Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-12-12

COMMUNICATED.


THE CoTToN Crop &C., IN THE SOUTH
[ send you an extract of q letter from an old
friend and Virgnian, on Orkney Plantation,
Madison Parish, Louisiana. Your readers will
see what he says about affairs in the tarSouth.
Before the war there were 1000, 900 negroes
in the Southern States. OF these l,00O,OO
lived in the border or wheat growing States
This will leave 5000, 900 for the cotton States;
to which may be added 500, 900 whites, includ-
ing men, women and children, engaged IN the
growing Of cotton, sugar and TOBACCO take
il for granted that the same proportion ol
hands are engaged in tie growing OF sugar anu
tobacco. now, that we're engaged before the war
During the war, $50, 900 Southern soldiers,
who were engaged in the growing OF cotton
have persisted; 900, 900 of negroes, including
soldiers and field hands, have been killed or
died from disease, or emlgratcd from the cotton
States. .-.,
Two hundred thousand negroes have lett the
cotton fields for hotels, steamboats,, city JOB
bine, Differing and for vsrlety OF other cali
iugs, whilst 300, 600 more OF them are hanging
around he cities, living from hand to mouth:
20, 600 ofwhom have died this year from cholera
and other diseases, but whose shantles have
been refiIled with negroes who have deserted
from the plantations. These losses deducted
from the 100000 persons engaged IN the
growing Of cotton, and on account OF the loss o.
time and Indifference to work, sustained by the
freedmen Producing the labor Of five freedmen
to three slaves will reduce the labor OF whites
and blacks united, in growing cotton, to -
400, 900.
Wen, if 9, 500, 900 persons in 1851 made A.
100000 bales Of cotton, l,43o, OUO persons
should have made in 1866 provided the year
was equally as proptious, l,S3S;51l bales
| But this year being the worst ever known, the
crop will be equally SO too.
| la no section OF country OF the entire
| South has there been made but little over nall
crop, whilst in the majority or the States
they have not realized more than from one
sixth to half crop.
I live in the most favored cotton region OF
the South, and will state 4 few items; CaDen-
!cele Plantation, cultivated this year by ten.
f. p. Blair, will make about 325 bales; before
the war it made about 400 bales. Sparta
Plantation, sevcnty-five bales; before the war,
900 bales. Judge Bylnc, IT'S bales; before the
w v 500 bales Squire Morancy, $50 bales;
before the war, 900 bales Compromise Place,
scventy-iye bales; before the war, 800 bales:
VIM. Parham, Of your city, (place since sold, }
sixty bales; before the war, 500 bales. Orkney
| Place, ITS bales, before the war, 900 bales.
| Glen Mary Place, seventy five bales, before tAe
war, 600 bales. Warren Brscoe, ninety bales,
before the war $50.
On all these plantations there are about
thirty per cent more hands than there we're
before the war.
Before the war the parish OF Calro! usually
made So, 600 bales. This year will make about
5000 bales. Madison parish made teiore the
war usually about 60, 900 bales, this year vii
make about 5000 bales. All this Is very taI
from being guess work, for the majority OF INC
planters have already finished picking, whilst
a few have on hand from two to three weeks
picking / should guess COO 900 bales V"
cover the crop this year. | have told you ii
the, foregoing many sad facts, and my story
has wound up with sad result.
TT Lave given you sad news as to the past,
| have still sadder news for the future. There
are but few planters who will make :" dollar,
and the great mass will lose from 1000 to 30,
900 dollars this year, and to make the matter
still worse, there is not one planter N ten wIc
grew barrel Of corn or pulled q bundle OF fOd
der, and in this country we have no beef cat.
tic and have raised no hogs. Under all such
circumstances is it not cruel that our brothers
in Congress should tax the little cotton VIC
have made three cts. per pound?
.. ... ...... B. II. BUCKSER