Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1872-11-02
S1,190

few hoes. Then the account would
stand thus -
Produce of his farm $1,190
Cost of farm and outfit 600
Clear gain, $500
This led me to thinking, and also to
making some inquiries, the result of
which | will communicate TO you.
Lands can be bought in Georgia for SIS
to $40 an acre, with improvements. Of
course cotton is the staple production.
1t is cotton that makes the money. Ev-
cry farmer raises sufficient corn to feed
his mules and fatten his hogs. But if
he raises only enough for his horses
and mules and table use, he can fatten
his hogs by planting All acre or two III
ground-peas or gOobers as they are call
ed These last can be raised in the
greatest quantities. Besides potatoes
(sweet potatoes | mean,) grow in such
profuson that hundreds OF farmers fat
ten hogs on them. Then every farmer
has his acre, more or less, of sugar-cane
This gives him his syrup and sugar for
the family, and the Georgia syrup,made
of sugar cane, is quite different article
from driD,, villainous compound man
ufactured from starch and acid. Here
then the farmer has half his groceries
made OH his own plantation, besides his
pork and corn, necessary for his family.
Ills cotton makes the money. The yield
of cotton is hall bale to the acre. a
bale is 500 pounds and worth i'll market
to-day 500 This would give SIS an
acre in produce This acre cost say SO
and there would be s35 per acre, over
the purchase value, the first crop. Sup
pose man purchase farm Of 200 acres
which he can buy for $500. The stock
would cost him $500. BY this mean
two mules $500. a few carts, plows
and other utensils 5000 His outlay is
therefore $4,000. He puts in cotton 80
acres, and in addition has his corn field,
sugar cane, peas field peas,) COOLERS
and potatoes. He makes his 20 bales Of
cotton. He pays S. bale for grinding
and baling and he has left % bales OF
cotton at $50 per bale, equal to 1925.
He has paid for his farm and has 1925
over But he can just as we'll put out
100 acres in cotton AZ 80 acres, and he
would realize s4250 or S2250 over the
cost of his farm. But my friends will
ask me, what are the expenses of cult
vation' Happily am able to answer
this question too. Ifyou find the mules
and utensils you get bales out of 5.
If you find only the land you get half
1t may therefore be fairly put at one
half reduction as expense. Then you
cultivate 100 acres of your farm and
pay half as expenses for raising and get
ting your cotton to market, You still
have S2l25 as profits over expenses.
This is not fancy sketch.
Now in contrast take your grain lands
in Virginia You buy farm of POO
acres and YOU pay $50 per acre. Two
mules will not answer your purposes,
but YOU must have at least four horses
or mules. A cart or two must give
way to a large wagon. Flows, harrows,
grain drills, sc, &c Now let us esti-
mate -
Your farm, 200 acres $4,000
4 horses. $50 per head 600
A road wagon $50
Grain drill 80
Flows, harrows, cultivators, &c, 100
Amount of farm, $1,000
You put out 100 acres, say in wheat,
and give it yield of ID bushels to the
acre, or even 20 bushels to the acre, and
at best you will have 200O bushels Of
wheat, Now sell this at 81 per bnshel
and you have $4,000. Cut off one half
and YOU will have $4,000. Now you are
still $4,000 behind for your farm. 1t
will take you some seven years, under
the most favorable circumstances, to
pay for your farm. Here in Georgia YOU
pay for your farm the first year. But
every one will see that no 100 acres in
Jefferson County will produce 5000
bushels of wheat year by year for seven
years. Experience has proven in many
instances in your county that Alarm will
neUtr pay Tor Itself.
| have lately travelled over the State
of Georgia some 800 miles, nearly to Al
ALBANIA. In Webster county lands can
be bought for s5 an acre. Land is roll
ing, easily cultivated and well watered.
The gentleman with whom .stad lives
on 800 acres, which he purchased for
four thousand dollars. He merely SUI
perintends, and lets out his land on
hire, or OH shares. He has % bales OF
cotton for sale, after paying out all his
shares to the freedmen for cutivating.
lie takes the worM easy. a young man
whose health failed him from confine-
ment in banking house, went to farm
ing in Webster county. lie told me
this was his first year, and he cleared
$4,000. | merely state these things to
turn the attention of your young men
towards Geol gia, instead of the far
west. l want some of those young men
who have wasted years in phinhng
sfore-bores, in your town, TO cast their
eyes southwark. l know the objections
usually made. One is, it is too hot.
Well, the thermometer reached 80 de-
grees but twice this summer, in my
house The general average was low,
in the eighties. But sickness cries an
other. Well, Georgia has proven to be
just the reverse. There is scarcely any
sickness over the entire State. There
is no country so little understood as