The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-06-13
The Growing Crops.

has invariably been attended with the most
satisfactory results, we have this spring sent
circulars to large number of the most intelli-
gent and carefully obseryant planters through
out the State requesting from them certain
points of information respecting the growing
crops, especially, of course, as to the condition
and prospects of our great staple-cotton. In
response to these requests we have received
great number of letters containing important
and valuable information which has been
promptly spread before our readers, and from
the mass of information thus obtained it is
now possible to give in a compact form gen.
eral review of the planting operations through
out the State, with comparison OF similar op..
erations in former years, and as complete and
accurate statement of the prospects and prob
abilities of the crops of South Carolina TOR
1872 as can possibly be obtained at this stage
of the season.
First, as to the area of ground occupied in
the cultivation of cotton this year in compan-
son with 1871, it is certain that there is an in
creased acreage devoted to cotton amounting In
the whole State to certainly 10 per cent. In
many counties the increase is much more than
this, as in Richland which reports an increase
of 80 per cent, Anderson and Orangeburg 70
per cent. each, while in Fairfield, Clarendon,
Darlington, Lancaster, Lexington, Marlboro
and Sumter an increase OF from lO to 2O per
cent. is noticed; but in no county, with the
single exception perhaps OF Union, IS there
less area than in 1871.
The stand of cotton does not however, COM
pare favorably with that of last year, nor are
the prospects of yield at all equal to those at
the same period of last year. The lateness of
the stand is an almost universal complaint in
many counties, and noticeably in Anderson,
Clarendon, Darlington, Marlboro, Oconee,
Richland and Union, the long drought in
April and the first half of May having baked
and hardened the soil, retarding the germina-
tion of the seed. In many localities the pro-
cess of planting was necessarily suspended, and
only renewed since the rains in the middle and
latter part of May. The reports are somewhat
more cheerful from Barnwell, Lexington and
Sumter, but on the whole, the prospects at this
date of an increased yield, proportionate to the
increased quantity of cotton planted, are not
by any means encouraging. As the crop, how
ever must depend upon the character of the
seasons from this time out, we do not pretend
to estimate the number of bales that may be
expected to be made.
The quantity of commercial fertilizers used
this year has been very largely in excess of the
consumption of 1871, and almost equal to the
quantity used in 1870. This increase is report
ed in some counties as enormous. In Lancas-
ter County it is said that three times the guam
tity of fertilizers used in 1871 has been used
this year. In Anderson, Barnwell, Clarendon,
Darlington and Orangeburg, twice as much,
and in Abbeville, Chester, Fairfield Marion,
Marlboro, Sumter and York the increase is re-
ported at from 10 to rs per cent In Laurens
and Oconee, it is said that about the same
quantity has been used that was used last year,
but in no county is decreased consumption
Tbo ,,roho hilitv that throuuhOuf
the State the consumption has been about dou-
BILE that of 1871, and very nearly equal to that
of 1870. This probability is strengthened by
the report of the number of tons of fertilizers
shipped to the interior of South Carolina and
the adjoining States bv the various lines of
transportation from this city, recently pub
lished in the News. Those shipments were, in
1870, H,4S5 tons, in 1871, 20,4S7 tons, and in
1872. 81, ,1S8tons, and it must be borne in mind,
also, that niany thousand tons were carried over
in stock in the interior towns from 1871 to the
present year.
The cost per bale of making the cotton crop
this year will, it is unanimously agreed, be
about the same as in 1871. The cost and effi-
cheney of labor has been about the same "a as
last year, ard the increased expenditure for
| fertilizers has been counterbalanced by the
cheapness of staple provisions, such as bacon
and molasscs. These remarks, however, will
hardly apply to the counties which have been
harried by Grants night raiders, causing vex-
atious and costly suspensions of planting Oper-
ations at critical periods, unsettling the minds
of the freedmen and frightening them away
from their work. In all of these counties the
cost of production will be materially increased,
but the decreased expense in all the other
counties, from the causes above enumerated,
will prove an ample offset, and it is perfectly
safe statement that throughout the State the
proportionate cost of making the cotton crop
will be no greater than in 1871.
The prospects of the grain crop throughout
counties as in Chester, Lancaster, Orangeburg
and Richland, rather more grain has been
planted than last year, but in most of the
counties the quantity is about the same. Corn
appears to be doing we'll, but wheat and the
smaller grains have been generally impaired
bv the dry season, and the oat crop in many
localities is reported as total failure. About
half the counties in the State will make enough
Grain to supply the needs of their own locali-
ties until the next crop comes in, but the other
counties will, as usual, be purchasers.
This is believed to be a careful, comprehen-
siye and accurate review of the present condl-
ton and prospects of the crops of this state;
The reports from the interior will be continued
throughout the season, with the continued CO.
operation of our attentive correspondents,
whose courtesy and kindness in this matter we
beg respectfully to acknowledge, as we'll as q,
the hearty words of encouragement with which
many m of them have greeted these efforts on
our our part to furnish at all times the latest the
most complete and the most trustworthy infor-
nation upon this subject of vital Importance
to our Staate.-CAarlcston Ne,cs.
A Young lady of Bangor, some three years
since, lost a Valuable diamond ring at ball in
Augusta, aud could hear nothing of it, though
She advertised her loss. Last Monday evening