The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-01-18

THE FUTURE OF COTTON IN THE cARoL1NAs
The cultivation Of cotton in the Carolinas
for several years past has been attended
with little profit. Instances may be cited
where individuals have been successful, but
these Instances arc rare. Generally the
cultivation has been carried on under q
high pressure system by use of expensive
fertilizers aud by perillng the landed and
personal property of the farmer. Too little
attention has been paid to tho permanent
Improvement Of the soil. The natural con.
sequence is that the soil is becoming ex.
hausted by this expensive and hazardous
tlllaSe. A disastrous crop year brings ruin
to thousands of farmers. Credit has be.
come - upsaifsd in farming commnnitioe
that those Warmers who have aecumulated
money, deposit it in banks where the use
of it is enjoyed almost exclusively by mer.
chants. The only way in which farmers
are benefited by the capital of the country
is in supplies advanced by their factors at
high rates of interest. Homcsteads and
personally exemptions have rendered neces.
sary the enactment of laws for the protec-
ton of factors who make advances. The
credit OF the farmer who mortgages his crop
is necessarily confined to his factor. Credit,
even with the protection of crop lien, is
generally hazardous, and the rate of inter-
est charged is necessarily high. We ven.
turc the opinion that nine-tenths of the
farmers are opposed to paying more than 8
per cent. for the loan of money. It's among
this class that usury laws find their sturdicst
defenders, yet farmers unhestatingly con-
tract. debts for supplies at higher rates of
interest than arc paid by any other class OF
people. The farmer, perhaps unwittingly,
pays from 20 to 25 per cent. for credit on
advances made on his crop, while he would
refuse to pay more than 8 per cent for loan
of money.
By our expensive system of cultivating
cotton our farming communities are yearly
depleted of capital which is seeking safe
investment elsewhere. Farmers are in
debt. Judgments, mortgages and crop liens
are hanging threateningly over them. Ia.
stances where individuals have grown sud-
denly rich afford no evidence of general
prosperity. Under the present system cot
ton does not pay. While prices ruled high,
Its cultivation was great success. Moth
ing short Of desperation is it to persist in
any business where experience tells of loss.
Unless We Immediately adopt line of pol.
Icy in this n'aStos, "vUoeuivy -":u-a,i,. .sr.
cultivation of cotton to sections where it
more naturally belongs. If the farmers of
the Carolinas will realize and practice the
necessity Of raising their own supplies, then
we believe cotton culture will be a blessiuc;
otherwise it will continue to be a hazardous
business and fraught with ruin to thousands
Of our. citizens. The cry so frequently
heard Of paying too high for labor is per-
haps true, but the main trouble consists IN
paying too high for credit Labor is as
cheap to-day in the Carolinas as in any por-
tion of the South, while the rate of interest
charged and perhaps necessarily so, is
higher than that paid in any other part of the
world. Unless We cultivate our own bread
stuffs, and adopt better and less expensive
system of tillage, the future Of cotton in
the Caroliuas is not ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Farmer.
:. Asgs