The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-09-08
THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER


apprega wealth Of the South since the
close ofthe war, While it Is only here and
there that large fortunes, made by plant
inc. have accumulated in individual hands,
vet the general production Of the Southern
States has beengreatly increased, and there
has been widespread distribution OF
small profits in the hands Of land owners,
tenants and labOrers
Much remains, however, to be done be-
fore the South can attain that thrifty con
dition Of which she is capable, or that con
ditiOn already attained by agriculturists in
the North and West She has an easy
going climate and an easy going population,
and while much Of her soil is worn out or
in avery slovenly condition, yet she has
immense agricultural resources ready to be
utilized to lar greater advantage in the fu'
tlrc than in the past,
The South has not yet extrlcated herself
from the old slip.shod methods Of planting
belonging to the days Of slavery, and
tn lusunds Of planters are victims to those
cumbersome and expensive methods, This
fact is well shown in the report OF Prof Z,
W, Hilgard on cotton production in Louis
lana, Just issued by the census office at
W shington. It seems by the report OF
the Professor that the State OF Louisiana
has IN area OF 45, 400 square miles, OF which
9,5O7, 1885 acres are under cultivation. More
thaa hall OF the State is OF post.teFtiary or
recent origin. The soil Of very large
portion OF the State possesses inexhaustible
fertility, and during the year 1879 the cot
ton production was the largest per acre in
the cotton States. The total acreage plant
ed in this crop was sG4,7s7 acres, and the
total production 5OS,5G9 bales, or bale OF
cotton to nearly one and three'quarter
acres Of land.
In the ulluvial region north Of Red river,
in 1870, the average production Of lint cot
ton per acre was 37S pounds and south Of
Red river $3.50 pounds. In the tide water
parishes the average production OF lint cot
ton per acre was lO7 pounds, In the Bluff
region the average production was 90
pounds, in the Attakapas region 2ls pounds
in the Long.leaf Pine region 1888 pounds, In
the Oak Uplands 2ls pounds, or for the
State ut large the average production per
are Of lint cotton was 279 pounds or O'5t
bales per acre.
Tue figures given by Prof. Ililgard show
discrepancy between the capabilities o
tho soils Of the several regions ms reported
b. the inhabitants, and their nCtual pro
d iction as resulting from Il comparison o
the acreage with the number Of bales re
ported. This is accounted for in severn
ways--unfavoabl seasons, accidents from
insec.s, diseases, overflow, &c, and imper
fec. til.a!e and culture. A wide margin oI
the damage to the crop Of 1870 is attributed
TO i'm erect culture. 1.-THE shallow tillagt
ald the rarity Of fall.ploughlng, says Prof
Hllgard, "both tending to Rggrayate the
washing away OF the soil by the wintel
rains, are conspicuous among the proba
Bile factors, 80 fur as tillage is concerned
As regards the general system Of culture,
the failure to rotate crops sufficiently, the
imperfect return even OF thcCotton seed tC
tie soil, and the rarity Of any effort tC
maintain its original productlveness by the
other means known to advanced agricul'
ture, are patent"
One Of the most interesting features Of
this report Is the collection Of facts in ref
erence to the cost Of getting the crop to
market. The answer from twcnty.one par
ishes to the question what is the total
amount OF charges against the farmer pei
pound or bale2" show that II takes from
one.tenth to one.eighth the value Of bale
oi cotton to pay the charges on it after II
leaves the plantation. There Is first stor
age charge at the point from which the
cotton is shipped of 25 to so cents bale; q
shipping charge Of % cents; Il freight charge
OF IS cents TO g n bale to New Orleans; in
surance one.half to fve.eights per cent
commissions for selling p per cent ant
sometimes other charges for brokerage
draying and handling. The total Of thes'
charges varies from s. so to 50 bale
and this does not include the loss by sam
ping, nor the heavy interest charges 70
money advanced to the planter on hi
Z crop.
A very large proportion Of the cottol
crop in Louisiana, us in the other cottoi
States, is raised on rented lands by coloreC
labor II is hard to imagine what roon
there can be for profit to the small iarme
who, in addition to the heavy charges o
handling his heavy crop after Il Is read!
for market, pays as rent, on the average
ut least one half Of the taxable value o
the land he cutlvates and II
many cases even more than It woult
sell for at public outcry. No other crol
could stand such drain upon It's profits
and there is no help for the cotton planters
and especially the small farmers, that w
can see, but In more diligent labor ant
the more careful husbandry Of their small
earnings until they can stand alone with
out the help Of iniddlemen and raise thei
crops Upon soil to which they have full
titles. AS the ST. Louis Republican says
unlike the wheat crop the cottor
crop is mortgnged before It Is raised, ant
all nortgaged property is forced to pay ex
csssiVe rates for every service rendered It
1.-THE Southern planters could once max,
themselves independent by getting to tn,
point Of raising crop without claim Tip
on It, and belonging wholly 10 themselves
they would save one.half the charges nov
nSarled on their crop-A RlYinp Mhirl