Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-19

e Planting Pay4
0BERLIN, December l6 1860.
Dear LEADER-I have read with inter
est your late articles upon Southern EN-
igration, and with your permission will
u lay before your readers, the following as
the result of thirty days of travel and
observation among the people and cotton
lands of Mississippi and Alabama;
KINDS OF SOIL EMPLOYED.
Prominent among these may be named
the overflowed lands near the rivers, and
more especially the Mississippi River
lands-the black prsiris land; the cane
brake land, which is also black clay soil;
the post oak, or red clay, and the gray
sand soil.
These soils differ materially from each
other in productiysness, and each has its
peculiar good qualities as well as its liza
bility to failure. The largest crop is pro-
duced upon the Mississippi River lands,
and may be stated to be an average of one
bale OF five hundred pounds to the acre,
while that of the cane brake and prairie
produces half bale or over to the acre,
and the gray sand and post oak lands re-
quire three acres generally to produce a
bale.
Each of the soils are, however, exposed
to various vicissitudes, SO that the crop is
by no means sure one. The cotton crop
in the bottom lands of the Mississippi is
exposed to ruin from breaks from the
levee in high water; those of the prairie
and cane break lands are injured by exces-
sive drouth and excessive rains,-the surest
and smallest crop being produced upon
the pOst-oak..and grey sand Soils but these
in common with the rest are exposed to
various insects and worms, which some
times work great ruin. II is important
that the facts be taken into account by
those who are desirous of coming to correct
conclusions upon the subject of cotton
planting.
EXPENSES AND PROFITS OF PLANTING.
In making a reliable exhibit of the prob
able profits of planting cotton, it is proper
to take the grey sand land as basis, for,
while the yield is not so great upon this
soil, the crop is lesss liable to failure from
any of the causes mentioned, and it is the
opinion of most planters that for series
OF years this grade of land is equal to any
other for profit. Taking, then, a planta-
ton of this sort containing six hundred
acres Of tillable cotton land and two hun
dred acres for corn, and it will require
force of fifty freedmen and twenty-five
mules towork it, and they will produce not
only the cotton crop, but also the necessary
amount Of corn for the hands and stock of
the plantation for another year At
bale of cotton for three acres, the yield
would be two hundred bales, which at its
present value, forty cents per pound,
would bring, say $4,000, costing as fol-
lowt:
For rent of land, IS per arre.......s2, 400
| Tor pay Of fifty hands, SO per month6, 200
For board of .-.-............... 6,250
For use of mules, plows, harness, &c. 2,25O
Tor cotton SOOS2O 800
which leaves q balance of SIS, 100 for pro-
fits, to which should be added the produc-
SR fga q Se and Rdb bf the h shmt tH 6rde
Many plantations have been leased, the
lessor furnishing the mules, plows and
harness and feeding the hands, and con-
ducting the lantation-each party receiv-
ing one-half of the cotton in the bale.
WILL THEFREEDMEN WORK?
To this question the almost universal
answer Of the Southern man is ''no," and
from careful scrutiny am convinced that
they are generally sincere in this belief
This is vital question, and if the South
ern answer is the correct one, the day of
assured prosperity to the South is put off
1t Is not surprising that the former
master should assume that the lash is the
only means by which the negro can be
made to work, for slavery has justified it.
self upon this assumption through all the
past, nor is the experience of the planter,
since the surrender with his mode of treat
| ing the freedmen, calculated to change his
view; for, acting under the influence of
ideas SO we'll expressed in the famous
Dred Scott decision, viz: "That the ne
gro has no rights the white man is bound
to respect" the planter has failed, in
large majority of instances, to fulfill his
promises to remunerate his former slaves |
for services rendered during the year Just
now closing.
The complaint on this score is very gen.
eral among the negroes, and the remem-
brance of years Of unpaid toll, no doubt |
prepares him to share in the mutual dis
trust which seems to be almost every
where expressed by both the freedman and
his former master 1t is but Just to state |
however, in this connection, that the freed |
men quite generally misapprehend the |
true character of the change which the
war has so suddenly brought upon them.
The lack of intelligence which slavery has |
necessarily entailed upon them, makes
them an easy prey to such stories as bad
men have set afoat among them to the
effect that at Christmas the lands and
mules of their late masters are to be di-
vided among them by the Government,
and that each one of them will be able to
go into the cotton-raising business on his
swn account. The ownership of land
seems to be an object of great desire
among the negroes, while the planter, on
the other hand, seems Mortified at the
thought of their becoming possessed of
lands, either by purchase or by lease.
From frequent conversations with the
freedmen, respecting their plans and pur
poses, and from the fact that wherever
they are employed and paid now they per-
form faithful service, conclude that as
soon as they comprehend exactly what
freedom has secured to them, and are fully
protected, the great majority will be found
to be faithful laborers for pay.
ATTITUDE OF SOUTHERN MEN.
Do they welcome Northern men among
them as purchasers of plantations, as me-
chanics and business men generally
answer they do, as a general rule, and
many of the leading men are cordial and
earnest in inducing Northern capital and
Northern ideas to come and settle among
them The most intelligent of them say
that under the changed system Of labor
there is nothing left for them but full
adoption of Northern ideas. Sixty days
ago the general feeling was so decidedly
in the direction above indicated that the
holders of large plantations were general
ly seeking for purchasers, while many
were anxious to form alliances with
Northern men by leasing them lands upon
favorable terms. Now, however, there
seems TO be q marked change in this re-
spect. The prices of plantations have
suddenly advanced and further leasing
upon the favorable terms formerly made
is not generally accomplished.
The change, in this respect, is marked,
II