American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1863-03-20
DIVERSITY YOUR PRODUCTS.

MEssRs EDIToRs.-It has alaays ap
peared 10 me uprising that the planters
OF the South should persist in the cultiva-
ton OF large crops Of cotton to the man
fest injury of their lands. and the less
ening Of the amount OF money received
for their crops. That the lands of the
South are deteriorsIing. must be evident
odhe most superficial observer.
How is this evil to be remedied +? It
must be plain to every one that 10 plant
less cotton, and more of everything else.
Is the only way but will The planters do
II Il is so obviously their interest :;
and that they are intelligent, | think
doubt cannot remain on the subject
The only difficulty it seems to me is to
obtain concert of action. The large
space over which cotton is planted rend
ers it difficult to get The planters togeth
er 10 consult on what is best for them to
do but at The next meeting of the Cot
ton Convention, system of sub societies.
or sub committees, IN every county IN
the Cotton States, might be adopted.
that would effectualiy accomplish the
purpose. If half or two-thirds of the
present breadth Of land was put in Cot
ton. the crop would yield MORE MONEY
than the whole breadth. Then the re-
naming land might be probably cultiva
ted IN sweet potatoes. turnips. and in
small grain. with an additional quantity
of corn. What additional quantities Of
hogs. sheep, cattle and mules might be
raised. and the lands enriched more and
more every year. If this system was
adopted, the South would become the
most beautiful, the richest. the most
abundant. the happiest and most indie
pendent country in the world. Add to
all this. every county might have a
Cotton Factory. to spin yarns, and ex-
port them to the north of Europe. The
spinners in Lancaster county. in Eng
land, are wealtbier and subjected to
fewer vicissitudes, than any of the other
cotton manufactures in the country |
say then TO my fellow planters, begin to
manufacture, even with one hundred
spidles, begin | say again begin you
can find labor in abundance. as cheap
as any where else, and all the materials
and appliances in the greatest abundance.
| say again begin, nay, L beseech you
to begin.
To descend to few particulars sup
pose a planter TO lessen his cotton crop,
aud plant one hundred acres of sweet
potatoes, one hundred acres of the red
top turnip rye. oats and wheat. in such
quantities as he may deem sufficient
Suppose he puts one hundred sheep in
the fall on his turnips. dividing of the
field in small spaces at a time. allow the
sheep to feed, trample and enrich the
field during the whole winter at proper
intervals, would not that field produce
nearly double the quantity of cotton or
corn the next year that it would do with
out this preparation ? And the field OF
sweet potatoes treated in the same way
with one hundred hogs, would it not pro
duce great improvement Aud then
the rye for your Devon Cows? what
yellow butter what abundance and i'm
provemeut would follow. and still have
MORE MONEY for your cotton, than you
can possibly obtain at present.
Hear me. my fellow planters. for tell
you the truth wish this might be
published in every paper of the South.
and the cry enter every ear.
RUSTICUS.