The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1869-04-15
AGRICULTURAL STATS
TICS.

tics are for the year before last. 1t is
announced therein, that IN 1857 the
proportion of land devoted to the cult.
vutiou of cotton, in the cotton States,
was Al per cent. while only 3S per cent.
was planted in corn. This statement
includes Tennessee, which is only to .
limited extent, a cotton State. five
leave ont Tennessee, it follows that over
four:teGtbs of the area cultivated in tie
South, is occupied by cotton, and less
than four.tenths, by corn, while oil other
crops are allowed but two o.teDths, or one
fifth. To South Carolina the propdt.
tions were cotton SO, corn 40, and other
crops % per cent.
The above quoted figures are sugges-
tive, and full of Interest also, for the
reason that We have no ground for sup
posing any materiul change in the rela-
tive proportions of the same crops now
being planted If thsFe be any differ.
encc, there will be more cotton aud less
corn planted in 1869. Now let US ex-
anime the results. The report says the
average yield, per acre, was 100 pounds,
per hand, 1850 pounds In South Car.
olina the yield was las pounds per aeroj
and l,4OO pounds per hand.
The crop of 1867 was nearly all sold
at low prices and that simply because
the planters were not able to hold it.
Their necessities were gaeat and press
ing, and the vast majority were forced
to sell in order to buy-what? Corn
and wheat which they might have raised
on their own land. The Bureau report
furnishes no stactics of the amount of
provisions sold to Southern planters at
high figures, during the winter of 1867
and spring ofl06S. 1fthese stactics
could be furnished, we suspect the fact
could be amply proved that f1lly ONE
half of that cotton crop was turned into
corn and bacon.
The cotton crop of last year yielded
double profits, while the corn crop was
also good enough to enable the planter
to pdtket his cotton money. Still it Is
not yet certain that the supply Of corn
was entirely sufficient. 1t may be yet
necessary to import considerable corn:
This is but q repetition Of the history
Of former years. It's the old story Of
robbing Peter to pay Pail, Which has
been such favorite policy in Southern
farming. The only objection to it is 20
uncertain. In 1867 is laid most df its
supporters fat on their backs, While in
1868 it set them up on high horse.
The practical question is what is this
policy going to do for us this yearf-
Who can Say whether the price Of COT
ton is going to be high enough next
Fall to pay for possible deficiency in
other and abso utely necessary crops!
The price of cotton depends on SO many
and so different causes, that to predict
it is mere guess work with all but the
favored few who can partially control II.
A sudden war, and such is not impossi-
Bile, may dcbress it, by raising the val
ue of articles tn5re essentials, and de-
stroy its availability to planters BY keep
ing the crop shut out from market. An
over crop would do as much, and an un-
peEted financial crash would equally de-
stroy the market, by making money
scarce, buyers scarcer, and sellers eager.
Arc farmers really wiling to trust their
whole capital to such au uncertainty,
or are they going to provide for what
they know to be essential to successful
carrying on Ct their bussinefs, by plant
ing grain enough to ensure them against
being forced to buy it at sacrifice of
cotton? Time will show:
Korkuile Enquirer.
Truth FIFTY SPoKEN.-"Brick"
Pomeroy ftly says: ''Corn is Scarce
in the South, the demand being for
thousands of bushels in the Northwest.
How long will the people ofthat section
be content to raise cotton for the bene.
fit of New England manufacturers, "a
,her than provisions for their own con-
sumption? 1t strikes US as poor policy
to starte ones self to death for the pur.
pose Of enriching enemies"
Frank Pierce's Cabinet was the only
one in the history of the United States
that remained uubroken from the be.
ginning to the end Of his administration.