American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-11-30
WHAT SHALL THE PLANrERs DO


one peculiarly representing q plant
ing interest, is the Republican,, pub
lished at Woodville, in the oid AM
yet wealthy county Of Wilkinson
In its number of the 9th inst. it thus
plainly, truthtully and wisely ad
monishes the planter as to the future
Old merchants assure us that cotton
is more likely to be sold It eight
cents specie than for more next sea
son, and he also says that freed labor
is not intrinsically worth, in cotton
raising particularly, the victuals and
clothes. He has peculiar and un-
wonted means of judging.
we think we find in th9 enclosed
article the advice and opinions ofone
of the ablest and most reli.. ne think
ers in Mississippi. h;"ssp "g=iy
Interested in planting:
In plain words, the agricultural
supremacy of the South arising from
| the culture OF cotton is at an end.
Not only SO, cotton as staple crop
absolutely cannot be cultivated with
| plolil' II udS ldhtIl lNO NtdlS VI
bitter experience to teach our people
this lesson, which they we're so UNI
willing to learn; but 50 1t is. AT
any rate cotton cannot be cultivated
with the labor of freedmen. And
beyond all this, there is a fact we
might as well realize at once. The
world will move, though not one
pound of cotton be grown in the
South. " hat would not have been
believed possible, five years since, is
to-day a fixed fact. England is
wholly independent of the United
States for her supply Of cotton.
This being the case, there is no proba-
bility that the price Of the staple will
ever again be permanent thing-be
remunerative. In the fall of 1865,
the price of cotton, owing to the
doubt and uncertainty Of the amount
of the supply ranged at 40 to 80
cents per pound Last year at % to
81 cents. This fall, in the face of q
certain and most disastrous failure
of the crops, with short stocks on hand
at all the ports, 10 and IS cents is all
that can be obtained for the best
grades, such as previous to tue war
ranked from Middling to MiddliUg
Fair, and the prices are constantly
tending .lownwards. Next year ii is
as certain as anything in the future
can be, that cotton in New Orleans
cannot be sold at more than from 8
to 10 cents per pound.
But without SO great a reduction
in the present price, even at present
rates. who can raise cotton at Il
proft! IL pa9iti'0rJ N.'n"o- - .i~.,"
What then are our people to do!
How shall we pay our debts ! What
shall we raise to sell? Ii we cannot
pay our debts, we can at least live,
live comfortably, live luxnriousIy.
The first thing we have got to do is
to drive from our minds the idea
that we can ever get rich by plant
ing or farming-learn that no for
tunes are to he made in that way.
The truth is, that in the fewest in
stances were fortunes ever made by
planting, even in the most favorable
times under tue old system. Men got
rich, TO be sure, but how? Not by
means of the net products of their
plantations, but through the increas-
ed value of their real estate and
slave property. The yearly crops
did little more than support these
and the family of the planter. Wealth
usually was the slow growth Of time.
Very much is this true of the North
ern and Western farmer. 1t IS sell
dom his crops make him rich, or if
they do, it is slowly and with the use
of great economy. The largest
fortunes in the agricultural districts
of the North are the consequence of
the enhanced value Of the real estate.
Fortunes then, we say, except i'll
rare instances, are not to be made
by planting or farming. But there is
not a country on the face of the earth
which offers greater inducements to
the laborer than the South does this
very day. Within the geographical
limits of what is commonly known as
the Southern States can be raised
every variety of production known
to the North, and an infinite number
which cannot be raised there at all.
In this latitude there is no period of
the year when, with a little care,
cannot be raised suitable
for the suStenance of both mIa and
beast, and in the open air at that.
Let us wake up, then; raise first,
and in such proiuse abundance as
we can raise, provision crops of all
kinds, corn, potatoes, peas, beans,
fruits, vegetables, etc, and when
our cribs, outhouSes and granaries
are full of these, we shall at least be
independent. If the freedmen will
not work they must starve. White .
labor with the assistance of such
freedmen as are not utterly demoral
lied by politics, clubs, etc, will
suffice, properly directed, To make
the country blossom as the rose. Ia
the meantime, this is uot fle urs-
instance where the staple ,rnW ol the
country has ceased to be rrm1ueu-
tive and had to be change. Let
our planters turn farmers in earnest,
improve their stock, and try expert
mpntS. One writer says maddeI
NAV be cultivated here with profit.
A great many are turning their at
tention to the ramie, and this last,
yro haI;a,-o will Snccepd One aUent