The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-20
THE SEA ISLANDS.
Z he Profits OF Sea Island Planters--The
Causes of Three Years Fa7lu re-Fortu-
nate Cotton PIanters-Sea islands Will
Pay.
[FRoM A CORRESPONDENT. l

| ltAOM n CORNESPONDENT.l
CHARLES TON, January 1S, 1S63.--In submit
ting the enclosed estimates, I have faithfully
and carefully sisted expenses and probable
| results.
| have had full experience in operating
with ''free labor" and the like experience, and
great success in cultivating sea island cotton
before the war; made in one season. from
extra fine cotton, $112 to the acre, clear of ex-
penses. In another, made one hundred and
fifty pounds round, of this cotton, to my whole
crop OF over eighty acres. This was previous
to the war, and hence the amounts are ex-
pressed in gold. Since the war. with free la
Dor aud sweeps, have made Of tho same cot
ton, in the adverse season of '67 $1OO per acre.
1t will be seen that my estimates tako into
account every contingency. 1t is fair to say,
however, that such seasons as those OF '67 and
'68 have been unknown on our coast in pc
Rod of fifty years. They are beyond all calcu-
lation and precedent, being as destructive as
an earthquake. without exciting the sympathy
and indulgence tor the unhappy victims which
an extraordinary convulsion Of nature natu-
rally does.
| We have suffered moro fro n the seasons than
the caterpillar, the extraordinary flood retard-
ing the crops in their growth so as to render
the destruction Of the worm four-fod besides
the great and serious injury arising from the
seasons alone, which would have cut off the
crops one-haf or more, il not @ single worm
had made it's appearance. And the wet sea-
sons have doubtless contributed much in pro-
ducing the caterpillar. 1 know that planters
have high hopes excited by the luxurious ap-
pearance of a late crop. This, in nearly all
| cases, is delusive-utterly so. Old planters
used to say, in looking at late crop of prom
ise, sit is q splendid crop; but it is late, and
late crops always look double" Hence tho
idea entertained Of very fine crops in somo
sections. just before the appearance Of the cat
erpillar. II the seasons have been our main
trouble, We may, with reason, hope to escape
from these extraordinary visitations.
| Now, what are the facts {?
| friend and neighbor planted a half acre
extra cotton in the past season. The patch
was manured with stable manure and soon
post, }" listed with the hoe, sbankel" with the
hoe, and attended in thorough and hand
some manner according to the best standard
OF slave labor. Not blade of grass was to be
seen throughout. The land was strong yel-
low soil, near to an arm Of the sea. The
patch escaped the caterpillar entirely, and, in
a fair season, should have made at least one
hundred and fifty pounds per acre. Yet the
yield was but at the rate Of twenty-four pounds
per acre. The same was the case, to modi-
lied degree, in o like patch OF my own in 1867.
On, the contrary in the season of 1866-wlth
US only fair one-I sent to market over sixty
pounds to the acre from o small field planted
from the 10th to the 10th of May. This field
was ravaged by the caterpillar before had
pod picked, and was gathered by day laborers
without any one in charge, business If more
! pressing importance demanding my whole
| time. presume, under the circumstances it
must have actually produced one hundred
pounds per acre, Notwithstanding caterpillars
In the same season Of 1866 a planter in my
community, though his crop was swept by
| caterpillars, made over one hundred and thir-
| ty-three bales Of three hundred pounds to
| eighty hands. Another, under, like circum.
stances made thirtyeight bales to twenty 5-hya
hands. Another, forty bales to ono hundred
and twenty acres. Another, Thirty bales to
ninety acres. and 80 On through the com.
munity wherever the crop received ANYTHING
like reasonable attention. Why was it that
money was lost The answer is plain. There
were extraordinary and exorbitant expenses to
meet in the restoration of our ruined homes
| exorbitant rates. Labor to be seduced into
work by exorbitant wages. Everything to be
done anew, and everything costing four prices.
The ella OF seed, which at that time could
alone be obtained, was inferior as we'll as un-
productive. Our planters necessarily began
late and came to market late, with oil this ex-
traordinary cost Of production on their backs
and to be liquidatei at once. They met the
Florida planters as usual IN market with as
good, il not betters cotton than theirs, and o
crop the very best that had ever been made
in Florida. The buyers knew this advantage,
and used it with vengeance. running cotton
down from 81 40 per pound to forty cents at
the lowest figure.
Notwithstanding this. with the average
price obtained, il The wages and expenses
had rated no higher than those Of the past
season, rernunerative results would have been
reached. So that the only practicable season
enjoyed since tho return or our planters to the
coast. had they escaped the extraordinary cost
OF production, no longer existing, would have
been decided success, notwithstanding cater
pillar, and with fair article Of cotton would
have been successful with caterpillar and cx-
penses. 90, too, il they had escaped caterpii-
lar. they would have reached success, not
withstanding the high cost OF production and
inferior quality Of cotton. 4. 5.3z
heow what state and Can prove by the fig-
ureg. My experience warrants me in reposing
p1rfect confidence IN the statements I make.
The crop pof 1855 was followed by the seaaonz
Of '67 and '68, on both Of which years we were
flooded with rain and had no spring at all,
whilst the crops were rayaged by caterpillar.
| To make cotton crops or any other under
circumstances 90 utterly variant with All pre-
vious experience, was to- make our dSily tale
| OF brick without straw. ,st sss sass5, Il xs
II 10 easy to repeat the caschword that there
Aovur MSS money in long coItoaa, HIGs 70 use Jne