The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-12-13
CONDUCTED By S. II. STAoKHoOSE'
..DIyERsIFY YOUR INDUSTRIES
This is a haclxneyed subject, but it is

of such great importance 10 tne peop'e'
that it will bear repetition. The policy
of cultivating one product alone, Is
ruinous one, and will finally destroy
the prosperity of any country Inc
Southern people have found TINS out
from sad experience, cultivating all
cotton and nothing else has been so
detrimental that we are glad TO see
farmers, changing to some extent, the
old regime which was practiced SO eH-
clusively at the close of the war ana
are now devoting more of their atteh-
ton to the raising of fruits, Vegetaple'
oorn oats. POTATOES and manufacturing
their own molasses, and with DIVERSE
tv of these products the country Is re-
suming prosperous and healthy con-
dition.
Soon after the war, when cotton was
selling at 80 and 40 cents, farmers
became involved, while now, with cot
+on ot ten and eleven cents, the whole
country is getting free from incumoran-
ces and paying some of their Old deots'
contracted when cotton was selling for
much better prices.
Whatever is raised at home saves
that much indebtedness, and what cot
ion is made will sell for better prices
as the quantity of an article, generally
controls the price. What applies to
cotton, is applicable to all products
If it had not been for disastrous crops
in Europe, the large crop of wheat and
corn of the West, would have hardly
paid the producer for cutivating them.
If the demand for cotton had not IN
creased, the staple would have been
worth very little compared with present
prices, and consequently the farmer
would not have been able to meet cur
rent expenses.
The same rule will apply to the cul-
ture of fruits and vegetables; it won't
do to depend on small fruits alone, they
NAV fail, while if they are intermiXed
with peaches, apples, pears, grapes ana
other fruits, it is not likely that al
these fruits will fail the same year
So the same rule will apply to vegeta
bles and to the staple products.
Portions of La, depend alone or
their sugar crop for livelihood, bu
the revolution which is being produced
in the manufacture of the best sugars
from sorghum cane, must force the PEG
pie of that State to diversity their i'll
dustries, or seek market for thel
sugar abroad, or be satisfied with hardl.
remunerative prices at home.
The whole North is aroused to tn
new idea of producing their own sugar
To show what is being done, there wa
recently shipped from Crystal Lake
ILL.,, q carload of sugar made fror
amber cane, which with previous ship
ment has made twenty tons from on
little town. Stimulated by this success
if is estimated that 10000 ceres of ambe
cane alone, will be planted aroun
CRYSTAL Lake another year. Hundred
of other towns will immitate this iii
tie town of Illinois and consequent
as the production is increased, tn
price must decrease.
DR.. Collyer, chemist at the Depar
ment of Agriculture at Washington
says if Congress will give him ten acrt
of ground to experiment on next sea
son, that he will return twenty tons
raw sugar, or two tons to the acr
equal to Louisiana sugar both in yiel
and quality. He says that the cor
crop of Illinois in now worth S75,OOC
600, but by planting one-tenth in so
ghum she can raise $109,0OO,OOO wort
of sugar.
In case Illinois takes the sugar int
est away from Louisiana, the only hol
is to plant her rich sugar lands in co
ton and corn, and raise only enoug
sugar for home consumption.
The great advantage which accru
from a diversity of products is that Il
supply cannot always supersede the q
mand. If Louisiana finds out sHg
won'tpay owing to the increasing qua
tity-why she can raise corn in Il
place of the acreage Illinois deVot
to sorghum, and so it is with all Il
productions-supplY and demand a
regul ated by certain rules of polite
economy undertaking as those in mat
ematics.
Chalmers in his political ecOnon
says: "If there is an excessive quaint
of cotton goods in market, they /
come immediately cheap, and pu
chase less than they otherwise won
of all other commodities" He al
says "if the food of a country is abe
of its population, there is no dang
of such glut extendency to all col
mOdities as shall produce general d
tress among laborers."
The great desideratum then is to SD
ply food for the people, then diversi
with other staple products and t
NtutllIA - uGSllutA w bS AANiS r
porous.
There is no country on the 60
which has such a capacity for diver
flying the products of the soil as
South. We have such magnitice
climate such varied soils, such fertili
of resources, that we think the go
Creator furnished all these produ
that we might make use of them. "A
the way to make use of it is TO plant
diversity of products, and the count
upon which nature has 50 lavishly |
slowed 50 many gifts will move {
ward to greater prosperity and veal
Those who are going into the vet
table business, should plough and p
pare their ground for early peas, no
and also, the manure should be put
it. As we have said before, McLea