The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1870-11-17
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Southern Farm and Home.
Is GuanO a Clear and Entire Loss
to the Cotton Planter
.Msssrs. Editors ::

eiHessrs. Editors
Without circumlocation. I pro-
pose to prove that guano has been
a clear loss to the cotton planters.
The dealers in cotton estimate that
there will be made this year 4.000,-
900 bales. And why do they think
so? They have come to the con-
clusion from the fact that the farm
ers have purchased and applied to
their cotton such enormous guam
titles of guano; and the amount of
guano tpurchased, forms the prin-
cipal data from which they reck-
Oh.
The amount of money paid by
Southern planters for guano a.
mounts to many millions of dollars
all clear loss. If we had raised
our provisions. and not used any
guano, we could not have more
than 100000 of bales, and cotton
would to-day, lin spite of the war
now raging in France and Prussia,)
have been; worth thirty cents per
pound. %, i - E-tEAf a--
Two mihons; of bales at thirty.
cents would be worth a great deal
more money to the planters than
100000 bales at fifteen cents.
If SO, we get nothing, absolutely
nothing, and besides, we have mil-
lions OF money to pay out of these
100000 bales, for guanc. We
could have raised 00,0O0,000 bush
els of corn as easy as we have
100000 bales of cotton that we
get nothing for. Again, if we had
not used any guano, we would have
made but 100000 bales, which
would have sold in the market for
more money than 100000. We
could have: .pocketed the money
that the 100000 bales sold for,
and no guano bills to settle. If:the
above be true, and who can doubt
it, guano must be a clear loss to
the cotton planter. Since the war
we have purchased millions of
tons ofguano, and by so doing,
we have worked cotton dow n from
40 to 161 cents. Think oftbe
Southern farmers having in the.
place of 100000 bales of cotton
100,000,000 bushels of corn, the
100000 bales of cotton worth
more money than 1900, 900; and no
guano bills to settle1out of the pro.
ceeds of the 100000 bales, and
we will have what would havs
been the situation if we had pur-
sued that course.
BY managing SC, AS to work cot
ton down from 40 to 16 cents, we
have caused our lands to depreci-
ate at least 100 per cent.
This deponent planted all cot
ton in 1867. One trial satisfied
me. had figured the matter up,
and figures told me that could
make more money raising cotton
at 20 cents, and purchase my pro-
visions, thar I could to make small
crops of cotton and raise my pro.
visions. When | reduced the
theory to practice it did not work
out that way. I made splendid
crop of cotton, and yet I saved no
money.
In 1868 I planted two acres of
corn to one of cotton. Ipurcllased
but 1000 pounds of guano. At the
end of the year / found 1 had made
some money. p
In 1869 Lzshould have made
corn enough todo me but for the
drought. I fattened meat enough
to do my family. The freedmenhad
to purchase western bacon. |
managed; so / did not purchase
much corn. Owing to the high
price OF cotton. my crop PAID me
verywell. - -<
In 1870 I purchased % tons of
guano, which cost me $3.50. I
shall make perhaps 100 bales of
cotton, and by the time all ex-
penses are footed up, there will be
at present prices of cottou-but
very little money left in the hands
ofyour humble servant. q. i
. have made corn in abundance
and have hogs enough to make my
meat. III had no corn or meat
! could possibly make buckle
and tongue meet. | should, with
out doubt, be forced sup the spout"
Itwould have been much better.
for me to have made but fifty bales
of cotton without guano than ole
hundred with tiff every farmer
had done the same thing-for fifty
- L. IL .-,,o.,JJ, 49, Lxo,,r.l,k ,ooro