The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-29
ED1sTo ISLAND. June %, 1859.
TO THE EDITOR OF THR NEWS.

/
| TO THE EDITOR OF THB NEWS.
| To your letter iuquiring the condition, pros
pect. &C.. of the growing crop OF sea island
cotton, I have deferred an answer until now,
when can speak more reliably. The fine
| growing weather, with it's hot and dry days,
and heavy dews at night, which we have had
for the past month, has caused our crops Of
cotton to recover from the effects Of the cold
spring, and is pushing them rapidly for ward
to state of fruitfulness and promise. Blooms
are to be seen everywhere over our fields, and
the crops are in good and well-worked con-
dition. This remark, however, does not apply
to such planters who are again repeating the
thrice-tried experiment Of planting largely and
reaping sparingly. Report says of them that
Gen. Green has taken possession of some por-
tions OF their extended domains, and when, in
response to the call of enlstins sergeants, who
recruit over the whole island for fight, they
meet, tits said the battle is terrifc-the dead
are left to bury their deaa--dead cotton over
laying dead grass. These calls upon the agri-
cultural forces of the planters make labor at
times hard to be got, and only at ruinous
prices. This practice must result in disaster,
and until then, the small boats must keep near
| shore. f#-#%
| effects Of dry weather.
| There is very marked improvernent-inlo onr.
laboring population. Since the removal Of the
Freedman's Bureau, the freedman finds he has
| to rely upon his own exertions for q support,
and he works more cheerfully. more contented-
| ly. and altogether more efficiently. The sys.
| tenn OF labor is by contraction t,oo days. work
ont OF every week for land, in place Of wages
reokSA G4~& o..
rations in place Of wages, and some for wages
for the whole time. at the rate of hundred
d.llars per year, and rations equal to fifty dol
lars more. The latter contract is in every re-
spect the best, both for employer and en-
ployee; but the freedmen much prefer the first,
rs it gives them more time at their own
disposal, but much less money in their
pockets in the end. In order to support them
selves under the first system they wander
about the island for two days Ia ea.h week,
with tier hoes on their shoulders in search for
day labor" which is usually paid for in pro-
visions at no small profit to the employer. The
area OF land under cultivation is about the
same as last year, but as nearly half of this is
under the sole management of the freedmen,
and almost invariably bauly attended, the yield
will necessarily be one.f,urth less.
About month ago there was great hue
and cry raised about the appearance OF the
dreaded caterpillar already in our fields. 1t has
passed away, as Il predicted. If such q cool
and dry spring as We have had produces the
caterpillar, then the experience Of forty years
is worth nothing, nor are ths sea island lands
worth planting in cotton. / have no doubt
that this enemy to the cotton plant is always
present when the plant grows, but it requires
= wet and hot May and June to pro duce them
dest'uctioey. Bad and improper cultivation. !
by which the plants are kept back and made to
produce younG and tender branches at time
when they should be rlbening to maturity, will
furnish suitable food for this worm late in the
summer; whereas by Ijudctous cultivation the
plants would have been too matured to be in
jured by them or to encourage their increasing
10 numbers. The system OF cotton psaytsng /
speculation: which has prevailed for the three 4
past years'has had Something to do with the
regular appearance Of the caterpillar in our
fields. Several hundreds, Or even thousands.
OF acres are put In cotton, little or no manures
are used, the cultivation bad and slovenly, the
plants conteading all the while with grass and
poverty. no progress toward fruitfuiness is at
tained until the grass growing period is.over.
when the cotton plant starts to put forth its
young and tender branches Just in time TO feed 4
these worms, always more or less present
about the first OF September.
Money. and plenty Of 1t. is to be made by
sea island cotton planting, but it must be done
BY Eign nrnannslnlg and good cultivatiOn, .sWhat
rs worth doing at, ailta worth doing well.n Onr
forefathers acted on this principle and made
princely fortunes. Labor is as cheapnc~, II mott
cheaper. than IL was then, bat the desire to grow