Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-10-24
From the Banner Of the South & Planft' p lfs
ers Journal:
g Ga Time.N

From the Banner OF the South & Plant.
era Journal:
sen Time"
The worst feature that pervades
the whole agriculture of the South
now, and since the war. is the uni
versal disposition Of planters to 60
in debt for everything required to
run a farm, instead Of trying faith
fully either to produce them at home
or do without. The extent to which
the pracrice is carried involves really
the mortgaging Of the whole crop,
and reduces farming to mere and
strict speculation. Our average sea-
sons include a long drouth in Sum
mer which renders the provision crops
very precarious on all uplands; the
price to be obtained for cotton is
widely varying every. year, and never
within the control Of, the planter.
Therefore where al the necessary
supplies of the farm have to be
bought, and bought, too, on credit,
with the unavoidable addition of a
large per centage on price. to cover
interest and risk, the result of the
years crop is always extremely doubt
ful, whether it will pay the expenses
incurred or not. This is speculation,
pure and simple, and one in which
all the chances are against the plan
ter. He assumes all the risk, fur
nishes the land, the teams, and the
labor; and long, arduous and unre.
hitting labor it is, from January till
December. He takes the chances OF
rain and drcuth, and storm and wind,
Of rust, smut, blight, mildew, bud
worm, cut worm, boil worm, army
worm, crows, moles and thieves.
Whatever is lost by all these causes
is his loss, and his only, unless all his
assets are not enough to cover the
debts he has contracted.
The money lender and commission
merchant hold their lien on his crops
Of corn, fodder, cotton, peas and hay;
and their mortgag on all the mules
and oxen and wagons, plows and hoes
and axes. And i the crop fails and
all these are inadequate to pay the
advances, they have still equal rights
with other creditors, and may proceed
by copmon law to absorb all the
property in lands, stock, and other
pelf, Of which the unfortunate specu-
lative farmer may be possessed. He
can take refuge only in insolvency
ana the homestead. This is the ac-
tual chance assumed by every planter
who enters on the years work by in
curing debt for provisions and fer
tilizer: equal to a moiety Of what his
lurm iscapa5le of producing, with
the labor and means available; and
this perhaps is the chance actually
assumed by more than half the plant
ers in Georgia and Carolina to-day.
Immediately upon the close Of the
war, when our farms were run down
to the very point of abandonment and
tie ccunrry was utterly devoid of
means of recuperation, borrowing was
resorted to as a Temporary measure.
only to get a start of food and stock,
until q crop could be matured. For
such a purpose, and at such time it
was iusti6able to anticipate to a small
extent. But the practice has not
been dropped it has been continued
from year to year and to a greater
extent every year; and the delusion
is ever before us;-one big crop of
cotton at high price will set us even.
Food crops are neglected, raising
stock, and saving manure and all the
wise economies Of the farm, small
though many Of them be, are utterly
sighted, and every effort is cencen-
trated on cottoa. The only trouble
about the cotton is we never get
what we want for it; and too often
it is the case that all the produce Of
the farm would not pay for the adj
vances made in the year.
The planter who borrows, assumes
to pay back the money with interest,
and make profit for himself beside,
out OF the years crop. That is
heavy undertaking in any business.
There are not many things to be done
on borrowed money that will pay in
tereat on tie capital and another liv-
ing profit beside. Certainly, of all
ventures in the world, the planter
assumes more risks than almost any
other.
ION time are such common words
in every mouth for FIVE years past,
tEat the meaning of them is forgot
ten. He who lends money, or ad-
vsnces, or accepts risks losing his
means only in case the borrower be-
comes wholly bankrupt. His liens
cover crops and stocks, and with them
together he can be repaid to large
extent or wholly, though nothing is
left; of the years labor, for the: plant
er. To buy. on time" is to 4pendin |
advance what it is only hoped will
be made on the crop,-bnt when
spent, to be repaid whether made or !
not. Can any business prosper or be
profitable, that involves all.the risks |
Of the yeaf on the farm, besides the
large ipterestsor commission charged |
oa money loaned 2 There are not
many business men .tc be found who !!
would assume such risks, and hope to
make profits out Of them.
We assert that the worst feature
hat peryades,the planting interests
f the country is tae universal dispo-
tion on the part ofplanters to spend
leir crops before they are made. To
, willing "a do this, even with a
ousand chances in his favor, ,Wqpld
an imprudence. How much worse Z
an impruGence is it then, when F.
cry means aud all sources are re- :,
ted tos,on or from which togbor- :
v money, oribuy something oaaaaae. =
ere is no longer any abhorrenos of .