The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-12-11

The average annual value of this crop is
two hundred and ninety million dollars.
These figures show that this Southern staple
has sold for two thousand three hundred
and twenty million dollars in the last eight
years, since the war This is larger sum
by 5000, 600, 600 than our present national
debt. How much of this capital extracted
from our plantations, asks the Nashville
Union, can be found in the possession of
those who raise over $4,000, 600 bales of
cotton? This is a question for Southern
farmers to answer. Our impression is that
by miscalculation and sad Encouragement,
only a fraction, and in too many cases, Il
small fraction, of this money remains with
the producers. They and their families
have had living out of their productive
industry; but it is by no means certain that
they have saved enough over and above
consumption an6 all Indebtedness, to make
every cotton field as rich in fertilizing mat
ter for a crop in 1874, as it was ten years
/ ago. If not, then their labor and mlsmana-
cement have wasted or otherwise consumed
part of the earth's natural fruitfulness in
this decade, with scant means, and in some
cases no means left to make proper restitu-
ton to the depleted soil A system of
planting and farming which results so in
defects, and calls for prompt and lasting
reform. Too often the crop is pledged for
provisions, working stock, or corn and fer
tilizcrs to make a crop, before the seed is
planted. In all cases of this kind the
planter can hardly be said to be his own
master or master of the situation. He
stands in false position by being in debt at
ALL and is liable to be morally, if net
legally compelled to sacrifice his com
pensation for land and other capital in
vested that his factor or other
creditor may reap double interest or
more on his investment. In all planting
and farming operations, these silent part
ners holding all common property for their
security are like the still SOW that gets more
than her share of the corn or swill fed to ALL
Beware of all temptations to run or walk
into debt. 1t is the great curse of the age
in which we live Rightly managed, there
| is a great deal of money in cotton In
making haste to get rich, men lose part of
! their best judgment, and in this weakened
state of sound common sense, they misman-
age in thousand ways their whole financial
and industrial system. 1t is a cOmlAon er-
ror to draw on a man who has currency, pro-
Visions or fertilizers to sell, when the
checks should be on the cheaper and more
profitable storehouse of nature. Her agri-
cultural resources have yet to be fully eX-
plored in the best cotton climates and soils
of the South The first cost of raising ma
nure, even on poor field, is generally less
than to buy 1t in market, haul it home, and
apply it to the land. A bale of cotton, if
rightly studied, is as much a manufactured
article as bolt of cotton cloth, yet farmers
do not look at this great staple, or any other
crop, in this true light. Hence their mis-
management This win continue to their
serious injury, until they sec 6etore-hand
what nature requires to form a paying crop,
and how the raw material consumed for
that purpose, may be had at the least posi-
BILE cost. Cotton may be manufactured out
of carbon and the elements of water, which
together make IS 12 per cent. of the staple,
much cheaper than is now done, and it can
90 to consumers burdened with smaller
commissions The whole transaction should
be earnestly studied as an art and science.
Our climate is Incompatible, and so far as
our soil is defective, it can be easily i'm
proved by wise cooperation. Farmers may
yet be in condition to handle their cotton
and other staples, and happily be quite in
dependent of all banks and spectators but
they must creep before they walk, and
walk before they FIoridiaH.