The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-20
COTTON PLANTING.
The Conflict Between the Royal Staple
and Brend-How the Planters OF the
South Learned Wisdom.

MACON, Ca, June l6 1874.
When the war closed cotton was oscilating be-
tween thirty and ortysix cents per pound in all the
inland ana seaboard markets IN Georgia, and In
deed throughout the cotton belt OF the United
States. This was quite difference between eight
and ten cents, which were the generally ruling
rates for the staple in dnte-6ell,tm days. In the
days OF slavery planters raised cotton and sold 1t
at ten cents per pound and made money rapidly by
the pf ocess. IL was the most lucrative farming IN
our whole country. But since that time, although
they nave averaged fifteen cents tor II, they have
steadily lost money from year 10 year.
The conclusion Will at once be jumped
at that this was because slavery was
abolished and the negro had to be paid regular
wages. This is not the reason, however, Tor in
reality the negro does not get as much now as he
did when slave. The only boon freedom has
brought to him yet is that he makes about money
enough to buy nall the food and clothing his old
master used to give him, unless We count the rare
and inestimabe privilege OF voting the radical
ticket and organizing brass bands at viii.
Cotton at thirty cents per pound set the whole
country crazy TO produce it. Everything else went
by the board. Corn. oats, rye wheat barley and nay
were looked upon with contempt. One man even
cut down a twenty acre peach orchard and planted
the ground In cotton. Fertilizers OF every grade,
the majority Of which were wen nigh worthless
were rushed in rom every direction and gObbled
up at from $50 to s110 per ton. Even good house.
wives devoted hall their gardens and the corners
OF fences about the house TO the all-absorbIug
plant. Merchants, professional men, mechanics,
artlzans quit their old way OF making liv-
ing and went to raising 1t. The panic
was not unlike that in q Pacific slope settlement
upon the reception OF news that new gold mine
had been discovered, or when o man had struck
oil III a county in pennsylvania.
THE FIRST EFFECT
produced in this business was the speedy and
almost total extinction OF the entire stock OF hogs
in the cotton region. Then cattle went the same
way, then horses, mules and every other animal
which mainly subssts upon corn and fodder. Cot
ton fell to twenty-five cents the first year, then to
twenty, and finally TO fifteen cents, upon which
last figure IL has hinged Tor the past three or our
years. still, no one could understand or see why
more money could not be made by raising cotton
at fifteen cents than at tenn Fifteen Is certainly
more tlan ten; nut tue trouble was that 1t took
the net proceeds ofevery bale raised to buy enough
gether. The only pleasure they had was in count
ing over big pile Of greenbacks every year and
then paying every dollar OF 1t out to Louisville and
Cincinnati for something to eat-for that which
they once raised In the greatest proiusiOn.
Is was incredible to see how persistently the
planters stuck to their folly, Thus they went
i6r six or seven years. or until the last one Of
them became almost hopelessy bankrupt. In
order. to show what the planters Of Georgia paid
out each year Tor supplies, the amount OF money
annually sent West tor That which they were In the
habit or producing before the war, the following
table is appended which covers the year 1872 and
shows the amounts imported -