Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-02-11
Prom the S. Louis Republican.
THE COTrON CROP.

Weekly paper ouly, or al Irregular intervals
square for each aud every Insertion
Prom the ST. louis Republican.
THE COTTON CROP.
The great subject of the cotton grow
ing interest is one which may well al
tract, as il does. the attentionof not onl
our own country, but Of theworld, who's
commercial prosperity 80 much depend
upon it, In eighteen hundred and sixt,
the export value of tine cotton cru
amounted TO the splendid sum of tw,
hundred and thirty-two million dollars
and If the Southern States could be fuiil
restored Immediately a. members OF th,
Union, there would no doubt be realizeg
the present year at least one-half th,
crop that was made before the war
This, st present prices, would be equa
10 the addition of three hundred and
fOrty-eight million dollars 70 the sub
stantial wealth Of the country; while al
the same rate Of development there
would be gained some three million doi-
lars more in sugar rice, tobacco, pitch,
tar. turpentine, lumber and minerals.
Is it not evident, therefore, that the
sooner the Government restores TO the
late seeding States the working ma
chiuery of law and order. of industry
and trade, the better it viii be for the
whole country. North as we'll as South ,
Yet, noNithstandingth immense value
OF the interests involved in The speedy
restoration of these States, the Repuhli-
can party, stricken with judicial blind
neSS, Is doing al in its power 10 prevent
the success Of the wise and liberal policy
Of the President-the only plan of set
Element which can restore prosperity and
peace 10 the country.
But 10 return from this digression 10 the
single article Of cotton. When we con-
slider the enormous imp0riatious that are
being made from Europe, the question is
naturally forced upon rs, " Where. Is The
money to come from 10 settle our foreign
balances ~ An expected large cotton
crop, is the answer. This may, or may
not, be realized. 1t no doubt would be,
under ordinary circums' 'ances-if the
1~euth were allowed 70 arrange her own
domestic affairs in the same manner that
the North d0es-the employer and Gnu
Ul0yees being permitted % make their
own bargains as The same CLASSES do
everywhere else. But with the intOlera-
hle nuisance Of " Freedmen's Bureaus
and the continual iHtermeddling by mill
Jary Uuderiings between planters and
lab0rerS, we do not see how much can be
expected. All that the South needs and
asks Is peace-that she may have rest.
Let this be granted-let the fanatics who
strive 10 keep up excitement within her
borders Dee compelled 10 leave her 10
manage ler own aiiairs-and she will
soon yield Of her abundance a. beautifully
a. ever.
lis estimated on good authority that
at the time of Gen. Lees surrender, two
million bales Of cotton had been saved
in the South fIom the general wreck. |
Brought outfr0m its recesses and hiding
places during the war; and finding its /
way 70 market through the NANNY chanzl
nels Of communication which have )5eeE
re0pened since the return of peacef 81 flas I
contributed mainly 10 the restoratiSn "
prosperity in the Southern States, Whieh [
has been no less q matter ~ surpri~e /
than pleasure. But IS tta stuek Of old 4
cotton is now well niEA Exhausted, and 4
the crop Of lastlxe2E Vas EeTy small the /
war having closed taa late i'm the season 4
for plantiug.f 4 T. DE general opinion 4
that prices must sivance materially be- 1
fore the Fresls1r crop can be gathered. I
We Underslsild that some shrewd dealers /
are new ariing upon the belief that by /
the first Of August next it viii 20 10 one /
dollar per pound. The following circu- /
lar OF MeSsrs Neil. Bros. d Co, Of New 4
the present state Of the fleecy staple, and /
an encouraging view Of it, probable fu- 1
ture:
But, in our further observation, many
facts Of an encouraging nature have been /
developed. Extensive districts have been 4
found where the torch Of contending I
armies has never been lighted, where the /
planters dwelling hOuses, gin houses and /
negro quarters stand as OF old, greatly 1
out Of repair, but still fit enough for aisn- 4
lutte wants; where plantations are still /
fenced IN and a considerable portion Of 1
tine necessary farming stock yet exists. I
In this category We may refer 10 South {
western Georgia, extensive districts i'm /
Southern, Central and Western Alabama,
Eastern and sections Of Central Missis- /
sippi, some counties in Louisiana, par 1
ticularlv in the upper Red river districts, /
and the whole Of Texas. It IS true that /
the labor difficulty exists there as else /
where: that 80 satisfactory arrange /
ments have vet, a. 3 general rule, been /
made between the planters and their for 4
mer slaves aud that many of the plant /
er- have not the means 10 pay wages and 4
all out goiHEs for year before next sea- /
sons crop can be gathered in, from the 4
absence Of all the credit and facilities /
which used 10 exist.
But despite all these difficulties the /
high prices Of cotton will certainly lead .
90 the planting Of an extensive area IN 4
all this class Of country, and while many
viii fail, others viii succeed and make /
remunerative crops. And, paradoXical /
as il may appear, this success viii no /
doubt especially attend those who have I
never been planters before or have only /
upon il lately with free /
MOI
others who bug or lease plantations-f /
the obvious reason that il Is much easier 1
for them 10 learn the simple business of 4
raising cotton than Il j. foF old planters /
10 learn how to retain and at the same 1
time Ia control and pet good work ont oi 4
the negroes. Were there enough Of such I
settlers the South would soon recover, /
but their number is vet too small 20 af- 1
feet the aggregate yield very seriously.
These remarks apply 70 the larger /
planters. hat il we turn our attention 70 /
the small growers, men who have hith- /
erto produced from i've % fifteen bales /
annually, the question presents quite 1
different aspect. These men, ct whom 4
the number j. large, had Heithe- the 1
cauitsl nor the financial resources pos
se--el by the large planters, and % add /
tha labor Of one hand TO their farm the |
entire proceeds of two or three crops had .
a. ls- saved aud risked upon the liieoi the
man sf whom they became the owner \
moments reflection viii make u appear I
how impossible % was, under these con-
diti0ns, for the cultivation OF the land i
by small farmers 10 be extended. Ihey 4
will now be able 10 get temporary labor
on fair terms, when they need il, and
vili therefore, IN Iu6 natural order Of
Things, rely partially upon this Resource
and be iFted, by ne high price OF cot
tou- ip Increase the area of their CnluTa-
tion considerably beyond what their own
families could manage The compare
lively large crop grown THE yosy IN Ten
Hessee has teen mainly produced by this
class. and al through The South they are
moving In Texas. however, next TO
Tennessee, we expect the i9rgest imme-
diate results from this source, because
the class Of small farmers Is already cK-
tensive in THAT State, land D. to be had ln
unlimited quantities for a nominal price I
and owing 10 the extensive immigra-
tioD into the State during the war. mar
tjcuIarly the blacks taken there for safety.
some quantity Of extra labor !, available.
It NAV. indeed, lee stated OF lie whole
South. but pre-emineBuy Of The States
of Tennessee and Texas that SO long as
high prices Of cotton continue eXtraorii-
nary, development viii occur among this
small farming class.
PETROLEUM As FUEL--Thcre Is good
news for those interested in petroleum
A series Of official experiments have
been for some time in prsgress at Wool /
wich, England, and the results have been Dee. |
q tbe most gratifying character Inc /
object Of these experiments was 70 test I
the capacity of petroleum a. . sulsutute
fIr coal in the production Of steam-. one !
grand conclusion arrived at is thai bs tlls |
Use Of the OIL an engine OF one hundred
horse power becomes exalted into one o. 1
one hundred and forty or one hundred 4
and fifty, the gain being from forty to /
atty per cent. IL has also been salisiac- I
terily determined that the oil may be |
carried 10 sea ia tanks. and be incapable |