The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-09-15
Farming on Shares.

Farming on Shares.
! This custom in the old cotton belts
of. the South grew out Of two causes
which, ut the time, we saw no way to
avoid-frst, from want of money tc
pay wages with, and secondly. be-
cause the negroes had been advised
by the Bureau Agents not to firm in
any other manner. These, we say
were the TIVE leading causes that led
to it, and confirmed, as we thought
-by the belief thatit was really the
best method of securing the negroes
work. Experience, however, of q
disastrous nature, has shown the er'
ror of the plan, and the time has GER
i taiuly come when farmers and plan
ters must adopt different system,
even if it should involve the necessity
Of cultivating less ground. This Gus
tom has practically resulted in the
negro becoming the proprietor OF the
crop And all of US who are accus,
toned to the negro when a slave, aud
under good training and order, know
that il was seldom that one coald be
1found, eff sufficient knowledge and
force of character, to make even a
1eDa-ivcr and but a small proper
ton Of those who hadSthat particular
. sort OF .executiveness weresat all eat
culatod to say when and how % crop
should be pitched, planted and work
ed, outside the direction of the plan.
ter himself. Yet, in the face of this
we now find them placing their en-
tire planting interests into the hands
of one negro, whose only recomcnda'
tion is that he can command one to
six hands. The effect of which is,
that the proprietor has TO bear the
hrunt of ike Ignorance or idIeness OF
the entire number, instead Of one
The teaant or rent plan is only the
same thing under another name, and
if possible containing moro risks
For while working on the share plan
there is some semblance Of obedience
to proprietary authority, however
tcndcrly it is dared to be touched.
While tho tenant plan at once surren'
ders the entire control. Under this
last system the negro is supplied with
q mule or mules, under tho appear.
ancc Of sale, and supplies Of all kinds
advanced with the only chance OF
REIN bursmcnt, depending on the sue
cess Of the negro in, to him, the new
arts of planting and proprietor
ship.
Sometimes this attained by par
tial SUCCESS, but in the very large ma
|iority of Instances, in failure Of crop
Large Indebtedness, which he is un
able to pay-the mule badly damag
ed, Uy i'll use and starvation, and in
most instances returned, and quite of;
ten in the abandonment OF the crop
before gathering; this at last being
practically done, by idleness and neg
icct. Whenever the negro finds that
this Indebtedness for rent, supplies
and stock arc likely to exceed the
value Of his crop, he feels no moro OBJ
legation to continue work,
Our planters know these things
just us we'll as we do, yet they seem
not to regard these severe lessons OF
cxperience. How to plant, with the
negro for the labor, is the question
Both question and answer arc simple
but our planters refuse to adopt
them.
Employ them for money wages; a
certain portion payable at the expra'
ton of every month, the remainder
at the end Of the year -either work
| ing them in large or small numbers,
as may Lc most venient, we pre-
tering the small numbers with well
chosen white man to work in the
lead, and to act as a kind of foreman
under the proprietor. If then, an
idle hand has been employed, he can
at any time bc discharged with onl;
a prospective, but not an actual loss,
as the case when farming on shares.
The facts which we have here urg-
ed upon the cotton planters are OF The
serious character, as is shown in
their pecuniary condition and in the
appearance of their homes-for a
share croppcr, or tenant, always re-
fuses to assist in approving the place
having no further interest in it, he
thinks, than for the passing yesr ;
while with hierd hands a man keeps
his stock and cribs in his own hands,
directs his own planting, and i'm
proves his place as he sees proper.
These arc only q few of the facts in
volvod, but sufficient to demonstrate
The truth Of all We say, as proven by
the experience of every planter
who has tried either plan.-Rn'aI
Team.