Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-01-30
:Fronrthe Farmer and Planter.
Farmers, Change your Policy.


Farmers, Change your Policy.
Messrs Editors Somebody says, we ate
tired of generals, We want something more defn-
itc, something of the minuti;e Of cultivation-or
that sort of chat. As to my own peculiar views,
it matters not, would as soon write you how to
lay fence worm, as how; best to! prepare the To-
ture welfare of your children. And being only
competent to the former, Iought to do it and
risk censure. Yet cannot, for the life of ME
discard from my mind that the. planters of the
South, require then negroes, horses and writers,
to make cotton all the time. cannot close my
eyes to the Delta's commercial matter IA New
Orleans JounaD of August 16-s65, 40 bales
received at all ports over the receipts Of 1850,
and price 81 to 7. Our best cotton not over
7. Norwill keep back my. pen from writing
and rewriting again, that 1t is folly for any
reasonable man to be laborng to advise his friend
how to prolong life, when that friend is constant
ly going into excess. My friend, y. B. calls
upon me and says,
"Dr. c. can't you give some particular inedl-
cine that will restore my broken constitution? !?
:I admit that have wasted away my prime, but
yonr experience can help me, will you not?" As
an honest man what shall l sayl What shall
do? j ak each reader and 'pause for reply"
My own notion is, I should say, Wait while
with patiencerunt I see you amend your ways
If give YOU something which experience proves
will tend to restore you, You Immediately relapse
into YOUR former oXceSscs-you will bow your
head and bend the knee to your idok-you will
only gain altte rigor to drink another slrfa. of
+ the Old enemy.
Appiy'.his to tie fl.nter. Tell him how he
may increase his crop-hc will be satisfied; but
merely keeps up the disease large crops and
low prices. I'ut tell him how to improve his
lands, and should :he'ty'for little he will soon
turn to his old way. i ask, where is the man who
has been prudent tlis year? mean who hss
not tried to improve his cotton cop and not
neglected his corn. I believe there is a vast
gain in improved culture, manures, and in impro-
wing seed, but if these arc to be used merely for
increasing the cotton crop, it is madman's part
to give them. I pledge my reputation to the
public, th!it although have this year turned O.
yer every foot of my land with two horse plow
although i have sixteen work horses and
three yoke Of steers, with two wagons to seven
hands although implements of all kinds-al-
though nearly every cotton seed planted has
been sttctetl-althcitgh have nearly one hun
dred acres in pasture, yet my cotton crop does
not claim to be as large as last year-a part of
it is guess work, and taking the largest figures
in the uncertain part TO make it equal. say
this to show that scon to advise what | will
not practice. | believe our true policy is, to
plant less cotton and more corn. | have done
this, and now enough is seen to warrant me to
offer for sale more corn than | will use i'll 1851.
! have felt deep glowing interest in the ag-
rculture of the South, and at this time for South
Carolina. Had I the talent like VIM. Harper
in notification times would take my camp and
kettle and journey throughout Carolina, working
striving, and laboring with my brethren, en-
deavorng to get them to look to home and their
own interests. a crop of trhee millions will not
nett an average of six cents, and therefore less
than seveptv-two mlllions-a certain loss of thir-
ty mi!ions of dollars, with at least ten millions
worth of corn, meat, &c. lost, which could be
made withtwo rnillions of bales. I do not know
that | would err in placing the loss at fifty mill
ins ,ofdollars. Certainly have no interest aside
fror, that of cotton planter | am not mer-
chant, nor the son ola merchant, nor the brother
Of one. ! never ran for office but once, and was
then beaten there being an ngler man in college
when wanted the boots. I am old enough to
to be wiser and better Well no odds know
that We can make some corn, some wheat, shear
a few lbs. Of wool. raise colt or two, and then
make our portion of two millions of bales. And
will any man say this is sn unwise course Will
any man say there is less pleasure in feeding
few swine-less interesting the plaSfulness of the
lamb, and the frolicking days of the COLT than in
growing cotton to buy them with?
The great, the grand object now is, to change
hepohcy. Wemust have the principle changed.
And the writer of this is almost inclined to de-
clare he will write no more, Tor only to chanse)
until a different policy be adopted. This may
seem rather dictatorial, indeed | hope not tor |
would please all in my power Yet, this pen is
my own, and the little knowledge possesses IS
my own, and unless feel conscious am not do
in. harm. would rrr in using either. The time