Richland beacon., 1877-03-24
Why are Our Planters not
Prosperous:

Tie cause cannot lie in the soil, for il i an
undeniabe fact that our soil /, unsurpassed
for prodnctivenc>s for almost all varieties Of
produce. and especially cotton, while II l. OF
such texture and formation TO make II the
most easily cultivated Of any land we ever
saw-so much - that We believe a hand
could cultivate one fourth more land here than
in any other country We have ever been III
the soil being Of loose, rich sandy ioam,
which does not sick to the plow or hoe, when
a liu,e damp, aud Of a character 10 be more
productive Of weed, than grass-and every
farmer knows that gras. l. harder 70 contend
with than wecd>-and % productive a to
force the growth Of articles planted 80 rapidly
as to require less stirring during the growing
season; for instance, corn grows off 50 rapidly
that i, never requires more than three plow-
ing. after it has come MP in this country, while
in our sister States il requirs four, and j; is the
same with all other plants produced here,
especially potatoes. Then the faul, cannot
possibly be in tie soil.
1t is useless to speak Of the climate, for
everybody knows that tie faul, cannot be in
that either, for II Is unsurpassed in any country;
a more genial climate no people were ever
blessed with than we ENJOY, except those who
have perpetual spring, perhaps-and We
come very near having that ourselves.
Ii is true that the foundations of this country,
that occur TO greater or less extent every
year, do grea, deal of damage to farms,
mostly in the drowning and starving out Of
this damage overbalance the productiveness
Of the soil and saubriiy of the clmateS Ii
is impossible for us TO answer this question
advisedly and satisfactorily unless we had
made careful estimate of the amount OF
damages and the products OF the soil and
compared them with the products of other
States and the losses aud costs of raising stock
in those States. As to the starving of the
stock that is chargeable alone 10 the improvI>
ucnce OF Tue ONutI, ItOt W NiC SO"iib
because he should provide for feeding his
stock through the overflow, just as our neigh
bors do theirs through the winter months
which last much longer than our overflow
periods; and if they find ii profitable to raise
stock where they have to feed il nearly half
the year, il certainly ought 10 be profitable
for us 10 raise it where we have 20 feed i,
onls a few weeks in the year.
OF course the overflow damages the crops,
by DELAYING the planting and throwing the
growth of the crops into the drought season
but our observation has been, dnring three or
four years Of overflow in this county, that
the crops of the ovethowed districts have
compared very favorably with those OF
countries not subject TO inunt alton. Last
year we had the biggest overflow we have
ever had, followed by long drought, and
vet we made better crops than sections OF
country we visited where 'hey had no over
flows and had good seasons all summer So
the whole fault cannot b. in either the soil
climate or overfows. But we leave our
people to consider the probable main cause or
causes until next week, when we will, per
haps, give our opinions OH the subject