The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-20
SEA ISLAND COTTON PLANTING.
EdfstO Island.
Correspondence of the New York po

| Correspondence of the New York Post
EDIsTo ISLAND, February 10.-Edisto Island
which is OF somewhat irregular shape, and
very much cut up by cstuaries or creeks set-
| ting in from the North and South Edisto Riv-
ers and from the Atlantic Ocean, is so nearly
| level plain that probably it's highest point is
scarcely more than ten feet above ordinary high
| water mark. Probably one-haf OF the more
| sandy portion Of the island lies so near to tide
level that it's drainage is very difficult, and at
best, under the old system Of open bitches,
very imperfect.
| These wetter portions arc separated from
each other by slight ridges. making what is
there called a "turte-back" forma ton. These
| turtle-backs consist almost entirely of the
| finest conceivable sand, fit for writing sand or
| for use in an hour-e lass and constituting from
nlncty-three to ninety-dve per cent. Of the soil
| to an indefi olie depth. OF course it is under
| all circumstances sufficiently dry. and is in
many respects admirable for the purposes TO
| which it is devoted.
Almost invariably the oepressions between
these slight ridges as we'll as frequent "pock-
et-holcs'' upon chem, are underlined by strata
| of clay and bog iron ore, which keep them
constantly wet, and the capillary action of the
sand Itself is go stro e that q we'll sunk in a
ridge seven feet above tho level of the sur
rounding water is Il sually filed to within three
| or four feet Of the surface Of the ground. The
salt water creeks, bordered by marshes, fur
| nish an inexhaustible supply or the best mate
| rial with which 10 enrich the lighter soils; and
| it is an almost universal practice, wherever
| the operation can be afforded, to givo each
| acre an annual 'muddlng" OF from forty to
| fifty cart-loads.
The fertility Of the soil is evinced by the
most profuse growth of every species Of natu-
raj vegetation. Pine, magn olia and live oak
| Of enormous size cover evary acre that is not
kept in cultivation, and the tropical and hide
| GUS palmetto tree pushes from every neglected
patch Of open ground. The trees are draped
with the beautiful gray moss that Is supposed
| to indicate insalubrity Of climate; and the
| fold which was last year in excellent cultiva-
| ton is now coated with dense mat of Ber-
muda grass, whose cancbrakes and sedges Of
| luxuriant growth occupy the wetter portions of
| the ground.
| In the ordinary sense, the island can by no
means b considered good agricultural terri
| tory. The single remunerative industry IS the
! growth Of sea island cotton. Under ordinary
| cultivation corn yields only about eight bush
els to the acre, and with the best care North
| ern planters have thus far only succeeded in
raising the yield to twelve bushels. The food
OF the population is almost entirely imported
| and the whole area is to be regarded as prop
erty devoted to the production Of the finest Of
textile materials.
For the raising of sea island cotton probably
no tract on the whole seaboard has SO high q
reputation, or has earned 1t so we'll. A portion
Of last years crop OF very fine variety (the
average price for the ordinary crop beng about
81 no. The cultivation Of this cotton is more
nearly akin to gambling. than anything else
outside of~Wall-street. The plantation Of Mr..
|
came more thoroughly under my examination,
Will be run this year at an expense Of from
$40 600 to $50. 600. Twelve hundred acres Will
be planted and q regular working force of one
hundred contract hands, about the same mum.
Der OF day hands and fifty mules will be en-
ploycd. Forty-sAven carts and forty-fiye Col
Inns steel ploughs are required for the manur-
ing and preparation OF the ground. Almost
| the entire food Of the ami nails, as we'll as OF
the hands, is brought from the North at great
expense, and the whole organization ls SO ex-
tenslye, and in some respects go intricate, as
to require the constant attention. Of Colonei
Burger, the skilful superintendent Of the plan
tahon, and OF three experienced and compe-
tent toremen. The latter are negroes, as the
JUDGE against wol king under white s'ober-
shar, although they take the flaggelation of
their black ':bosses" without complaint. In
addition to the enormous quantity OF mud
of Peruvian guano, costing sixty dollars per
ton in gold ia New York. have boon shipped
already for use on this years crop
And now for the result: good crop will be
at moderate estimate eighty cents per pound.
making S120 600, and leaving profit Of
$40 600 or $50 900 on the se.r's operations,
| to embark in the business, especially when 1t
| is remembered that the profit may be even
much more brilliant. Unfortunately, the cat
| erpillar, the dl eaded enemy OF all cottoa plan
tcrs, and especially OF those on the sea islands,
has it In it's power, after the crop has been laid
by and the fruit set in the most promising
manner, to almost entirely destroy the whole
within the short space OF q few weeks.
| strong hopes are entertained that the cat
erpillar wi II not appear this year, Tor the rea-
| son that 1T rarely comes in force even two years
in succession, aud IN both 1867 and 1868 it
and has reduced the entire population, except
o few Northern capitalists and their depen-
dents, to o state OF absolute poverty which is
pHinfui TO see.. In more than one instance,
4 NxurS NJ tokso
obliged to earn their daily br ,ad by manual
labor; for without the capital necessary TO car
ry on their planting operations, their land is
OF 10 IN more ire, value y than ! 80 much beach sand.
the old slavery system has lpcapac,tated them
for any other occupation requiring either skill
or Judgment.
| Tne draining operations undertaken bv Mr..
| wright, contemplate the waIinY-in Of large
tidal creek. giving 1t discharge by mems or 8
/ Waived trunk at low water mark, and the for
ma ion of y canal or valley Through the ridge
that,extends from one end OF the plantation to
| the other, in order 10 reduce the drainage out
let OF tho rear portlol to low water mark.
/ After this has been dDne, i've or ak hundred
acres are 10 be underdra,ned with ties, and
that am ,unt OF Iand, which is now compara-
4 lively worthless tdf any cultivation, will be-
come probably the tnosC valuable OF all.
The great advantage offered by the circum-
Stanoss, both for the cultivation OF large crops
and the carrying out Of extensive plans Of Inn
! provement. lies In the fact That labor is ex-
oeedingly cheap and abandant. The negroes
work chserfulls and 1, well. v Tho old slavery
allotted days work 10 completsd by the more
actiye hands by mid day. while but little work
is done by any after three O'clock an tho sfser-
Il. pas aoafss sSR'sas' q as
y llrations siating Of one peck os msa1, three
: pohnds OF bacon, One pint Of rnoiassea and Que
!. pint os salt pss ssea4. The ether hands re-
| niUht ~ fha form an m order ON tho nlanim.