The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-12-08

If this is true, wo should cdu cato
tho mind, the heart and the soul
OF the negro, looking at tho qucs-
ton only in its material aspect
and leaving out Of consideration
altogether those higher and no.
bier motives which should prompt
us to do so. 4 longor experience
Of his acquisition Of higher intel
i'gencc, will teach him, not only
his dependence on tho whites Of
the South, but tho great truth
which no laws can change,
"-in every soil,
That those who think must gov
crn those who toll" ~.
1t is our duty to assist him in
qualifying himself for his changed
condition; timo alono can show
whether thst change has been for
his benefit" Tho South will look
with profound interest to the next
consus to SEQ how freedom has eff
fectcd the numbers Of his race
for wc can tell with absolute Ger
tainty what those numbers would
have been had no culvulsion shaken
our entire system. Several years
ago L had occasion 10 collect somo
data bearing on this question. and
they gave tho following facts and
calculations. Taking tho results
OF the ccnsus Of 1910 and that Of
1850, we find the ratio Of increase
among the free blacks to bo 12.1S
per cent, Of slaves 1882 per cent,
by these rates of increase, there
should havo boon in tho United
States in
Free. Slave Total.
lSG0..... ......48.872 4l2,7aG 4,GlG,51G
1870. .........546,712 5,3l7,427 5,6GS, l3Y
lS80.......6.l7,l01 6,s40, 400 7,4G7, 100
1890.."....G94,2i6 1924 ,052 0,5lS2G9
These calculations showed one
or two other significant thcts,
which, as bearing on an exploded
system, might as well be placed
upon tho record TO aid in tho gen
crai summary that will be made
ut some future day. BY these it
appears that the deaths among
free blacks, wcro 334 per cent !;
that births among tho free were
334 pcr cent. loss than among the
slaves; and that the net increase
OF slaves was 1908 per cont.
greater than that Of tho free blacks.
These statistics may bo valuable
as enabling rs to m >roximntc
what will be, or what should be,
the number of negro laborcrs in
the South during any year up to
1890, and to ascertain what effect
freedom has had on tho mortality
and the ratio Of increase among
the blacks.
Turning now, from tho laborcrto
his work, We have to consider
what system Of culture is the most
productivo-and hero | have no
hesitation in saying that tho sys.
tom which calls to it's aid all the
appliances Of skill and science will
always, other things being equal,
prove tho most successful. | do
not propose to enter into tho de-
tails Of cotton planting, nor to
give the best plan for its cuItiva-
ton, because the same rules will
apply to all localities, and becansc
time will not permit me TO do
moro than touch on The grand
fundamental principles W :, ;ch
should govern all intelligent plan
tcrs. The problem for our solu-
ton is how VIC can obtain the
maximum production ut The mini
mum cost. We chcnpcn labor by
increasing its productivcncss, for
while we,may, in doing tho latter,
have to pay higher wages, wo re-
ccivc for tho work donc larger
profits. Our object should be not
to enlarge tho area Of cultivation,
but make every acre yield to it's
highest capacity. The labor with
which we cultivate one acre Dro-
duciny from 600 to 1000 poands Of
seed cotton costs as much as that
which would make that samo aero
bring 5000 pounds, it is economy
TO use labor, which IL now money,
so that it will only make from ten
acres what it can as easily mako
from five? II our Iaborcrs cnlti.
vato ten acres to tho hand, il it
not best to plant only half that
quantity in cotton, working our
crops under the improved system
which experience and science have
taught, and to devote tho other
moicty to grain and grasses ?
These propositions do not admit
Of a doubt, and tho question thcn
arisos, how is tho productivencss
of our lands to be brought to its
Highest price? lLcrc, again, + rc-
fer you to your own great authori-
tics in Georgia, only saying that
tho primo secret Of planting is in
thorough preparation and careful
culture. A crop that is properly
planted is already half made. and
it's subsequent cultivation is com.