 large that o. the last year.
and that the season three weeks behndband.
He says that the crop being thus put back by the
Srenchjng rains snd cold weather o. April, cspe-
sally in planting time, vii DO very apt g suffer
nom the hosts Of October - November, before y
has ful.y yielded it, supply .; the staple Tor while
some bolls the same plant rpcn carly ~ August,
other an not Iuasured sometime. I'll lstt ~ ~
vembcr.
The cotton crop q tn, present season, therefore.
An addition 10 the usual hszA!ls Ct worms drought,
and 6ood, has 70 run the chances cf being nPlcd,
shlc yet IN the bud and blossom, ~ laek rust.
Ger Informant further said that he had di.posca Is
his cotton the moment d. ssw that had startcdt0
run down IA, had had quantity lrolD year Or
svo before, holding for D Price that would pay
~el. lie estimates that u costs him Eve cents 4
apound TO get hi cotton q Charlcston, without
sounting the interest II capital invested. ura tia.
short Of seven cents cotton WI A9. pay Ito laughs
~ the idea q cutyatirg cotton by another thar
slave labor. slave man csets eighty dollars 4
gear. "A hired white man, even yandhillct, COST
trom $50 10 500. .ia'e plantation /. ,ori II
3halanx on n better sy..em jhan Fourcrs. being
under guiding aud responsible head The result
IS that, IN the mass, the slaves ase well provided
Tor, upon an expense Ct eighty doars e. Tic nat--
scr, a. white men could b upon S2)l, en- working
upon bic own hook. The slaves alc divided mt