The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1871-05-03
JEFFERSON.
fThe Cost Of Growing Cotton.

A correspondent of the Manchester
| (England) paper, under date Of Janus.
uary 18th, prints the following extract
from letter received by the writer
from Southerner, "who has spent all
his life in the cotton States, and
thoroughly knows the South and its
people -
| am informed by planter run-
ming three large plantations that he
can raise cotton at Sc. per pound
low estimate, think, as it is geuer-
ally estimated at l2c. (sixpence but,
with abundance of fixed labor, I be-
lievc it can be raised under l0c. This
refers to Alabama and Geoagia, in
this neighSorhood. In Mississippi,
Arkansas and Texas, where the soil
will yield more than the producer co m
pick, it should not cost above 81. If
cotton can be raised at So., as is here
stated, we may depend upon it that
planters, having netted fully 2Oc.
this year, will put more ground under
cotton than they did last, and think
twenty per cent. not at all an unlike
ly increase. The only circumstance
<aat will deter them from g. catly in-
creasing their production is the knowl-
edge that if they grow 5,O00,00O bales
they will net less money for it than
if they grew 8,0OO,O00 bales, and
their succeeding years chance of
good price would also be injured.
This next season the ntw erh OF
cotton planting Is about to be more
fully developed, and proof given that
free labor (whcther white or black be
employed) is followed by much bet.
tor results than under the old system
Of forced labor. Not only is free
labor more productive from the en-
ployees working better, but 1T is
cheaper. Formerly, good field
hand cost ut least $1,000, and was
generally held OH borrowed capital,
on which ten per cent. interest was
paid. This giv,s $l2o per annum.
Keep may be taken at another $40
per month, or $l3O clothing and
medicine, $40 and allowance for i'm
surance and waste of strength, say 7A
per cent, or 500, (as if the negto died
under the old system he Was d total
loas,) This given us $3.50, or E7O per
annum. Now the negro owns himself {;
his wages calculated fully are SLIPPER
month keep, say $40; in all, $500,
G60 per aunum. The conclusion
seetiis reasonable, therefore, that as
planters in former yeats thhde large
fortunes with middiing Orleans ruf-
ing at Cd. to Sd. in Liverpool, and
with tho wasteful system Of borrow
ing, they can now, when they have
capital Of their own to work on, af-
ford tosell at these rates, and find
cotton pay ,bum handsomely. Cottoh
planting is SO profitable that tho tide
of immigration into Che more South
erly cotton States will steadily
continue increasing.
Some French ply sicians have con-
cluded that salt meat does not play 90
great part'in the production Of sour.
vyias is generally supicsed, and o
writer in Paris Joarnal says the ex.
perience Of the garrison at Mcts set
ties all donbt.;iG the matter. Al
though deprived Of sult meat from
tho, 4th of, September to- the l7th' of
October, theigarrison suffered terribly
from scurvy. The disease is attributs
ed to cold and damp, to.the want Of
fresh, vegetables, toi, oyerpoWSring
drill, and, above all to, insufficient
food. estv9 Is T"s 81 'se1 - - :
q. - ---sS - s%s--7--------. J 1t -
4 The cayalsy barracks at, Carlisle,
Pa, have boon discontinued aftel