Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-06-01
COTTON PROSPECTS IN THE SOUTH.

| '5|"' SSht'eiDau IeSlulUS
near Vicks5urg, Mississippi, who enjoys
the amplest facilities for obtaining correct
information on tho subject of which he
writes. Those interested in the cotton crop
may rely upon his statements:
II have never seen crops look finer where
the seed were good. But much old seed
was planted and has failed to come up.
Mr.. E--has, for example, plowed up
and replanted 800 acres. He has not vet
finished, and many are in his fix. 1t is
now raining very hard, aud has been doing
so ever since last night; and I have little
doubt that the West is encounterine the
same trouble. With us the high water is
a terrible danger and curse. The South is
almost entirely overfowed, and the rivers
high and rising; and flood from the North
coming down on the top of all, increased
and sustained by heavy and disastrous
rams. The crops are 80 late that weeds.
grass, and cotton must all come up togeth.
er, and the planter, stinted in labor and
injured by grass and weeds, must fail.
1.-THE present overflow cannot now pos
sibly run off in time to plant tho inundated
lands in cotton, and our only dependence
will be in corn. 1t is a rare occurrence
that cotton planted later than the present
period Of the year yields more than half
crop, and the overflow will be upon US for
weeks to come. During all experience of
over thirty years in the South, 1 have never
known SO large an amount of water 10 fall
in the month Of april as has fallen in the
month just passed. Such is also the ex-
perience of all have conversed with.
May (now just commenced) is bountifully
supplying US with the music "falling wa
ters - and if she continues the strain,
Southern people will dance from another
cause than joy. T only hope that rain will
cease and give those not overhowed last
chance to clean their cotton.
"Of one thing, however, you may feel
assured, to wit: That water, in its phases,
has as surely settled the cotton question,
as tho SHOWS Of Russia settled the Invasion
of Napoleon. The crop is forced to be
short.
"Labor, in its present meagre quantity,
has been concentrated in the rich valleys of
the Mississippi and her tributaries, large
extent of which has not been prepared for
cultivation. OF that portion which has
been prepared, very large portion is now
under water and cannot be rendered avail
able this season. Besides all this, fear
the crab grass, which, when thoroughly set
around the plant, cannot be displaced
without destroying it, and, as you know
that cotton cannot be worked when the
earth is wet, fear that such will be tho
case.
II mention nothing of worms, rust, lice,
army caterpillar, and other enemies to
whose attacks cotton is subject. The lat
ter infiction we may, however, hope to es-
cape, as the plant now up is very vigorous
aud growing rapidly"
CooIlH LABoB.-The subject of Coolie
labor, for the rice fields of the South, con-
tinues to attract considerable attention
among the Southern and, indeed, the Nor
thern press. For our own part, ne are
unwilling to conclude any opinion upon
the subject till further experience of the
capacity and conduct Of the negro as free
laborer. The Norfolk Yirgiuiap, says,
however;
>"The malaria Of the rice fields is fatal to
the Caucasian, and no more certain death
can be incurred than that which follows
exposure on the great plantations of the
Pee Dee and Savannah after dark. It is
equal to prussie acid--not so swift, but as
| infallible. -,
"There is a race, however, which can be
made available forrice culture and it wi,l
not be until the Orient has been made
tributary to our necessities that this great
staple can;again be grown to any consid-.
cradle extent, The Coolies are the people
/ whe: can do this work who can stand the
elinate; who will do it, and gladly too, for
/ seompsnsation far below that Of half the
crop, which, to them, woaM be- whatths
:pessea aion Of Alaadin's lamp or a Bocs
egg would hasssb been 70 ps--.ths realization
ofa fabls-~ihe' standardization of, maaic.
tfhey ars Injured to "a burning snh; tbay.
are doslle, apd easily spbsistsd. Contracts:
could be made for sheit importation: 6, 2 7
Sarcastic "A oelebrased topper, +:;ntsaa.:
ing e go e i smasaaasrsas nohsds4 an.
aeanaia.apps ip via. !. .d;sgaiss i hBs ia ySsala