The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-04-29
Diversified Farming.

|
labor is question which farmers would 90
we'll to study. The subject attracts newspaper
discussion every year, but we tear that tne
planters do not give it that attention which Its
;mnortance deserves. Some of the Virginia
papers are appealing to the agrlculturlsts OF
that section so to diversity their crops that in
no case can they be left without suficiency
of food for their own support, even II they
have no profits. The Petersburg and Rich
mond newspapers are strongly advocating this
rule, and, it is to be hoped, with good pros
pect of success. There are some portions OF
Virginia in which tobacco is practically the
single crop, and if it fails to yield largely the
consequences are disastrous. The Gulf States,
in case of any accident to the cotton crop, hno
themselves in like predicament The New
Orleans Picayune advises the planters OF Loul-
siana to diversity their crops. In three years
the cotton crop of the South has yielded H.
$50 600 bales, with an estimated value OF
$3.50 100000. The total value of the crops for
the three years preceding the war was s534,
OOo,OOO. Yet, notwithstanding this large IN
crease, it is apparent to every one that the
Cotton States are getting deeper and deeper
into debt every year. AS a partial remedy, we
suggest the diversifcation of the crops, so that
| the planter may have more for his personal
support and for that of his employees, and less
need for expenditure on this account 1tseems
scarcely credible that with an average annual
return of 1924, 100000 from cotton, the South
ern States should be in such deplorable con-
dition, but it appears to be true. All that they
can make seems to be turned into ashes by
official plunder and misgovernment, and conse'
quent disorgauization of labor. At the same
time, some of the Southern States are not bur-
dened with even the effects of reconstruction,
and have long since escaped from the rule OF
plunderers. But these are not prosperlng as
they ought to- be, for the reason that the cotton
| mania is rooted and grounded in the minds OF
planters
All will admit that no community can pros
per which depends on only one crop, and yet
their practice is exactly to the contrary. Line
upon line, and precept upon precept, has not
changed their practices or altered their ruinous
policy. Every year the planting OF cotton
eugrosses more and more of their time ana
substance, and farmers are ready to resent the
interference of newspapers with their suicidal
course, although gh 80 many freely admit that the
actual results are correctly stated.
We trusted that the Oranges would tend to
apply the remedy by convincing the farmer
with comparisons between the different meth
dds, and serve to enlighten the understandings
of such as are not given to close calculation OF
results. This organization will never fulfill its
mission until its members thoroughly under
stand and act upon the safest principles OF their
vocation, by investigating what is true and
genuine economy in planting crops, without
reference to the actual money received therefor,
bus with an eye to the permanent improvement
of their farms and the aggregate prosperity OF
the community. The inducements offered to
Oranges, we fear, has stimulated the cultivation
of cotton this year by large increase in the
use of fertilizers, and should disaster ensue to
the coming crop, we are confident that many
farmers will be poorer than ever at the close of
the season.
1t may be true that some portions OF the
South will not justify 8 diversity of crops, but
this does not apply to the region for which we
are writing, where the climate and soil are
adapted to the growth of everything necessary
for the sustenance of man and beast. Our
farmers have every inducement and encourage
ment to employ their energies in building up
system of farming which will insure gradual
and permanent prosperity, for there are numer-
GUS examples before them where men have
succeeded best in raising their own supplies
and much larger number Of lamentable fail
ures in seeking to become suddenly rich by
blind infatuation and devotion to exclusive
cotton culture The facts are numerous and
we'll attested in every neighborhocd. Looking
away from home, We find that this diversity OF
agricultural interests is one of the secrets OF
prosperity in the Middle and Northern States,
and there is no good and sufficient reason to
suspect its advantages here.
All classes are deeply interested in this mat
ter, and the non-producers are more vitality
concerned than the agricultural population, for
the welfare and success of all depends upon
sound and reliable condition of things among
the farmers, who are the basis of every pros
perity. Hence, We look with much concern
upon the present state of affairs, fully believing
that unless q radical change is effected the
entire population of the South is doomed to
become even poorer than when the days of our
oppression begun.
I @F The Columbia Union Herald states that
the discovery of overlooked vouchers in the
treasury vaults materially reduces the amount
of coupons alleged to have been fraudulently