Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-05-16

News an article relating to the prevailing scarcity
Of provisions which contains some things to be
membered and acted on by our farming friends
Our contemporary is quite severe on the "pernicious
weed"-tobacco which is constantly encroaching as
crop on lands that might be devoted with more
profit in the long run to wheat corn, and oats But
it will do no good to scold. Tobacco is tempting
mot edible, but cheuible, if we may make word
and it raises quite much smoke in the world as
any thing else 1t raises the dollars too and long
as il does that it will be cultivated. The sameis
true as to cotton. Tobacco might be dispensed with,
but it never will be; but we do not see how the
world could get along comfortably or even decently
without cotton. Commerce bv its constant increase
and by the almost constant expansion of its domain,
is adding year by year to the demand for these two
articles. This demand will go on. Prices will al
ternately rise and fall, depending the quantities
produced and on the demand yet cotton and tobac-
CO are " fixed facts in political economy and in
the trade of nations 1t is possible for any princ-
pie or any thing to be. Fortunate are we the peo
pie of the United States and especially of the
Southern States in the fact that the produ-
GERS of the great bulk of these indispensable sta
pies. In this respect we have the advantage of the
rest of the world; and by the of slave labor
shall not only maintain but augment this advantage
But is there not reason to apprehend that we are
devong too much labor to these crops, and too lit
tie to grasses and the cereals? There is scarcity
of bread and meat for man and of provender for
cattle such has not been felt in this country, so
far recoect for the last twenty years.
We know that much allowance is to be made for the
short crop of last year, for the late very hard winter
and for the blight and destruction effected BY the
chinch bug and the worm; yet this doe not fully ac-
count for the prevailing scarcity Corn is bringing S.
per barrel and in some localities more; while as gen.
eral thing provender for horses and cattle is not to
be had at any price. Many persons are procuring
corn at Wilmington and Norfolk paying for it there
eighty to ninety cents per bushel; and the hav crop
Of the Counties west of this having been exhausted
large quantities of Northern hay are being brought
in the last means of sustaining CATTLE and of
keeping the horses, with what corn can be spared
Them in condition to work the coming crop
And here is again demonstrated the importance and
the value of railroads-for without them how could
this and hay be transported, at any thing like
living rates, from these distant points?
Cotton and tobacco will command the cash, but
without abundant supply Of corn the country
cannot prosper. An agricultural people like ours,
who have to rely to any extent upon distant com
munities for their breadStuf and for the means of
keeping their horses and stock of various kinds in
good ORDER are certainly not in a way, by the dis
tribu,ion which they have made of their labor to
lay the foundations of permanent prosperity
That there are hundreds of persons in this State
now stinted, and suffering more or less for bread
ling TO work, but whose labor, with the present
scarcity and high prices, will not bring enough for
a comfortable subsistence. At such time as this
how sad the condition of the poor lone widow and
phan the day-laborer and the poor mechanic,
who toll from morning till night, and make just
scanty support for their wives and children and no.
thing more! The wealthy and the well TODD in the
world always live comfortably. They feel not
the cravings Of hunger, the restitution which
marks the very poor mans abode at time like this
The difference with them is only in the amount of
their hundreds at the end of the year but they
feel for this estuton and contribute to relieve or
mitigate its evils.
Let us have more 6readstutts and less tobacco and
cotton in other words, let US have more substan-
tial comfort and less--a little less cash. There is
|
getting and for socks-for State stocks, Bank stocks
RAILROAD stocks, and the like. This is all very we'll
within due bounds; but like the cotton and the to-
bacco culture, it may be carried too far.
"But what shall do !'-replies the farmer-"the
chinch bug is in my wheat, and is threatening
my corn" True enough-but then plant more
corn, and plant peas. The ciinch bug might as
well destroy large crop a small one; and happi-
ly if the crop should escape this pernicous little in
sect, your harvest will be abundant. The Spring,
it is true, is backward and unpropitioLs but the
seasons, be assured will not fail Many hot days and
genial showers in for us, and will visit
US between this and the first Of August. Plant in
hope cultivate industriousy. and reap with Joy
The good Being who holds the seasons in His hand,
will not forget us, though may forget HIM. "for
| he maketh his to rise the evil and on the
good, and scndeth rain on the just and on the un-
just"
ALARMING CRIsIs.-The great scarcity of food for
stock in this section of country at the present time
has caused an alarm known before even by
the Oldest Settlers and by the accounts we read il,
our exchanges from other regions. judge that the
country at large is suffering from the cause
While among our countymen at Court last week, We
learned that in one neighborhood some twenty four
head of cattle had died from starvaol One gen.
tlerran informed US that he had lost five cows him
SELF another three, and a great many losing
their stock daily for want Of food The most tri
fling straw, either wheat oat, or rye, cannot be had
at any price, One of our citizens, in order to save
the life of valuable mich cow. cut open a straw
bed tick, and fed it away by piece-meals These
facts show to some extent the amount of suffering
which the poor brute creation is subjected TO, and
we think they should be profitable lesson to our
| farmers who have heretofore allowed their fine
meadows and hay fields to grow up with great
bounties of the richest food, and waste in winter for