The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-26
THE COTTON CROP.
Its Culture and Probable Amount.

It's Culture and Probable Amount.
Tue following letter from Mobile, which was
addressed to, and which is taken from, the
New York Journal Of Commerce, contains
statements in reference to the present diff
cuties in the way of cotton raising in the
South which are strictly true, and which
promise to limit it's growth for many years to
come:
MOBILE, June 18, 1869.
We observe your article Of the 8-h on the
cotton crop now growing. Believing your de-
sire is to impart ony correct Information and
conclusions, we propose to state some facts on
the subject.
In our opinion, founded on personal observa-
tions and knowledge of the facts, the cultiva-
tor Of cotton is better prepared to nuke crop
than last year in one partcular only. e. in
the better force Of his team and implem snts,
and in proportion to his means to purchase
those articles. You will observe that all the
eastern portion of this cotton region falls off
largely in receipts as compared to last Year.
Only the f1esher lands of the West have made
tce increase In all the country which hos
worn and deteriorated in value, and require
more work and more teams than heretofore.
In these sections the farmers have No great
increase of means to buy teams. tools or ba-
con. AS bacon cannot now be raised III any
county densely populated by negroes, q largo
amount OF short crop goes for meat, now
very nlS0. SuCn lS In0 CO0O1t1On or much OF
the larger tract Of country now planted in cot
ton cultivated by negroes. They object to
work IN the heavy. wet and muddy lands,
which are the most productive. Many Of the
cline to be employed by white men. or fail 10
make cotton at ali until they spend what they
have made; and will only 90 to work as driven
by necessity, With them sufficient for the
day is the evil thereof The women, who we're
the best cotton plckers, will not engage as
hands, except to limited extent and at short
intervals.
The young negroes will not do to rely on ex.
to work. The number Of old and trained labor
ers from various causes, natural AMI otherwise,
Is clearly becoming less and less efficient also;
80 the plumber of acres and the product to the
acre is also less. The breadth Of land cultivat-
ed in cotton is in our opinion not increased as
whole. though there is @ gain in some sec.
trOus. Much of the best cotton land now lies
waste. f ...a
The past winter and spring we're decidedly
the worst for the preparation and planting
ever experienced. The continued rains and
man and bt asst. Neither can do more than
certain amount, and that is not likely to be
large in bad weather; the mule is driven by
pose his health 10 the mud through bad wealth
er or by over exertiOn. The crop. even until
the last ten days, has been worked under most
unfavorable circumstances much Of it yet
IN in the grass, very small, and, as a general
thing. month behind time. Time and hot
SUP, with rain only enough to cause the earth
ton.
A very favorable state OF events, with q dry
fall and late frost, may enable us to make an
average crop, but no more; the crop must open
late in aEy case. Picking the cotton out OF the
field is the great labor, and the weather must
be favorable and the fall long to enable the
planter to save moderate crop.
Having been born and raised on q cotton
farm and engaged in it's cultivation for thirty
years as planters and twenty as factors. We
claim to know-what many without much ex-
perience write and theorlze about-cotton aad
it's present or future prospects. We do not
hesitate to make the assertion, from the facts
we know to be facts and the lights before MS,
that the crop OF 1869 will in no event excesd
two and half million bales, and very proba-
crop of IS sod ,eSs ars not now in
terested IN writing the market ~. The peo-
pie OF the United States have permitted the
foreigner again to buy the cheap cotton: thew
now have to pay for 1t. because they woull
have 1t that the crop Of 1868 was larger one.
Men wholly Ignorant of the subject are again
announclng the crop of this year to be a Iarye
one.
We boldly make this prophecy: :rhe day for
crop of three million bales is gone by" The
present system Of labor will never make and
pick from the field three million bales of cot.
ton. We shall be wonderfully fortunate if we
average two and half million; but all the in
dcations here are that the extent Of the crop
OF the United States will gradually decrease,
Certainly. unless we obtain different class
and style Of labor.
JOHN A. W1NsTE1N & Co.,.
Cotton Factors, Mobile, Ala.