New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-22
Our Planting Interests.

We cheerfully reproduce the subioineC
editorial from the Shreveport Gazette:
No one who is acquainted with the people
and familiar with the topography OF the
country. can travel through any portion ol
| the cotton States and not find large farms
abandoned. The proportion of land thrown
| out of cultivation, as compared with that
brought under cultivation, is greatly in ex.
| cess. This condition of affairs has con-
| tnued from the surrender to the present
time. and the question naturally arises.
when will change be made Ii the area
in cultivation decreases year by year, the
future OF our country is gloomy indeed for
we will slowly. perhaps, but surely grow
poor as people.
We have a sparse population. it is true.
but the fearful falling off in the amount of
land cultivated, is greatly in excess Of a
decrease in the number of those who are
able to labor. Our cities and towns have
grown. yet we do not find manufacturing
establishments springing up to give EN-
plOyment TO the people, and We are at q
loss to know upon what basis society is
organized or upon what resources We are
dependent for future support.
We have presented the dark side Of the
picture, which is too true. We Will now
attempt to show that We may yet recover
from our losses and become prosperous
people. We are now reduced to poverty
and have endured it long enough to fully
realize the situation. All classes and races
feel the necessity Of self-reliance. Of ex-
ercising economy and industry.
The idea Of making money rapidly has
been superseded by the practical thought OF
making a living. and we have come down
to a business basis. The one great object
being to make support, all wild schemes
Of farming on grand scale have been
abandoned, and every man is disposed to
husband his limited resources, and depend
upon Lis own labor Tor support.
This reorganization OF the planting inter
ests Of the country demonstrates the failure
OF all schemes to perpetuate the old regime
OF large plantations. 1t also proves the ne
cesslty OF divelsifying our pursuits by
planting less cotton and paying more at
tention to stock = The proposition, as we
before stated, has been changed from the
expectation Of making money to the real
lzation Of the necessity of making a sup
port.
When this change is fully effected it will
make Us very different people. and the
habits Of idleness dissipation and extrava-
gance. which formerly characterized our
sobriety and economy will distinguish them.
Already there are Indications of this whole
some reform, tor our young men have gone
to work with a good will, forgetting the
past and looking forward to the future.
While farming on large scale Las to a |
great extent been abandoned, still the tracts |
remain large and are worked only in |
patches. Ii every honest labOring man was |
settled permanently on his own land it
would be better for the country. 1t is i'm
possible, under the present labor system, to
keep up lines Of fencing, enclosing hun
lreds of acres of land, only small portion
IF which is in cultivation. These large
felds. unless subdivided and sold to actual
Will eventually be turned out
and grow up in pines. Even on our rich
bottom lands plantations have grown up in
cotton wood
We present these thoughts, not in the
way OF advice. out rather as suggestions.
We leave to those who have the lands to
iecide the question Of divisions and subdi-
,isiOns. Whether the lands he sold on
lme to the laborers, or the tenant system
'e adopted, will be governed by self-inter-
at and the necessities of land owners.
hat change is going on, not only in the
'abits of our people. but in their views
With reference to planting, is evident The
'lanter who makes advances to the freed
men, ana works them on shares on large
Gale. seldom makes money, and yery often
Oses it. When both the negro and the
and are an expense rather than a profit.
e should dismiss the one and sell the
ther.