The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-22
THE PL4NTING PROSPECT.
interesting Representations Concern
Ing the Present Crop-Look to Your
RreadI
rprom the sumter Watchman. /


The reports reach us from all parts Of the
South that the planters are making prepara.
tions to plant largely Increased area in cot
ton this spring. much we fear to the neglect
of the cereals. The orders, transmitted to
Charleston for fertilizers are as much as can
be there filed, and during the past three
weeks there have en- shipped over the three
railroads radiatlng thence upwards of seventy
to eighty carloads, equal to about six nun
dred (600) tons Of phosphates and guano, des-
tined for the interior of the country The
planters are evidently stralning every nerve
to cultivate iull crop of their beloved
staple. In each spring Of the past few
years, We have earnestly Sounselled our
planters to pay full attention to the
cultivation Of grain, and to make that Of
cotton only a secondary consideration,
and one wholly Of profit. BY the pur-
permanent safety, independence and prospe-
rity for our people. The Journals and the
manufacturers ofthe North use every specous
argument TO urge on our people to the pro-
ductIon Of large cotton crops They know
that 1t can be done only at The probable ex-
pense OF the cereals. That If we make large
crop of cotton and small one OF grain We
will be compelled to sell our cotton very low
and buy their grain at high price. If the
crops of the two great sections OF the country
can be brought to market on this principle
the object Of the people of the North and
West will be attained. They want cheap cot
ton. and can obtain 1t only by our people al
lowing themselves to be deceived and to act
contrary 10 their true interests.
The planters think that because the price of
cotton has ruled high during this past winter,
IL will probably do so again next season. In
this they may be greatly mistaken, for they
must bear In mind the fact that the same high
scale of prices that influences them to increase
the acreage In cotton this spring, will have the
same effect In all the other cotton-producing
sections of the world, and therefore we may
have very large supply Of the stap:e next
season, which may reduce the average range
OF prices below the cost OF cultivation. In ad-
dition 10 this loss, the planters may have to
buy their provisions at very high rates.
The prospect Of large crops for 1872 will de-
pend not upon the acres planted, but upon
the character OF the season. If the season
should be bad one, aud both the cotton and
grain crops be much injured, the planters Will
be In q very unenvlaole position. We have
now every prospect OF most unfaVorable
eeason, for all agricultural operations Thus
far the spring has been the most backward
that we have had since 1857. Now, on the
10th Of March, 1t continues cold and wet, and
the probability is, that we will have much
more of the same class of weather be-
fore the steady, natural warmth Of spring
arrives. We well recollect, that the
there was then heavy fall of snow in the
City Of Charleston, on the 18th March. The
effect was O reduction in the yield of cot
ton that year of about $50, 900 bales below that
of the preceding year. The lateness OF q
spring will not prove dlsadvantageous to the
crops, If 1t ts succeeded BY hot summer and
late fall, but In this instance 1t will probably
%
probably be cool one, followed by an early
frost. The seeds will germlnate badly, on
account of the coldness OF the ground, and
replsnting will be necessary to great extent;
and after the plants are out OF the ground they
will probably be injured, and blackened by the
will probably not be sufficient to counteract
the damaging effects of the cold.
Many persons will think 1t impossible to
calculate upon the general condition of the
weather several months in advance; but they
will be mistaken, tor 1t is 10 a great extent
only calculation OF atmospheric forces.
founded upon past experience. The summer
of the vast accumulation of Ice OF the North,
and prevalence of northerly winds, and par
tlculary by the intensely electrical state of the
atmosphere, as will be soon openly showed by
frequent and violent thunder storms and tor
nadoes. The early frost that we will probably
have next fall Will PROBABLY result from the
same electric condition OF the atmos-
phere; for electricity causes cold. The late
frost of 1871 t23d NOVember) was caused by
tie great deficiency of electricity in the at
mosphere during the five preceding months.
This deficiency was shown by the tact that not
one single clap of thunder was heard In this
section from the end of June until the MIDDLE
of November; and also by the great preva.
lence OF epidemic levers over the entire
South. Last year the winds prevailed from
the ocean and were devoid of electricity; this
year they prevail from the north aud interior
Of the continent. and are fully charged with
electricity.
In addition to the unfavorable character of
the season upon which our planters are now
entered, those cnltivatlng lands upon the
banks of the Mississippi, and OF our rivers,
subject to overflow, will soon have to con-
tend with heavy crevasses and floods. AS
soon as the warmth of spring has melted the
vast amount Of snow and Ice that have accu.
mulated in the interior of the country, these
rivers will overflow their banks and carry des-
truction to all plantations within their reach.
We believe, therefore, that from natural
causes beyond their control, the planters will
labor under great disadvantages this year,
and 1t behooves them to act with even more
than usual prudence. F.