Wilmington journal., 1867-11-29
Facts and Figures fer Cotton Planters.
No |

Facts and Figures fer Cotton Planters.
No. l.
Editor Enquirer: J propose lin q series
Of comElunicatiOns)t 10 show the cost Of rails
ing cotton III America and India, to SHOW
the errors planters have been and still are
; committing, and the remedy. I begin with
an estimate OF the cost OF working pIanta
ton, say one consisting OF 1900 acres ot
land, 500 acrGs in cotton. 800 acres III corn
&c, and AGO acres i'll wood and waste lands
The 500 acres to be worked by so lab0rers
cultiVatlng 10 acres i'll cotton and acres il
corn, &c., to the hand, and using "a mules
335 acres to the mule-say
Hire OF so iaoorers, at average prc5 cf 6t25
per annum. ................ $6, ,25t
Cost of bacon, 1872 pounds to ti4c IG0OrCr,
9,1CO ponds (for SOY at l6c about. 1,45C
Blacksmth's work and iron to he p up
ploWs, wagons &c, il same good condI-
ton as commenced with also, fOr hoes
axes, traces, harness., names, and ali
plantation tools. ..;.............-...... 1000
| Insurance against de&th and theft Of a
mules, value 81, soc, a 9 per cent. 432
depreciation OF males by age, per aL1um,
value S4.600 at per cent............... 286
Superintendent: Of ove1seer, his board &C. 1850
| depreciation OF land, houses, gin, screw,
! Gc,. annually. .................... 5OU
! State and County taxes observation-disclosures. l0u
Rent OF land, or interest on land, mules,
| proVl51ans, &c, valued at $4,000, at I
per cent. .....-........... l,4UO
No estimate ioI provisions :s it is sup
posed the 800 acres will repac9 t0o
amount consumed. ....i........ 900
| No charge Icr ba6SinS anl roe, as it will
about refund cost ,......... 900
Cost of operating plantation. ......... 81, $50
As the lands will differ i'll production, I
submit the following as the yield per acre,
sc that it may le seen what it costs under
| different conditions:
l begin with 300 pounds pei acre of seed
cotton, and extend it up to !, 800 pounds
say
| 800 pounds seed cotton on zoo acres, yields
sa4500O pounds Int, a 32o 10, gives. $t2 G67
| 400 pounds seed cotton Oh 500 acres yic.,Ia
G0COO pounds lint, at &21 y, gives. ..... - G72
| 500 pounds seed cotton on 500 acro4. yictds
5000 pounds lint, at SIC 80, gives. ... 12C75
500 pounds seed cotton on 500 acres, vie dis
120 eco pounds lint, at $40 S. gives ..... 1862
| 1000 pounds seed cotton on 500 acres Yields
100000 pounds lint, at IS Is, gives...... 1865
1850 pounds seed cotton on 500 acres Yields
Z2o,tOO pounds int al IS 63, giVes...... IL GG5
Ii will thus be seen that the richer tue
land the less the cost of production, and in
an increasing ratio, that is worth the close
attention OF planters. Land that will not
produce over 600 lbs. per acre had better
be lett uncultivatGd, as it costs more mo-
ney to produce 1t than the present prices
which range free of tax from lie. to 49,
cents, averaging Il c.; unless the planter
can be sure OF 500 lbs or II ore per acre, he
had better let his land lie uncultivated and
select land that will produce 500 lbs. or
! more, or make 1t rich enough to do it,
now submit tle cost Of producing cot
ton IN india Cost OF production of 20
acres tacciimatcd New Orleans sccd) cotton
in India:
! Labor Of cultivatinS, Including hire of Ia
b0roYs, oxen, feed &C. S. ruDees- : g.
equ&l each to z sh lIlngs sterling. 90 10 0
Local tax to government for assessment,
NC, ~ rupees .........-... ........... l IS 0
Ginning and packing. 80 rupees. ........ 5 20
Cost of clitIyatinS 20 aeres............Gl4 s 0
which produces 1890 lbs. and cost about
2Id. per Ib., which reduced to our curren-
cy at 40 per cent. for gold, is equal to Il
cents, while the average cost in America
on LANDS producing 600 lbs. is &;4 OS The
cost of labor for able bodied men there,
averages lOd. or 28c. per day in our cur
rency, labor@r finding himself in every
thing, and only employed when required
for working and gathering the crop. Our
!abOrer costs for hire and meat alone S154
per ann11m, full soc. per day, and is en-
plOyed all the year round, rain or shine.
wanted OF not. To such competition we
must yield, unless we cultivate alone
the richest lands, or make rich eH the
land we do cultivate Before ,l.1 war
the East indies sent annually to Eng
land an average of 100000 bales during
the war they increased it to one million
first year atteI the war they sent one and a
half million, and this years planting is said
to exceed all former paintings by 50 per
cent. These rapid strides in increased cul-
ture, las also in Egypt, Brazil, &c.,) will
continue SO long as they underseu us. Be
fore the war when the labor was owned and
formed the great capital of the country, our
planting interest prospered from the in
crease Oh that capital, lin the increase of
the negro and the increase of his value u
There was then no other profit from plant |
ing. Some seasons when good crops
brought good prices, q small sum remained |
after dlscharging the current expenses Of
the plantation, but quite as often, in less |
faVoraE!e seasons, or from low prices, the |
crop falled to discharge the years expenses. |
We can all bring to mind the fact that the |
one who paid up his obligations when the |
crop was sold, vas considered the thrifty |
planter, while large majority left a por- |
tlOn Of their debts unpaid. It is true his |
estate increased with the increase Of his |
negroes, but 1t is clear he made no money
from the plantation, or only enough to
keep it up. Then we kept back production
in the rest of the world. because our profit
was IN the negroes, row we have no profit
III them, and we come IL competition with
cheap labor, (our own labor being the
dearest agricultural labor in the world, y
and unless we change our policy, we must
yield to other countries, only in so far as
we cultivate rich land or land made rich
by nigh manurin9. The longer we con-
t1nue to cultivate cotton on poor land, the
poorer we will become
will hereafter endeavor t. point out
our mistakes and the remedy.
", II. YOUNG.
Columbus, October 5, 1867.
No. 2
h'(tlDt' EtlqHirc2 In nay last commune
cation gave the cost OF producing cotton
IN India and America. [ now propose to
point out our past and present mistakes