The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-12-10
THE MORRISTOWN GAZETTE.
sOUTHERN FARM AND HOME.
some Facts About Cotton.

In recent letter Mr.. Edward Akin
son, of Boston, shows by comparison Of
results the enormous economic uperiority
Of free labor over slave labor, in the Cul-
tivation Of the cotton. The cotton crop
OF 1873 and 1879 was the largest ever
raised. The ten crops of 1852 to 1861,
inclusive, being the last crop ever raised
by slave labor, numbered "a, 995, 40
bales. The ten crops of 1870 to 1879,
inclusive, number, being the ten last crops
raised by free labor, numbered Il ,454, 743
bales The excess of the ten years of
free labor amounts to 6,459, 1903 bales
The value of the ten last crops, of which
about two-thirds have been exported
has been not less than g, 500, 600, 900,
and has probably amounted to $3,000,-
600 600. The increase is progressive, the
excess of the five last crops over the five
crops Immediately preceding the war has
been 1882, 415 bales. Il
The world'scrop of cotton is now equal
from ten to twelve million bales
OF the average weight Of American cot
ton, probably the latter Of this guam
titv five million bales are raised in the
United States, and between six and seven
million bales are spun and woven upon
machinery contained in large factories in
Europe and America. The rest is spun
and woven by hand, and there is pr0ba-
bly, larger portion Of the population Of
the globe still iusufficiently clothed in
hand made goods, than are clothed in
those furnished by the factories of Eu-
rope and America combined. The aver
age work of one operative working one
year in Lowell will supply the annual
wants of 1000 fully clothed Chinese or
5000 partly clothed East Indians. No
country in the world, except Egypt, pro-
duces any substantial quantity of cotton
so well adapted to work upon machinery
rs that of the southern states Nearly
One-half the work remains to be con-
quered by cotton and commerce. To the
cotton fields and factories of the United
States viii not the increase surely come
rs commerce slowly but surely opens the
way?
The whole cotton crop of the world
could be raised on q section of Texas
less than One-twelfth of its area or
could be divided between any two of the
other principal cotton states without ex-
hausting one-half of their good lands, or
1t could be all raised on less than one
half the Indian Territory that is not yet
occupied at all.
Touching the cost of raising cotton in
the south, Mr.. Atkinson suggests the
opinion that if the cost of labor be meas
urcd by its effectiveness as well as by the
measure of the money with which it is
paid, there is no place in the world where
so effective an amount Of manual labor
can be procured at so little cost as in the
employment of negroes upon our south
ern cotton-felds. The price of bacon
and corn guages the cost of cotton
Eaten together they are digestible and
nUtritious-eaten separately quite other
wise. They constitute the food that the
negro feld-hand freely chooses. Three
and one-half pounds of bacon, one peck
of meal, and one quart of molasses or
syrup constitute the weeks rations of an |
adult man or woman. This ration has |
been lately and cah now be supplied at |
cost of 50 to y cents per week, or six
cents or less per day. The plat of sweet
potatoes and fish from the ponds and |
rivers serve for the rest.-Scientifc |
American,