Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-04-24
LETTER FROM ST. LOUIS.

Never failure for want of plants"
This is the expression of a majority of
the oldest tobacco men of the country.
We admit the truth of the assertion,
but it does not necessarily follow that
there never will be failure for want
of plants. Men. seasons and nations
are liable to change. There were but
few plant beds sown in this State be-
fore the 9th of March, which is much
too late to make anything like sure
calculation for crop.
On the nights of the 10th and 18th
of this month we had hard freezes, the
ground being sufficiently frozen to bear
an ordinary loaded wagon. The seed
that has been sown, or at least the
larger portion is now in the sprouted
state, time at which they are more
easily killed than any other, which
forces us to the conclusion, that the
old adage, never failure for want of
plants" though true, is not an infalli-
BILE argument that there never will be
a failure for want of plants. There are
other contingencies upon which a very
large crop depends, as we'll as the fail
ure of plants, and when we consider
all the facts as they exist, we are forced
to the conclusion, that the prospect
for an average crop, much less large
crop, is by no means fattering, with
the most favorable weather
In the first place, there were but
fe%beds burned in this State before
the 9th of March, owing to the con-
tinued hard freezing weather. Ten
nessee, Kentucky and Virginia may
have burned earlier, but information
from these States is that they are also
late.
Let US leave the time of burning en-
tirely out of the question, and face the
facts as they now exist. The 10Th of
April is the season of the year when
plants are generally of sufficient size to
show all over the beds. None up in
the State, with few exceptions, and
those that are up have been seriously
damaged, if not entirely killed by the
unprecedented cold weather, within
the last few days, and if they are in
the sprouted state, they are in a still
worse condition.
We have information from Southern
Kentucky of the ravages Sf the fly, but
the fly is an old song, and : fly reports
will not be believed. The flies are al
ways worse on late sowing;+and do more
damage in cold, dry weather than any
other. One reason for this is, when
the weather is dry a6d celd, and the
plants are small, the flies generally eat
them up in a few days.
But should we have pants in the
greatest abundance, the farmers are SO
backward with business it will be inf-
possible for them to plant large crop.
We can't believe farmers will be so
blind to their interest as to neglect
corn and hogs at present prices and de-
vote their energies to t66acco. The
price of the weed at present is not SUI
ficiently high to draw farmers off from
the production of corn and hogs, at
their present range of prices, hogs at
6 to &c. gross at the pens, and corn at
75c. b 81 90 per bnshel, are more
profitable to farmers than tobacco, even
at present prices.
The feverish excitement, produced
last fall by high price of tobacco, has
been greatly abated by the decline in
prices. All things considered, l will
venture the assertion, without the fear
of successful contradiction, that We
will not have produced this season an
average crop of tobacco.
We must consider facts as they ex-
list, and where there are SO many con-
tingences upon which crop depends,
we are forced to the conclusion that,
the best Interests of the people at
large are not ENHANCED by believing
reports in regard 10 cotton and tobacco
crops, manufactured by rings for the
sole purpose of passing outof the hands
Of the producer, the products of their
hard earnings at unremunerative pri-
ces. We would suggest to the planter,
first to plant sufficiently of the neces-
saries of life to ensure an abundant
supply for independence Of consump-
ton, and then as much of cotton and
tobacco as they can cultivate, and then
if rings are formed and false reports as
to receipts, stock and prospects, are
published and heralded to the world,
lay it aside. and when you can obtain
a remuneratiye price, put it on the
market 1t is to be hoped the Patrons
of Husbandry will inculcate this doe
trine until the growers of cotton and