The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-01-26
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Banner of tho South and Planters
- Journel.
A Word to Planters.

the next few days the crop will be
"pitched," and it becomes u matter
of serious moment that in deciding
upon the proportion of land to be
devoted to cotton, they involve
themselves in no mistakes which
may prove fatal to the revenues of
the farm.
The price Of cotton has fallen
below the average cost ofproduc>
tion, at least in the Atlantic States.
1t is a matter Of doubt whether
the planters on the rich bottoms of
the Mississippi Vally and the vir
gin soil of Texas can make cotton at
the present low prices. But for
the Georgia planters, whose lands
are worn and exhausted, requiring
heavy applications Of costly fertili-
zers, to attempt a continuance of
the system which has been very
generally adopted since the close
of the war-that of cultivating
cotton exclusively, and neglecting
the provisions crops, would be folly.
amounting almost to madness.
No country can become rich,
which, being purely agricultural
itself, fails to produce a full supply
of provisions for man and beast.
No class of agriculturists can be
permanently prosperous who fail
to make all the supplies on the farm
which are necessary for the sup.
port and maintenance of their la
borers and work animals. Even
in the days of slavery, when much
more attention was paid to the
raising of provisions than now few
planters realized six per CO ut on
their Investment from the sale of
their products. 1t is true that
many cotton planters amassed large
fortunes, but, so far as our knowl-
edge extends, they were of the
class, not numerous even then, who
made on the plantation, in addi-
tion to large cotton crops, abund-
ant supplies of provisions. 1t was
this class who realized most from
the natural increase of their slaves,
because the supplies of provisions
necessary for the greatest produc-
ton and fullest development of
young slaves were abundant on
their plantations, and therefore
cheap.
The cotton planters have given
"all cotton" fair trial since the
close of the war. They have for
FIVE years devoted their entire
plantations to the production OF
this leading staple, and with rare
industry and energy, devoted them
selves to the raising oflarge crops.
Within that period the seasons
have been generally good and their
crops as full as the labor, Sare and
money bestowed upon them would
warrant, yet they are to-day as a
class, as poor as when they emer-
ged from the desolatoin of the war.
During this term they have real
lied large prices for their cotton
except for the crop of 1867 and
that of the past year.
There can be no doubt as to the
future price of this staple. Like all
other products of the farm, its
price is regulated by the supply
and demand. If the demand for
consumption is in excess Of the
supply produced, prices will rule
correspondingly high. When pro
duction exceeds the wants Of the
world, and a large surplus is on
hand, prices fall to ruinously low
prices, and remain there as long as
the excess over consumption is
maintained. The present condi>
tion of the cotton market and of
the cotton trade illustrates this
truth. The crop Of 1869 barely
exceeded the consumption Of that
year, and the average price for
that crop was about "a cents
Der pound-a rate at which cotton
can be raised with profit on the
thin lands of the Atlantic States.
The crop of last year promises to
be largely in excess of the estima,
ted wants of consumers, and herce
the price falls to apoint actually
below the cost reproduction. Per-
haps prices might have ruled
slightly higher than they are now
even though very large crop is
made, if there had been no war in
Europe. But with peace profound
in all the European States, the
supply would be largely in excess
of the wants of commerce.
We cannot, then, hope for an in
crease of price so long as the re.
lations of the demand for consump.
tion to the visible supply remain
as they are-so long as tue pro,
duction OF the staple is so largely
in excess of the wants of consu
mers.
W. taka # fer pranted that