The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-02-07
Thoughts for the Month.

From the Southern etdtirator for FeIrunry
In our last, wo began discussion of
Farm Economy" and promised con-
tinuance of IL. No subject ut present de.
mands more earnest attention from South
ern farmers. 1t is not the gross income,
but the net profits. that decides the ques.
ton Of success or failure. A merchant
may sell large amount Of goods, but il
he buys at high prices, sells at small
profits, makes bad debts, pays high rents
and clerk hire, he il pretty sure To fail.
And so farmer may make very large.
crops and yet clear no money, because
they may cost mLre than thoy sell for.
Few of our farmers keep regular ac-
counts of receipts and expenditures, and
those who do not, fail TO sec clearly at
the end Of the year the matter of loas or
gain; but nearly every one in series of
years finds out whether he is any nearer
getting out of debt, or whether he is in.
creasing his property or not. We are
compelled to believe that, as general
rule, our farmers have cleared little
money since the war; Even the appa-
Eently large crops they have made, rs In
ferred from the size Of the cotton crop
compared with ahte.bellGm times, is-de.
ceptiye, because whilst moro cotton has
been made, that Is more than offset by
tho fact that SO much less corn, wheat
and other food crops have been produced.
Almost our entire farming energy has
been expended upon cotton-hence tho
arragent large crops
The South has not prospered since the
war. Why 20? IL It because of excl;i-
sive Gotten raisinga 10 it because her
smokeshouses aud corn-criJc have been
In tue Weat? New England and Old
England have had ther grannries very
largely away from home, afid yet have
thriveH. What IL tho secret of our fall
ure? We apprehend that they are more
than one:
1st. Speculative farming, Immediately
after the war--spending money lavishly
on extended cotton crops, biindly eS-
pecting large yields and high prices,
which were seldom realized. The inabil-
ity to obtain credit Of late years, has
pretty we'll stopped this, but the debts
tness-esEd: IS Il, sslli hang like an incubus
about Southern. farmers necks. Could
these debts DO discharged, we believe tho
road to prosperity would now be open.
I'd: Connected with tho frst, and
greatly increased by 1t, /. he fact of tho
steady, and CT late sudden. sLE:akaSu OF
values--a thing which always proves dis
astrnna 20 nepple in dah.. Hovs.eF
much property may depreciate, debt
never Bhrinks; with interest edded on,
year after year, 1t grows with accelerated
velocity.
Sd. The prejudicial effects upon sound
farm economy'of almost exclusive cotton
culture. These arc: let. Employment
Of too much labor. Cd. Snbjecting the
laborer 70 the high rates exacted by the
merchant for supplies, and thus render
ing labor doarer. Sd. An almost COM
plete abandonment of proper rotation of
crops.
1a. Employment of too much labor.
Cotton Is pre-eminently q labor-requiring
crop-not only continuous labor through.
out the whole year, but much more to
the area cultivated than. most other
cfops-from two to three times Che
amount required by corn, and very many
times that demanded by small grain and
grasses. With extended cotton culture
the demand for labor was great, wages
went rP, ald independence on the part
of the laborer ran high, but efficiency
went down. The labdFer instead of the
land-holder became master Of the situa-
tion. Hence, e1tyayagsnt rates were
paid for labor, sh6 with large amount
employed on Q cotton crop, the loss was
correspondingly increased. Our frat point
then 10, that che cotton crop should ho
reduced to the smallest proportions coin i.
patibie with its legitimate function, as a
money orsuTplus crop.
I'd. Failure 60 raise provisions sufFi- |
Client for the farm and the laborers on it,
threw the latter upon the merchants, who
exacted from him high ratea. Dear liv.
ing drove tho lshoreF to high wages, or
rendered him dissatisfied With low-in |
ether words, demoralized the laborer. |
The true policy Of tho farmer ie to take !
charge Of the negro, whc Is incapable Of /
taking care OF hiInaelf, aud reduce the |
cost'of .his living to- tho lowest rate. He |
viii thereby undoubtedly eecure cheaper
labor. If preferred, let IL take Che !
shape Of bis hands working provision
crop anficient for themselves outside of |
ms own crop. hu5 updCz the same regu- /
lations, and charge them reasonable rent |
Of land, teoms and tools. In no other
way can they, be so cheaply supplied
With provisions.
3D.: In no country Is there SO marked
=siis ss5onv0 "a 5yst0uiatiU rutsiion OF j
OaQEto % Az tAkO NOttth DtStSo. anu NO. |
where could its absence produce moro
reaulte, because clean and pro-
sraeted summer culture not only destroys |
the stock OF humus. in the coil, hut rem.
ders It so terribly sSisceptive 70 washing |
away by rain. These two disadvantage |
arc SO to speak, peculiar to the cotton |
crop, and are slperadded to those which |
In a. countries era. found to attach 10 |
the continuous cnltiyatien of che Same
crop Ytssf af16T 116T year on the same land. |
5YA afmnlv sail alhantsa.i &C. 49, sss ;,1,s
10 iiscrBs now, thia groat subject |
os rotation OF crops. Saffice it to say,
TINT in eli countries Ehera advanced hns- |
baudry prevails, il is regarded rs g pat-
Tor of tho very ftrat Importance,
ReyeEting now to the questions asked |
Ia our last: Whist to rsise 2 what to sell Z |
iYSazf N h,st, MA. ersa.sz s.-f--. z-.sA
provisions needed By l,a ss.s,1iiys & she |
sefsnnt % and the stoGk, and in this way
ladpcg 30 d minifnuEn what has 4 ba
spilghE. 'hse particular provision crops
lssi ieis eath sifouid eillsieas g fnnss be de-
by toll and tilmates The more
TAsiel Ehey Ess, the less likelihood
81: :fsiInfe.
Sell the sarpilis cs slie provision crops,
IS much pract fcs,h rtl IL has been
sonSegsed into iaeae oa butter, or like
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