The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-07-17
Small Grain Crops.


ple that there is no money to be made jn this
country by raising small grain for market.
This NAV be true, or it may not be true. The
fact is no one in this region of country is pre-
pared to give an opinion on the subject that is
worth very much. Our people have so long
been engaged in the cultivation of cotton, al
most exclusively, that generally speaking, no
one understands how to make dollar In any
other way. It is no doubt true that money is,
at certain seasons of the year, more abundant
in a section of country which is engaged in
cultivating cotton, than it is in region which
raises grain for market; but when we look at
the final results, we see that people grow more
permanently rich in grain-growing and manu-
featuring countries, than they do in cotton
growing countries.
The Southern section of the United States is
superior. both in climate and soil, to the north
ern and western. We mean that the soil OF the
South. on an average is better than that OF
either the North orWest, and the climate more
favorable for agricultural purposes The south.
ern section was settled about the same time
that the northern section was, and much sooner
than the western and northwestern sections.
The South has been devoted almost exclusively
to the raising of cotton; and the North and
West to the raising of grain and manufacturing.
of the northern and western sections. South
ern cities grow slowly and with great effort.
In the North and West, cities spring up. as if
by magic. Land aud property OF all Kinds
increase steadily and rapidly, whilst property
in the South is not much more valuable to-day
than it was fifty years ago.
The state of things which is here only sug-
gested, must be owing to some cause, and we
DO not see anything SO probable as the fact
that our people have neglected to engage in
the raising of grain and to manufacture. Per
haps there is no crop that can be cultivated
that is 80 expensive as that Of cotton. 1t re-
ouires whole year to make a'crop, and from
the time that the first furrow is drawn until
the crop is sold, there is continual drain go
ing on. Nothing escapes. hesol! is exhaust
ed, and, in few years, almost ruined stock
of all kinds is neglected, and the nsptt is that
all that the majority of exclusive cotton-cultl-
vators can do is to keep out of debt. On the
other hand, while the gross income from
grain crop is not so large as that from cotton
cron the direct. expenses and incidental losses
in producing it are far less, and the balance
sheet is in favor of the grain crop. 1t costs
comparatively nothing to produce CROP. OF
oats. and if the land is not pastured it will be
improved The same is true with regard to
wheat, rye and barley. To sum up the whole
in few words, it costs every man who. is en-
gagged in agriculture, at least three times as
much to buy his small grain and proyender, as
it does to raise It at home on his own farm.
The same principle holds good in respect to
the raising of pork and bacon. On cotton
plantation, every living creature that cannot
work, is an expense. It costs actual money to
feed it. Its food has to be bought aud paid
for out of the proceeds of the cotton crop.
Some one will, no doubt; ask, "Do you advo-.
cate the abandonment of the cultivation OF OF
cotton?" We answer, most emphatically, "No :.
Two wrongs will not make one right; 1t IS
bad policy to run into extremes. The true
theory of accumulation, as demonstrated in
the history of the, past is found in what is
called diversity of labor, which results in dl-
versity of products. .All corn, or all OF any
one kind of grain, would be just as bad as all
cotton. Cotton, and almost all. the cereals, can
be produced in the South. Nature has made
provision for this, both in soil and climate.
There are some kinds of soil that are not adap-
ted to the cultivation of grain, but are to the
cultivation of cotton. To plant thirsty, sandy
lands in corn, is not attended with favorable
results but to plant all our lands in cotton is
a. violation of the laws of nature Yorkellc
Enquirer.