The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-07-27
THE SITUATION.

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a most critical condition. His plantation
out of repair, bis cotton screws and gin
houses eumbling to pieces, his laborcrs rem
dered unmanagcable by the Interference of
the United States military satraps placed
over him, and without farm implements or
horse power to operate with, he was forced
to uso every expedient to raise money to
make beginning. Hence nc gave liens
and mortgages to borrow means ut most ex-
orbitant interest, and made such contracts
| as he could with the s'freedman"-co
| tracts which were one-sided. He provided
the laborcr with rations, paid all the taxes
and Incurred all the risks, without any pow
er to euforce the performance Oh the other
part
With inefficient labor, bad seasous, cat
erpillar, buyips al his provisions at high
prices, costly transportation to and from
market, factors commissions, interest aud
taxes, high prices did not put him ahead
At the close Of tho year he was in debt
deeper than at the beg ginning.
The planter, although he has the reput,-
ton Of being i "crcaker," is always hopeful
After the cotton is disposed of no more
work is done on the plantation by the freed
man. The winter, which used to be the
season for ploughing, repairing and fixing
up for the next year, is spent in loaGng,
trolicking aud depredations. Christmas
week is converted into Christmas months,
and when the season for planting comes
round, everything is done in a hurry, and,
consequently, not we'll done.
The planters, hopeful that cotton will be
higher next Fall, give another lien aud pitch
es In again for "a big cotton crop. The freed
man is avcrse to planting again, he knows
that he will be provided for, and wants only
what he can readily convert into money!
Grocery stores with Western -four, bacon,
and corn, spring up at every railroad sta
tion aud cross-road store. The raising of
stock is abandoned on account of bad fences
and shot guns, and the whole energy of
the farmer is devoted to the production of
cotton.
Since the war another item has entered
the expense account Of no inconsidcrable
mportance-commcrcia fertilizers. The
use of it has come to be so much the fashion
that many farmers believe it is impossible
to grow cotton without it, while some close
and cautious men entertain a different opin-
ion. All agree, however, that it is a very
troublesome item of expense. Every year
has been but 4 repetition Of this order Of
things, and is not strange that the condition
Of the planting interest is worse now than it
was at the cinitiation ofpeacc, "so.ca!lcd." No
planter OF experience will pretend that cotton
can be grown at the present price profitably,
and it IS plain that no country can prosper
under system of agriculture which annual
ly only adds to the cmbarrassmcnts, and
must end in the ruin of the planter. We
must avail ourselves of the teachings Of ex-
pcricnce and chansc.-Jour. Of Commerce.
How FAR WILL GREEvBACK Co.
MIR. Brown kept boarders. Around his
table sat MIR. Brown, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. An
drcws, the village milliner, Mr.. Black, the
baker, Mr.. Jordan, a carpenter, and Mr..
Hadley, a -four, feed and lumber merchant.
Mr.. Brown took out of his pocket book a
ten dollar note and handed tito Mrs Brown,
saying;
"IIcre, my dear, arc ten dollars towards
the twenty promised you"
Mrs. Brown handed it to Mrs Andrews,
the milliner, saying:
"That pays for my new bonnet
Mrs. Andrews said to Mr.. Jordan, as she
handed him the note:
"That will pay you for your work ON my
counter.
Mr.. Jordan handed it to NIr Hadloy, the
flour, feed and lumber merchant, requesting
his lumber bill.
Mr. Hadley gave the note back to Mr.
Brown, saying:
"That pays ten dollars on my board"
Mr.. Brown passed it to his wife, with the
remark that that paid her the twenty dollars
he had promised She in turn paid it to Mr..
Black, to settle hor bread and pastry ac-
count, who handed it to Mr.. Iadloy wish
ing credit for the amonnt on his flour bill
he again returning it to Mr.. Brown, with
the remark, that it settled for that months
board. Whereupon Brown put it back in
to his pocket-book, exclaming, that he
"never thought ten dollar bill would go SO
far"
Thus ten dollar grecnback was made to
pay ninety dollars Indebtedness inside Of
five minutes. Who says grecnbacks are
worthless:
TO HELP A GALA LILY TO BLOOM
BE sure it has good rich soil water with
very warm water, with little ammonia or
bone dust added once in week or two
Every morning pour boiling water in the
saucer of the pot the lily is in, and give it
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