Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-05-07
Cotton,

HtS1 uuu SrcuCcSG wants OF man arc
food aud clothing. The former ~sustains life
and the latter is indispensable to bodily CON-
fort. The production of tho one to tho OK.
clusion of tho other cannot fail to provo dis
a'trous ss each is an essential requisite to hu.
man life. Hence in Agricultural industry la.
Dor and production should be diversified so as
TO render each farmer as nearly independent
and self supportingas possible. While we
admit this, we must acknowledge that the
bulk of every crop should bo cotton. Even
IN this unfavorable climate the farmer can re-.
alize more clear money from tho production
OF cotton at present prices than from any of
the cereals. In addition it is less bulky, costs
a less percentage to bring it to market as five
pounds of cotton brings as much money as
htty six pounds of corn, and lastly tho do.
mand for it is sure and not confined to any
particular locality but limited only by the
confines OF civilization and commerce. The
press of the County seems to entertain fear
lest The great profits of the cotton crop Of
1865 will divert too much osslhe agricultural
Industry of the country into The production
OF cotton to the neglect of provisions. That
this will reduce the value of cotton to ruin
Gus prices and the disasters Of 1866 and 1867
will be repeated. We have no such fears. The
proVldent and practical farmer will not soon
forget the bitter experience of those years.
IL IS not in nature to do so and even should q
drought cut short provisions there is no dang.
er of cotton declining as somo anticipatc.-
at the close of the war we predicted that cot.
ton, II ever, would not for several years oom.
mand less than twenty cents per pound. The
temporary prostration of the market in 1867
proves nothing farther than it serves TO es.
tablish that in the depths Of poverty, our peo.
plo never would compromise their Honor
Thcy had borrowed. on the faith Of their crop
and a high sense Of integrity forced tho entire
crop on theaarket as rapidly sit could be pick.
ed and packed to enable them to meet their
obligations. Our people are now on their feet
and can hold thor crop for a fair market price,
which We arc sure will not be smaller than for
the crop of 1868. We say this for several
reasons which exist in our own section and
which as We gather from exchanges, is no less
observable elsewhere. In the first place
the spring has been unfavorablc for farm
work A great deal of rain has fallen which
has prevented farmers from preparing their
land with as much care as it should be. Be.
sides, the spring has been late and deceptive.
For a few days we would experience the heat
OF midsummer only to be followed by a cold
rain md heavy frosts. This rendered the
planting late which by the old axiom will
make the crop light. The few, who planted
carly, IN general had the young plant destroy.
ed by frost. This is true of the first planting
on the Islands along our coast and we hear like
complaints from Georgia, Florida and the
west. Secondly, the amount of labor en-.
ployed il. Agricaltare is much less during tho
present than the past year. The tendency Of
the negro IS from the country to the towns and
villages and from the field to tho shop. Their
old habits of industry is growing weaker and
no new laborers or at least not o sufficient
number, have az yet taken their places. The
women too have abandoned the field and be.
come housckeepers cking out a scanty subsis.
tence by washing an other little jobs. Any
practical mind must see that these two facts
will greatly diminish the acres in cultivation
and hence the yield.
There is a third reason which we had
hoped, as it existed here, would prove to be
confined to our particular locality, but we see
the same complaint expressed in the "Mont.
gomery (Ala.) Mail" This is the want of
good, sound seed. That journal states that
from heating or somo other cause a great deal
of seed has been injured and cannot DO sup.
piled readily. Many persons having used
such seed will have a bad stand or none at all
Or will DO forced to rely on a second late plant.
ing. This is the case hero in some places. as
we learn and the real extent Of tho misfortune
is not yet known. What do the "bush sha,
kors roly on when they talk of fifteen GEN., or
less per pound for cotton next year /? Fertil.
izors. That is the secret, but every farmer
knows that if ton tons to one of these manures
were scattered over the country they conld
not overcome the effects of tho late spring.
labor and bad seed. They NAV
tho evils but cotton must be high this
fall and the crop Of 1859 will be less than
that Of 1868. Such is our opinion as drawn