The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-03-12


to q gToVe neGe the house. The lawyer
demurred, and Monroe said he would
prefer battle to having his peace OF mind
destroyed by hungry creditors.
The Cost Of Raising Cotton.
There is no problem in southern ag-
ricuitltre more important than the cost
of producing a bale of cotton IN our
cotton climate without detriment to the
sOil.F A planter. writing over the sigma
ture of q King Cotton, who appears to
lund erstand what ne writing about In
bis locality, sends 20 the Country Gen
tlenaan the following statements an the
subject sa-t-Li ~
The secret in growing large crDp Of
cotton Is no other than putting the soil
in thorough order before planting, and
not have too much vegetable matter in
it for this Is very detrimental to grow
ing a large crop. On these two points
depends the planters success or failure,
Incidental causes excepted. A direct
application OF stable manure IN any
form is not suited to the cotton plant /;
but an occasional use of No. / Peruvian
guano is beneficial, not only TO tie cot
ton plant, but where it is used you Will
have less quack grass 70 contend with.
The practice of majority of planters
is to commences bedding mp two months
before the planting season. when the
soil is IN miserable condition. Planting
is hurried through with, and no other
preparations made, which means con-
slant work and half a crop. The fail
ure is attributed to every cause but the
right one, which is the planters own
neglect.
To answer the question as to the
profit in growing cottons 1 will give a
statement of my last crop, raised pre-
vious to the war, on three hundred and
seventy-five acres. The total expense
of growing this crop, being the net
cash paid out, was s., 185. The whole
amount of capital Invested was as fol
lows;
Estimated value Of plantation. 49,. $50, 700
SIaSieS maoiinerJ implements etc 800 800
Total capital ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SIG, 400
The total product was 452 bales cot
ton, ], 500 bushels sweet potatoes, and
| 1 800 bushels corn. Nearly everything
needed By the hands for food was raised
on the plantationin abundance, except
/ ing meat, which makes up a large item
! in cost Clothing for hands was made
from cotton grown on the plantation.
Nothing was sold but cotton.
100 bales crop melted 95Sc per ID. 81, 592 50
| $50 bales sold at Sc per lb........... 9,676 SO
| Estimated value OF sweet potatoes. GOO 90
I Corn. ......... -.-................... 598 90
Gross receipts. ...,........ SIS, 437 sc
Deduct costs. 80. ....-............ 3,1S5 90
/ Balance. ..............-.....Si2 152 30
The balance is a fraction over 16 per
cent, and this is 4 per cent. less than ]
calculate three years out Of eight. ]
usually estimate my planting to cost
me $50 to $50 per acre, including inter
| est, commissions for selling, etc
The difference IN cost, under the pres
/ ent system of growing cotton with hired
labor, ought not to be one farthing more
than the wages paid ont; but will ad.
NIT that the same labor is not as pro
! ductive as formerly, when we estimated
I a good hand as being able to cultivate
ten acres of cotton, and raise food fol-
himself and family, with the assistance
of a half grown lad part of the sea
son. To approximate the present value
of labor, will reduce this estimate t.
eight acres, and assuming that eacl
hand raises his own food as formerly
excepting meat, the cost of growing ter
acres will be-
HNbN1 " MAUI - AAAAAAhAof ~ % pei
month ........:. =. 80. =. ....S $50 o
Wages to boy, months, at S5-..-.-.. 30 o.
Guano. ..---.-.----- ---.----- 30 y
' eat. $3.50. ...---.-......- 81 "
Baling, wear and tear, etc.. ......,..- 40 o
Total. ............................s22 s o.
In a favorable season, ten acres vii
produce eight to nine thousand pounds
of lint cotton. will here say to thosl
who think my figures too large, that
thousand pounds of cotton are as easil'
grown on an acre of good cotton soil a
thirty bushels Of wheat are on primi
wheat land. It Is not every farmer VIII
can grow thirty bushels of wheat to tn
acre, but it is often surpassed by thos
who know how to do it. will averag
the crop at eight hundred pounds t.
tie acre, and the market value at eigh
cents per pound, which is very low 70
good cotton. The gross receipts of
Ten acres will be. ....................S 64O 0
Deductng cost. .......--.......-- 226 0
Balance. ............,........... s414 Q
which is the profit or interest on tn
capital invested. Whether it will LAY
I leave it to Mr.. Noel to decide, and {
those strong advocates of small plants
tions and a mixed system Of farming q
suitable for this section of the south
They are In most cases ignorant OF tn
wants of the planter and the misasmati
atmosph re of this section. It is true
all the cereals can be grown here, bu
even if they we're as profitable for us
raise as cotton, still there are vital cor
siderations to prevent the adoption o
,, this system by the planting community
which I will not attempt to explain, q
it involves too lengthy a communication