The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-10-06
FARM IRs>.
Southern Agriculture.

Southern Agriculture
From the IEushaHd1,an, E(miEa, y. Y.
\ letter lately received from a
correspondent in the e"''"n r'S''" OF
the S,u,l,-cl"Svs wits this significant
sentence !:
"rhc South must Quit cotton I"
come extent, svusbrttrr labor, or
>'urrt.' -.
Which will it choose: We are
constantly told by S"u'hrl" planters
;!n' the real profit OF raising cotton
j: very slight. that the crop is most
cta~,iu. in its demands, and that It
rv,tr gives the pIantc, independence;
and yet there are all thronSh the cot
ton belt, plartatious on which cot
ton .ai>in. is the chief industry, even
wien the disastrous outcome IS clear
l.: fo,c~cn. If pressed for tie 'r'-
ron why a system IF hn>''a"d'y
should be rnlsucd h"yHn' the ro'"'
where profit ceases, the answer gwen
Nv those engaged in it, is very com
monty the supposed necessity.
ave must depend on uncdnrated
labor. so it is very difficult to change
established prarticrs. The negroes
know how to work in cotton fields
anl do rot cave t" HrtNl'e SKIN III
general Flrmiur. Br~idrs, "" hav'
all the ann;ionrr>, and after All. cot
ton will hrir. money. IN fact it Is
ABOUT she only cr"p which we can
produce that Nill always sell for cash,
no matter what the over production
may bc.'
There is great force in this arSn-
ment, It mnst be ADMITTEDLY: but wlrn
labor will not bring its full reward 1t
Is hardly worth while to adducc ar
gumcnt in it's support. The South
will never cease raising cotton. Ihr
best policy will be that which relras-
es planters from bondage to a system
based on single product. They
must diversity their crops. In the
case of orr correspondent, the d''rm-
ma is not, work or s'arvc- it Is work
and starve-i it cotton mrst continue
TO absorb all enc, gies Even better
labor will hardly give relief, if 1t is
applied to cotton. Would it not be
we'll to make the first provision
against starvation? All lands which
will give fair crops of cotton, ar"
fertile enough to produce oats, or
wheat, or corn, or something else that
will servo as food. The possible
range of useful crops may not he so
great a. at the North where grass is
the fonnlation of all farming. But
there is cr,tan'y greater independ
ence in any system that will shove
the inevitable cotton behind ncccSSa
~ Subsistence.
Better labor is very desirable at
the South, it is true. 1t is at the
Moth. How will our Southern friends
find it7 1t is idle to expect any con
siderable immigration from he North,
at least until times have greatly
changed. The very difficulties OF
which our Southern friends complain
are those which deter northern labor
and northern capital from locating at
the South. Until planters are ind"
pendent enough in the prime ne'"s
sites of life, drawn from their own
soil, to offer the promise of plenty tc
all who may cast their fortunes with
them, there will he little use in be-
seeding immigration. And snch in
dependence is clearly possible. We
have seen at the Sonth Carolina State
Fair as fine wheat raised from Soutl
Carolina soil as any farmer at thu
North would expect from his best
fields. Inquiry about the yield and
the cost of production brought out
the fact that there was at least enough
encouragement to justify attempts t'
produce wheat to meet all the home
demands. Oats, corn and othe'
grains, all of fine quality, were anon!
the exhibits. The show of roots was
superb. But cotton was supreme
although every exhibitor was free tt
say that his crop cost cent or two
pound more than the market price
Will not planters renounce allegiance
to q system which mulchs them ever!
year if not of cash, certainly Of their
labor and the fertility of their soil
Do they prefer bondage to theil
brokers to the independence which
comes of home grown products fol-
their subsistence? There will be
cotton in abundance after sufficient
labor is withdrawn from its prodnc-
ton to make bread; and besides
with such independence cotton woulC
bring better prices. There wonld b,
more sheep and swine, and COWS. AM
more money kept at home, and there
would be a happier people to attrac
immigration instead Of begging it al
now.