Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-03-02
COTTON.

|
The immsdists fnture Of the cotton
growing interest Is n subject which de-
ssrvedly attrscts puoh attention., It is
pretty generally, agreed now that prices
must advance, and very materially between
this time and the gathering Of the crop Of
1866. The old stock of cotton is we'll
nigh exhausted, and that which remains to
be brought in is, for the most part, Of in
ferlor grades. The crop of 1866 was very
small-the war closed too late in the sea.
son for the planters to change their plan of
operations; and by the first Of May it seems
probable that the entire stock of desirable
cotton will have found it's way to market.
Such is the competition caused by the for
eign demand that the higher classiGcations
are not now to be bought, save by those
who are sharp, enterprising and we'll ac-
quainted with the market. The shrewdest
dealers in the fleecy stable are now acting
upon the belief that it will 20 to one dol
lar per pound between this time and the
hrst OF August next. Messrs. Neill Bros.
d Co.'S (New Orleans) circular, while
showing the present state o! affairs, finds
much encouragement for the future. They
ssys
"But, in orr further observation. MANY
facts OF an encouraging nature have been
developed. Extensive districts have been
found where the torch Of contendipc ar
mics has never been lighted, where the
planters dwelling houses, gin houses and
negro 9uarters stand as of old, greatly out
OF repair, but still ft enough for absolute
wants; where plsptations are still fenced in
and considerable portion Of the necessary
farming stock yet exists. In this category
we may refer to Southwestern Georgia.
extensive districts in Southern, Central and
Western Alabama, Eastern aud sections OF
Central Mississippi, some counties in Lou.
,sians, particularly in the Upper REQ River
Districts, and the whole of Texas. Il is
true that the labor difficulty exists there rs
elsewhere; that 40 satisfactory arrange
msnts have yet, as general rule, been
made between the planters and their for.
mer slaves; and that many of the planters
have not the means to pay wages and all
outgoings for year before next seasons 8
crop can bs gathered iD, from the absence
OF all the credit aud facilities which used
to exist.
''But despite all these difficulties the high
price: OF cotton will certainly lead to the
planting of an extensive area ip all this
class Of country, and while many will fail
Others will succeed and make remuusrstive
crops. And, parsdoxical as it may ap-
pear, this success will no doubt especially
attend those who have never been planters
before or have only experimental upon it
lately with free labor-w we mean the Nor
therners and others who buy or lease plan.
tations-for the obvious reason that it is
much easier for them to learn the simple
business Of raising cotton than it is for OH
planters to loarn how to retain and at the
same time to control and get good work
out OF the negroes. Were there enough
OF such settlers the South would soon re-
cover. but their number Is as yet too small
ly."
These remarks apply to the larger plan.
ters. but it no turn our attention to the
small growers, men who have hitherto pro-
duced from Eve to fifteen bales annually,
tho question presents quite different Ms
psct. These men, Of whom the number is
large, had neither the capital nor the 6nan-
c'aI resources possessed by the large plan.
tors, and to add the labor Of one hand to
their farm the entire proceeds Of two or
three crops had to be saved and risked up
on the life Of the man Of whom they be-
came the owner. A moments reflection
vii! make it apparent how impossible, it
was, under these conditions, for the cult
vation of the land by small farmers to be
extended. They will now be able to get
temporary labor on fair terme, when they
need it, and will, therefore, in tho natural
order Of things, rely partially upon this re.
source, and be tempted, by the bigh price
OF cotton, to increase the area of their cul.
tivation considerably beyond what their
own families could manage. The compal.
at''sIy large crop grown this year in len.
nessee has been mainly produced by this
class, and oil through the South they are
moving. In Texas, however, next to Ten
nessse, we expect the largest immediate Q
results from this source, because the class OF
small farmers is already extensive in that
State, land is to be bad in unlimited guam.
titles for nominal price, and owing to the
extensive immigration ipto the State during
the war, particularly Of the blacks taken
there for safety, some quantity OF extra
labor il available. It may, indeed, he sta.
ted Of the whole South, but pre.eminently
OF the States of Tennessee aud Texas, that
so long as high prices Of cotton continue
extraordinary development will occur
among this small farming class"
ELoouENcE OF ST.. PAuL-In the Vat.
lean Library thessis preserved fragment
OF Longinus at tie beginuisg Of manu-
| eeYipk of tha Nau Taetsna,t ,,h;oL :. .,,..