The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-04-14
THE CROP OF 1870.
Extraordinary Excrtions OF the Missis-
sippi PIanters-A Word to the Wise.
TO THE:EpIToR OF TIE NEWS.

TO THEsEDlT0R OF THE NEWS.
ENTE RPRIsE. MISS, April S, 1870
Within the past forty days / have seen as
much OF the State OF Mississippi as can be seen
from the boats or railroad cars: have stopped at
almost every depot in the State. and convcrsed
with planters from every section OF the State;
and although my notes upon the various topics OF
inquiry will be given the public in future num-
ber OF the Rural, there is one fact which trust
NAV not be too late in reporting through TIE
NEWS for the material interest of South Carolina,
and, indeed, the cotton planters OF the South.
That fact is, the universal and exclusive prepara'
tIons made in this State Tor the approaching cot
ton crop. Everybody, almost everywhere. has
given his best energies to the pitching OF g CO. ton
crop, and very often TO the entire exclusion ol
everything else. In many places have convers
ed with planters who cultivate from one to two
hundred acres Of crop, aud every acre has been
prepared for cotton. The planting has begun,
and with all the haste that can be given to the
hopeIessly demoraliZed labor the crops will be
planted, and OF course every man hopes for q
..big crop" II these hopes are realized there is
little doubt but the cotton crop OF Mississippi will,
this year, be 100000 bales.
At every depot AMI every town the SACKS OF
corn are as numerous as the bags ofertllizcrs are
in South Carolina or Georgia, and in many places
corn In the ear, and ccen IN tie ShucG, crowds
the warehouses, and this corn IS brought from
Eentuch.1tsSfstroHgh Tennessee. And yet almost
all OF the lands In Mississippi. properly cultiva.
ted, will produce from fifteen TO twenty-five
bushels OF corn per acre, with "free' cultivation.
Thousands upon thousands OF acres OF fertile
land in Mississippi have no: had plough in them
since the war, ana when Eve asked the planters
why they did not SOW Sn:.! c:-.::::! - Scc.re Z
provision crop from these otherwise waste lands
am quietly told "thcy won't make small grain"
Have you ever tried it? NO, ain; got time,''
is the envariablc reply. No time to make food
for man nor beast, because the sowing pre-
vents the picking of cotton and the harvesting OF
grain crops lets grass worry the cotton: and so
the one idea prevails, that cotton must be Inaue
though we break In the effort.
The majority OF teams that have seen hauling
this bought corn from the depots and stores arc
infinitely inferior TO the gcaeraiity OF South Caro-
lima teams. The labor OF Mississippi Is less eilec-
tive than the labor OF South Carolina, The houses,
premises. outbuildings stables, barns and fencing
in Mississippi are TO my eye inferior TO those of
st:.nc.s the Mississippi planter can 3e encourage
ed. have hot been able TO discover.
These facts. Mr.. Editor, are given as facts. ana
for TIE caution and, perhaps, benefit OF South
Carolina planters. Upon those Of them who have
not sown a large small.grain crop would urge
this late day. Plant sorghum. peas, corn, pota-
toes and edbes OF all sorts. The cotton crop as
sole reliance is moi, in my Judgment. the road
TO fortune. u. W. a.