The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-05-22
PEActleAl. Hints for Farmers.
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teaSl1ngs Pi .etatiatids ana idefying the
laws OF pGlitical ECONOMY. Every in
teliigent, publioist knows that certain
aptounk of money, soy present ave !.
rage OF $500. 600, 600, may be derived
from cotton. II the average quantity
Is Increased the rrioe diminishea, and
pIce e.rersG. =, p = 70 ,;
II fluctuations are frequent the spe.
ouiator or manufacturer, and not the
producer. derives an advantage. II
you choose to produce 5000, 600 bales,
you obtain 10 cents per pound and
lose money; If you grow but 3. 600, 600
bales, You get 20 cents per pound, and
obtain profit. Now, it is better for
the world, and. In a series of years.
better for the grover. to produce
regularly enough to supply The current
wants of the trade at medium aud
remunerative price, or as near q regu-
lar eupPly as possible, for the vicissi-
tudes OF the season will inevitably
cause injurious fluctuations, despite
the highest efforts of human wisdom
and foresight. AS the uses of cotton
increase, and markets are extended
throughout the world, it's manufacture
will be- enlarged, and its culture should
obtain corresponding enlargement.
10 overstep the boundary of current
demand and glut the market, may bs
pleasing to the specnlator and to the
manufacturer. 80 far as he combines
speculation with weaving, but it is
death 10 the grower.
There is much false reasoning on
this matter. A planter may trnIy
affirm that he obtaina $50 per acre for
his cotton, and but $25 for his corn,
aud he thereupon and therefore de-
clares that he will plant no more corn.
Let oil act upon this suggestion, and
instead of So5 for the ncre of cotton
and that OF corn, the total return of
the two acres Of cotton will be but
530. A snrplns Of corn may be put
into meat, and wool, and whiskey, or
used to exc ont scarcity Of some
kind of forage for animals; bnt sur
plus OF cotton must wait for tho slow
grinding OF the mills Of the fnbricating
gods, usually until disgust at low
prices reduces production correspond
ingly.
Thus, while cotton is and long will
be the leading product aud the most
profitable field crop at fair prices, its
prominence in the list has kept, and is
now keeping these States in compare.
tive poverty. which is unnecessary as
it is inconvenient and injurious. It
does not produce money enough to
give wealth to population of nine
millions. The other crops, instead OF
barely eqnaling in the aggregate the
receipts from this. should represent at
least S4 for every one of cotton. The
census record Of production in these
States is but S55S. 900. 900; the record
should be made to read 81, 500, ,O0O, 900.
With three-fourths of the people of
ten States employed in agriculture, the
vaine Of agricultural products exceeds
but little that of the States OF New
York aad Pennsylvania, where only
one-fonrth are so employed. The ave
RACES for each person employed in
agriculture in those States are respect
lively. as deduced from tho census, S677
and S7O7, while those OF Georgia and
Mississippi are S239 and $282 For
the ten States the average is $267; for
the four populous Middle States 1856.
Even the States producing cheap corn
show larger return, the average for
one mans labor in the five States be-
tween the Ohio River and the lakes
being S498, while the six sterile East.
ern States produce $3.50 for each
farmer. It may be the census is less
complete in the cotton States, but it is
undeniable that agricultural industry
makes smaller aggregate retnrn there
than in any other section. Nor is the
reason wanting; it is due to the pro-
mineDce Of cotton, the return for which
is substantially fixed quantity, and
the neglect of other resources.
Let US glance at the topography and
capabilities of this section The area
occupied by cotton, allowing 10 per
cent. addition to usual estimates, is
less than one-fortieth of the eurface of
these States; it is but thirteenth
OF the proportion actually occupied as
farme. Forty six per cent. Of the CEN
sus crop was grown in 81 Counties,
which are all that producs as much as
ten thousand bales each; aud II per
cent. grew in 2l5 Counties, making
not less than five bales each The total
acreage in cotton is scarcely moro than
one.sixteenth Of the surface of Texas
What is to be done with tho other tif.
teen.slxteenths? A very large proper
ton Of the area of these States is
una1apted to cntton eitbor i,x, roo,o,