The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-12-01

The Policy Of Farmers and Planters.

The Policy Of Farmers and Planters.
Died of corToN-born again Of CORN. 30
far as the industrial interests Of South Caroli'
ma are concerned, We are satisfied that change
of policy is demanded. Cotton seems now 70
be In some respects the bane of the State. We
speak with reluctance upon this subject, for oul
doctrine is that farmers, ,as general rule, know
hest what pertains to their material interests
To rs, however, it does seem obvious that the
plantation or farm ought to be self-sustaining
TO plant less area-selecting the best-and cul-
tiyate it more thoroughly; to plant less OF cot
ton and more of the cereal and root crops-thls
seers to us the true policy. 1t is madness to
plant cotton when the cost of production Is
above the price of the commodity. 1t is mad
ness for the planter to put himself in the hands
of the commission merchant, however fair he
NAV be. The planting interest of the State is
the bone and sinew of the State. The wealth
of the State comes from the soil of the State.
How important it is, then, to place it upon o
secure basis. AS to labor, We know that it is
to q large extent unreliable and inefficient. We
must use the labor we have at least until we
can get better. On this subject our policy is
to reduce theiforce as low as possible, and by
good wages and close supervision, increase Its
efficiency. Let white labor be introduced as
fast as possible and be encouraged. Let the
moor white man, wHather mechanic or laborer,
receive our special consideration, and let every
assistance be given to help him increase his for
tunes. In this connection, we invite attention
to the agricultural address of Gen. r. Toombs,
delivered in Georgia. The Columbus Inquirer
says: 49,
Gen. Toombs' address opened with an elo-
uuent and beautiful tribute to the dignity and
the necessity of labor. It was the law of God,
imposed upon man from the time of his crea-
ton. He announced his purpose to be to en-
deavor to show how the least amount of human
labor could supply rhe greatest amount OF hui
man want This was all man could do to miti-
gate the stern decree, "by the sweat of thy
brow shalt thou eat bread"
The greater portion of Gen. Toombs' address
was an argument to show the impolicy of plant.
ing all cotton, or large crops of cotton and
small crops of grain. He contended that the
true economy of the people of the South was to
plant suficiency of provision crops tor the sup
port of their own families, their laboiers, their
working stock and the fattening of their own
meat, and to give the surplus labor to the pro-
duction of cotton. He showed the fallacy OF
the calculation of many planters, by which
they figured out a greater amount OF money,to
sn acre in corn. The error consisted IN the
assumption that it required no more labor to
cultivate an acre in cotton than one in corn /;
whereas the truth is, the labor of the cotton
field is at least four-fold the greatest. The far
mer breaks up his ground for an acre of corn,
plants it, and gives it in all three workings
the whole consuming no more than four days,
at the cost of about six dollars per acre; and
then the work is fnished-the crop laid by in
July, But cotton requires much labor in plant
ing, thinning out, ploughing and hoeing; and
when July comes, instead Of termination OF
work with the crop, it still has to be ploughed
and hoed, and the picking will consume the
balance of the year. It thus appears that the
same force cannot only cultivate much larger
area in corn than in cotton, but that only about
one-third of the time is required for the raising
of corn. Gen. Toombs regarded the time con-
sumed in the production of the crops as very
important consideration in view OF the present
unreliability of labor. Should the laborers
"strike," or quit their work in July, the exclu-
sive cotton planter is ruined; but he may be
sure of corn crop with only two months work
in the spring. Inadequate as are the remedies
to enforce the observance of labor contracts, it
is of the utmost Importance to the agricultural
ist for the year, in any contingency.
Gen. Toombs regarded the practice of ma
king Louisville and other western cities the
corn-cribs and smoke-houses of the South as o
most wretched and impoverishing policy. He
declared that it would not do for our people to
follow it, even if they could get corn for moth.
ing in the western States. The freight and
other charges would still amount to more than
the real cost of raising it here, when the proper
proportion of cotton and corn is cultivated
Such policy would be the building up OF the
prosperity Of ether sections to the impoverish-
ment of our own.