The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-01
THE GROWING CROPS.
THE USE OF COMMERCIAL FERTILI-
ZERS.
Their Effect upon the Cotton Yield
Condition OF tho Country-Lahor and
the Crops-An Interesting Summary,
rFRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE

CAMDEN, S. c., March Is.
A day of constant rain confines me at home,
and enables me, by relieving me from other
engagements, to extend to you this informa-
ton s'on the state of the country"
energetic and successful to close the years
business with the expiring year. :.
To have harvested all crops, to have well
go,ien in all small grain, to have repaired
buildings, to have had rails split for repairing
fences In bad weather, yet to have come and
Is an achievement which justl6es planter In
"palling himself On the back and exclaiming,
ssWe;l done," and "Ho for next year," but the
laborers s,odrna at this season, and under the
tinlinnabulary echoes of Lincoln's proclama-
tion, it takes them long to settle again; thus,
January, one of the most important months OF
the agricultural year, Is lost; February Ia on
haed before the labor OF the farm is organized,
ant then bad weather sets in, hlnderlng pre-
paration. Thus, year after year, the premises
Inevitably leading TO the conclusion OF poor
crop are fixed before the years work is COM
M need.
I have observed and experienced but one
remedy for this, !. e., "lhe wages system. .
Ucder the sshare system" the loss In wasted
time is too remote to impress itself forclbly on
the minds Of the negroes, while they can very
fully appreciate the loss of every day or week
for which the cash would be paid.
The importance Of an early start was never
more forcibly illustrated than 1t has been this
season, and, unfortunately, very few planters
got that start. January was most propitous
month for the work OF the plough, except
that the freezes were so constant and pro-
longed that the ploughs could net be run In
the early morning; but those hours could be
employed In repairs to fences, &C., and the;
later hours of the day suficed to do much OF
the ploughing 80 important to be done In that
month. Where 1t was not then done most OF
1t remains undone, for February and March
have been uDprecedentedly wet and cold. We
have had eleven SHOWS this winter, the heaVl-
est of which fell on Friday last, 23d Instant,
and to-day heavy, cold winter rain has been
falling ali day, and the first of April will be
upon us before the land Is again ready for the
plough. -,
ary, planted their corn crops last week.
week more of cold weather after this snow
and rain will cause loss Of that LABOR, ana
will crowd the corn and cotton crops upon
each other all the season, to the injury OF.
both-a result already fixed as to those who
have not planted.
A backward spring necessarily reduces the
extent of the crop. II is true that propltious
seasons for the future, good preparations and
after culture would work compensation; out
how much of these or either OF them can be
calculated upon?
There Is prevalent very exaggerated idea
as to the Increase OF this cotton crop BY the
uee of commercial fertilizers. am an earnest
advocate for their use, and use them very
freely-so 1t Is not as to the profit raise q
question, but az to the aggregate result on the
crop. think, under judicious management,
q ton of good phosphate will add two bales to
the crop; but am confident, as used, the ad'
dilion will not exceed one and half bales to
the ton.
You can. doubt not, obtain reliable informa-
ton as to the quantity of guano and superphos-
phate to be used In the coming cotton crop. A
publication of such Information would be val
,iuable, and, In my opinion, would demonstrate
that the addition to the cotton crop per the
use of ucommercial fertilizers" is such as
might be counterbalanced by weeks delay
ini the opening spring, q weeks advance OF
frost in the fall, stormy weather, or drought IN
summer or autumn.
It Is subject of great satisfaction to those
of us who love the old city, to observe from
your weekly commercial reports that, while
the supply Of cotton has fallen of 30 heavily IN
all other cotton ports dear old Charleston holds
her own. Whether this be owing to the IN
creased production of the region tributary 70
Charleston, or an enlargement OF the area OF
that region, we do not know, but find sub
jects for graduation In either. HoBk1RK.