The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-05-16
The Coat Of Cotton Calfsat,y.

An6 COsL o. COtte0 GGktHTGs
One good, active hand can cuIt,re 12
acres In cotton or 26 acres in corn, which
may be Interested or diminished, accord.
ing TO the chaeactef of tlie soil. The
length of time required will be about IL
months for the cotton, and Q months for
hand at SO per month, $500 with IA.
one peck of meal, say $50, feed of the
at S5, would make the whole cost of cul.
tivating IL acfes in cotto.s SI53. If
these IL acres would yield only 400
pounda of seed cettcn ner acre. then .ho
amount made would be $500 In seed, or
/ 800 in lint. 30 the expense of making
1890 of lint will be 1853, which, at S0$
per hundred pounds, would simply cover
the coat. But il the land should mako
1000 pounds, per acre, then the whole
yield would DO 10000 pounds ii seed or
1000 pounds in lint; but aB the one
hend could not pick over half the crop,
the cost of picking the balance, 5000
pounds, would be about $z7, making the
cost 9180, which, ct AZ per hundred, will
cover the amount, $3.50. So it is evident
expenses of making 400 pounds cannot
be uniform as TO tho cost. Tie richer
the lards the greater will be the reduce
ton of the expense, aud the reverse, for
if only 200 pounds had besn made per
acre, then the expenses would have run
up to Sl9, and If the yiold had been
1000 pounds, tho cost would have been
$3.50 per 100 pounds; the cost of the
hired hand and the feed of the mule be.
Ing tho same iii both cases. This plan OF
estimating the cost will hold in making
corn, though less than that of cotton, as
the time of working end gathering the
crop need not be over z months, instead
of II.
From this view of the subject, il ia eyi.
dent there are but few pursuits yielding
euch heavy profits On the capital invested
as well.maneged farm on productive
lands. In the one case, the cotton OF
$93 just covers It's productive cost, leav.
ing nothing TO the owner, whilo in the
other, the 1000 pounds at os will bring
$3.50, leaving o clear profit of $500, which
Is sixteen dollars and half per acre,
Hence, the anSwer "a to the cost cannot
30 correctly made, without taking into
consideration the productiveness Of the
soil, as we'll ss the price of tho hired
labor. The expense Of production 10
rarely ever looked to by planters.
When o farmer, at tie end of the year,
settles his store account, pays his smith
bill, with that of his teacher, doctor and
preacher, which tax ID. generally in the
rear, and If anything Is left from the
duce, that amount is called the profit.
but If it falls short, then he has mnie
nothing. That Is not correct estimc3e
Of results, for the bills have no connec.
tion with the cost of planting, except the
smith bill. q merchant doing business
on capital of 10000, waiting to aacer.
tain the result of the years operation.
takes an inventory Of the unhcld stock,
the amount of available accounts, with
the money on hand, after paying his store
! rent, his clerk hire, interest paid on bor-
rowed money, and other eXpenses incl
dent TO his business, but does not include
the expense of supporting his family,
which might, If extravagant, absorb all
/ the profits, though it might be 80 or 20
! per cent on the capital. There ara
large number of farmers, whose real es-
tate with all the working stock and farm
| ing Implements, cannot be valued at
more than $1,000. yet By their profits re-
allied have raised, clothed and educated
! from to 10 children. which, to do this.
must make profit Of 80 or 90 per cent.
on the cspssal. yE5 xaay w~;iE cay no
are making nothing; cell out, move to
town or some country depot aud play the
merchant, TO their regret and ruin, PROV
Ing the Truth of the satirical saying Of
Horace, that every man praises the cccu-
patton of Others moro than bis own, be-
cause ho realizes the troubles of his own,
but is ignorant of the other,-R L. no.
Do,cel, IN Southern Home.