The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-10-19
N,11xx Ty11aT-.

gone NSever! THeee three months IN
par teast, bei0ng TO the year 1877. .s
! Tue anazAas already arrived when every
Yf9 aes F4se begin to make his arrange
nents for next year. Plans must be laid
and means for putting these plans into
execution must be provided. IN view of
ali the facts in the case, il becomes every
Souther. farmer to consider seriously
whether or not it is his duty TO make
some change in the mode Of agricultural
operations heretofore practiced in tie
cotton portion of the South II is USE
less To repeat that too much attention has
been devoted to producing cotton and too
little % Faiaing provisions. There is not
iaruses IN the cSuntry who llas not been
adyoS&ting this doctrine for years Still,
but little change has been ma 10 in the
| practice of farmers generally. II is USE
less to say that it is the capability OF
Southern soil TO produce cotton that gives
the .Iolth its natural advantage over
many sections of the Union, and Il is the
cotton Of the South that gives the South
ern people power. No more suicidal
policy could be adopted by tho South
than TO abandon the cultivation Of cotton.
The South, to be prosperous, must raise
| cotton; but to raise cotton and nothing
else iB TO take the control Of the cotton
crop out Of the hands of the producer
and put it wholly into the hands of
! speculators.
The true theory respecting the culfiva-
ton Of cotton, is TO make the cotton a
money crop and nothing else. In other
words, cotton should be Produced for the
sole purpose Of procuring money with
which TO purchase those things which
cannot, on account of soil and climate.
be produced in the South, Or which, on
account of deficiency in natural facili-
tics, ceh not be manufactured in the
South.
The present is the proper season Of the
year to make arrangements for such
change. To effect such u change in the
| agricultural system Of the South, a
change must be made in the extent of
Southern agricultural operations. Large
farms, 1t seems to us. must be divided
into number of small ones. Such q
Change would encourage individual en-
terprise and iniusc energy into greater
would give the laborer tho alternative 20
either starve or work. Now he depends
upon the land -holdcr, and seems perfect
4 Iy satisfied, provided he gets soincthine
4 TO eat, and Is absolutely Indifferent
whether he makes anything or not.
l. some change, 1t seems to us, is, de,
l,maaded. Ehe harden OF the iabofing
1 ass falls upon The land-holders, as ful.y
% II the laborer were an irrational brute.
lie has no reliance upon himself and
worse than all, he has no self-respcct
Both these things arc wanting, to q
iaraentable degree, by large portion OF
tho laboring class Of tho South. The
circumstances by which they, are sur.
rounded, and the manner in which tbey
have hitherto been dealt with, have n
tendency to perpetuate this state Of
things.
| The change which the country de.
ma1ds, in order TO be prosperous, cannot
be made In day nor even in yeaf. It
has, however, to be commenced some
time, and the present is as ft tune as
any other. The change may be inaug,i-
rated by sowing large crops of small
grain In the fail. 1t will too late to talk
about planting less cotton next spring,
If no more nttentiar tthan usual Is de-
voted to small grain. When spring
comes it will be cotton or nothing. If
the Southern country could only be pre-.
vailed Upon - produce it's own supplies,
one half of the average cotton crop would
soon MAKO the Southern people rich.
II is not wise to complain before we
are hurt; but the indicqtiohs arc that
| 1877 will be very similar TO 1876 We
have nothing to warrant us in concluding
that money will be any plentier or that
| provisions will be plenticr. Prn7ident
farmers vii! begin ia time to meet any
emergency that may arise When mer-
chants see crisis abroad, they avoid in
creasing their stock of goods and dismiso
their clerks. When manufacturers find
the market glutted, they .cuftail their
/ Vpefa.i lions and diamiss numbers of their
hands: From this farmers may learn
useful lesson. Circumstances alter caaes
and every wise man, when he cannot
control the7clrcuinslaHces by which he il
surrounded, sadaptS BIS Affairs. 30 far as
he can, to the circumstances by which he
| is environed.
Unusually, it requires moro muscle
hthphI tfain 20 fam; but ct present the re-
yerse'is strictly true.i To farm success
fully in the South, at present, requires
an amount AMI 3 diversity Of talents
which nature be- .ows on few men. A
Southern farmer, besides having q
knpwledge Of the cultivation of the soil.
! must be q dealer in corn, bacon and
mnlasaess. In one word, keeper of in
Vulnerable small accounts. A Southern
farm il aikipd Of retail shop. The owner
of o Southern farfn has to lie on the con-
tinual look out lest he dribble out the
whole income Of his farm, and receive his
pay in chips and whetstones.
Such Q state Of things should, if possi-
BILE, be fenitdied:s We see no way by
which change can be effected, but by
inaugurating a;cnurse which will compel
every tiller Of tho soil ta receive his sup
plies out Of his own corntcrib and smoke
hn,raAi t3yR l1r-tf ouf ,iii1 titf2 sffH
..-. aidt 10 hapui5 nQl -