Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-07-10

VI - -
5000 3 year.
AThe crop prospects in Kentucky
surpass the most sanguine anticipations.
THE AGRICULTURAL FAIR.
There seems to be a tacit under
standing throughout our community
both in the city and country, that our
main dependence for prosperity and
pecuniary power lies in our a%gricultu-
raj industries; hence it is that what
ever comes before the public aiming
at the advancement of the interests of
the farmer meets with a hearty and
decided support. We are informed
that prior to the war no agricultural
Journals in the South stood upon asure
| financial basis, although several such
| publications were before the public
and were ably conducted, yet they
failed rs commercial enterprise, and
exercised but limited influence. A
notable instance is that Of the South
ern C~llticdtOT, which though under
the conduct of LEE and several other
of the best writers in the United
States, only barely lived and scarcely
supported the editors. Then the
people possessed wealth and were
able to have done better.
Now, however, the matter has
changedin both respects. The people,
though impoverished, have awakened
to the fact that brain culture is as nee
essary in farming operations as land
culture, andthe journal which starved
in times of plenty is now reaping a
rich harvest, having a circulation Of
nearly 10000 numbers, and that con
stantly increasing. We cite this as a
notable instance of the awakening of
the public mind. Every man is on
the alert TO gather from science and
art each and every thing which will
Tighten his labors and improve his
condition. And for the same reason
we say the Agricultural Fair viii, IN
der its able directory, prove a success.
1t is true that in the infancy of the in
stitution errors maycTeep in, to guard
against some Ofwhich we now write.
We note that the Agricultural So
cietieS Of st. Louis and Nashville have
each Offered premiums for the best
bale Of cOttOn-3rhich means the
best sample Of cOttOB-an example we
hope our Society viii not follow. To.
initiate our brethren farther North in
this way Will be to stand in our own
light. 1t is thoroughly understood by
all thinking and practical planters
that the question now in cotton pro-
duction is not what we can produce
from the soil, but what gather. The
production ola fancy bale Of cotton,
according to the brokers' standard,
requires an immense amount Of care
full, tedious searching and manipula-
ton. In fact we heard it asserted
last fall that the party who won the
prize at the fair expended something
over fifty days 10oTk in roaming over
his field to find the brightest and
handsomest locks of cotton; and after
he had found them, in picking
away all trash and dirt, and the
withdrawal of the best bOlls, that he
must certainly have l0lCered the stand
ard Of the remainder. Hence there
was really no money profit in the
thing, except the premium. Again,
if to bring all the cotton up to the
fancy standard, it requires fifty days
work to each bale, we say the thing
is absolutely impossible; for as we
have before asserted, we cannot now
pick out what we produce in the old
fashioned way, giving, say ten days
labor, to the getting out and handling
a bale. We take il that premiums are
offered at fairs to induce enterprise in
experimenting; which experiments,
when made, are to be guiding lights
for a general advance. Such cannot
be the case in this instance. The
searching over a cotton field and pick
ing off trash day after day to get a
premium bale Of cotton is an example
which cannot be generally followed;
hence the experiment will be barren
Of results, and the money expended in
that direction would be thrown away.
What is pardonable in st. Louis people
who know nothing of cotton, viii
simply display ignorance on u part.
We must not put ourselves in that
position. If, however, any Of our
merchants choose to give their money
to produce emulation in the matter of
good samples of cotton ii is I their own
affair, but we think that it would be
much better expended in another
way. We dislike to see liberality and
c~OmmendabIe enterprise going in the
wrong channel. We would say to the
Directors of the Society offer a
handsome premium--it cannot well
be too large-to the party who shall,
in this year, 1859, make the most
money from an acre of land planted
in cotton, another in corn, another in
wheat, another in clover and a fifth
in oats. This will demonstrate the
proposition of high farming upon a
money basis, and if it is a sue
cess-and we do not doubt it.
will set before the whole
South an example to be followed.
We now cultivate eight or nine mil
lions of acres in cotton. If our Soei-
ETY. will have it demonstrated that
our average crop can be produced from
two and a half millions Of acres.
what an immense saving of labor viii
occur? Then if they can have il fur
ther demonstrated that the land no ire
quired for cotton will produce a hun