Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-06-03
tOriginal.]
COTTON.

first played, if our memory serves US correct
ly, by British band during the Revolution
ary war. 1t is still sung, whistled, 6ddled,
piped and played by every boy and man Of
all colors, character and condition on the con-
tinent of America. 1t never wears out. just
so it is with cotton. For more than one hun
dred years, men have been thinking, talking
and writing about cotton. Some call it a
king, whilst others abuse it as the most de-
graded of all slaves. Some proudly boast
that cotton places the sunny South on lofty
eminence, from which she is enabled to look
down upon all the world. Cotton, say they,
makes the South loved, reverenced, honored,
and feared by all the sisterhood. On the
other hand, there are those who as boldly as
sert that cotton ruins the South-makes it
poor and dependent, and for this reason, if
for nothing else, it should be promptly ex-
cuded from the list of the agricultural pro-
ducts of the South.
No doubt, with regard to the merits and
demerits of cotton as an agricultural produc-
ton, there are extreme views. Cotton is
neither the best nor the worst thing that men
are accustomed to cultivate for the purpose of
making money and wealth. There is a mid
way point which is the tenable ground. The
difficulty is to find that point, or rather to
take a stand upon it when found. Some men
will advocate the no.cotton theory, whilst
others will advocate the all cotton theory.
Both are extremists. To cultivate all cotton
would most assuredly bring the South in a
state Of hopeless beggary in very short time.
On the other hand, it would be suicidal policy
for our southern farmers to plant no cotton
at ALL In either case the laws of nature
would be recklessly violated. The world
cannot do without cotton. Cotton can be
produced in no country to as great advantage
as in the cotton belt of the South. So long
however, as the nations of the earth will live
in peace, and the channels of commerce and
trade are kept open, the price of cotton must
be controlled by the quantity produced and
the amount consumed. The amount con
sumed will not vary much for a number o.
years. Hence, we may safely conclude thai
the price of cotton will gradually 60 down
if the present amount continues to be pro
duced On either hand, since men and do
mestic animals are obliged to eat, the price o.
food must continue to be high in the South
so long as the supply is limited.
hoh &c hot Southern
pie will continue for years to come to make
the cultivation ofcotton the main crop. The
majority of farmers will persist in cultivating
cotton to the almost entire exclusion Of every
other crop, no matter what theories may be
advanced and demonstrated to be correct
This being the case, it seems that the true
policy of the South is not to aim at the re-
duction of the amount of cotton produced
but to produce the same amount Of cotton
that is at present produced on smaller
amount ofland. At present, in South Caro-
lima, about four hundred pounds of seed
cotton is produced to the acre. On an aver
age, perhaps, this amount is greater than i:
realized At this rate, it takes about foul
acres to make bale of cotton. 1t has beer
demonstrated hundreds oftimes that bale o.
cotton can be produced on one acre. Now
if every acre of land that is planted in cotton
will be so enriched that it will produce bale
of cotton, the expense of making the cotton
crop will be reduced more than one half
This would be clear gain; for the labor ex
pended in enriching the land, would be ar
investment in real estate. The labor expend
ed in cultiyatiDg the other three acres coulc
be employed in renovating the old WORKOUT
lands of the country. 1t is admitted, that il
requires more labor to cultivate rich and pro
ductive land than it does to cultivate lane
that will produce neither corn, cotton mol
grass to advantage; but the difference is no
so great as might at first sight appear. Tht
same amount of preparation and cultivation
is requisite for both. The difference is, OF
the rich land grass and weeds will grow, anc
must be killed. On the other they will no
grow.
| SWEET POTATOES vines commence
running you may clip them off, cut them il
pieces about foot long, and put half the
length in the ground, and they will make as
good potatoes as the slips. This may be done
as late as the middle of July. You may plant
the potato in March, draw and plant the slips
in April and May, and then cut the vines in
June, and raise good crop from them all
Keep on planting sweet potatoes they don'!
interfere much with any other crop, and will
take the place of corn for feeding all kinds