Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-02-10
Our Productions.

~ Wo arc AHuepte1 10 COt. ". Wyatb AIKEN 1or
copy of tho report Of the Department Of Agri-
culture for 1879. Though It's statistics are not
literally accurate, they form good souroe Of
information for q comparison between tie value
X Of different products Of the same State and Of
different States. The staple products Of South Ca
rolina are corn, wheat oats potatoes, hay and
cotton, and to these are added In North Carolina
tobacco. In 1879 the aggregate value OF these
crops in South Carolina was the rise Of $685.
100000 and in North Carolina over $84, ,O0O, 900,
the bulk OF which was derived In both States
from corn, wheat, oats and cotton with tobacco
In North Carolina. The corn crop in the two
States s!cca IN proportion Of $1,000, 600 10
$l4,000,000 and cotton as $4,000 900 to
$lO,OOO,O00. The cotton crop Of the other
Southern States approxmated in value as fol-
loves Georgia $26, 900, 900, Florida So OO0, 900,
Alabama $s5, 100000, Mississippi $8s, 1000, 900,
Louisiana $l5,000,000, Texas $4,000, 900,
Arkansas $S2,00O,00o, Tennessee $40, 100000.
The average yield per acre in cotton In these
States varied from 288 pounds in Tennessee to
106 pounds in Florida, the average in South
Carolina being 148 pounds. The price per
pound varied from 10 to IL cents, giving to
South Carolina an average Of about $l5 per
aore for the area planted. The average yield
OF corn per acre in South Carolina was ~
bushels at Is cents per bushel, giving an income
Of less than Sc Fer acre. The average yield
per acre in wheat was about $l2, in rye about
90 and in oats obout $40. The yield per aore
Of those products In other cotton States was on
the average moro valuable than in South Caro-
lima.
Tobacco is not reported as one of the products
n H01,th - l. q
States and several Territories of the United
States. The average yield per acre in these
States ranges from 1900 pounds In Massaohu-
setts to 656 pounds in North Carolina, the
general average being 987 pounds per acre
The price per pound ranges from IL cents tho
highest to 8 cents the lowest, the general average
being 73 cents, giving the general average per
aore In money from tabaooo Of $6S.7l. In
Connecticut every acre Of tobacco planted
averages In value $l6S, and in four other States
the average is about $3.50 per acre, while in
Missouri the average value per acre of the
tobacco Drop is $33.15, being the lowest average
In any Of the States and Territories. In North
Carolina the average price per pound is cents
and the average value Of the crop per acre is
$Ss.92.
These statistics are given with tho view Of
pointing the people of this county to moro
remunerative crop than either corn or cotton.
All desire to make money by farming and TO do
this requires not only skill and industry In
planting and harvesting crops, but sound judg-
ment in selecting products best adapted to our
soil and climate. Now it is seen from these
statistics that while corn averages less than So
per acre and, cotton less than SIG in South
Carolina, and the same products average SO and
$l7 per acre in North Carolina, tobacco averages
in the latter State nearly $50 per acre, while in
some other States 1t far exooeds this amount.
Cannot tobacco be grown profitably in this
county and would 1t not pay better than cotton?
Az all events should not our people devote few
acres to Its growth every year, increasing the
area II found o profitable orop2 We know little
OF the amount Of labor required to plant and
prepare 1t for market, but we hardly think its
production would be more expensive than cotton,
which requires nursing, stimulating and harvest
Ing from January to January.
Tobacco cannot only be grown here. but ex.
perience on small scale shows it con be grown
prohtably. In the early settlement Of this
country 1t was grown for market and some Of
our old citizens can remember when 1t was
rolled in hogsheads from this 6ounty to Hamburg
and other markets. 1t is still grown by many
OF our citizens in patches for home consumption,
and there Is now tendency to increase its
growth and make 1t again marketable product
we believe large portion Of the soil of this
county adapted to 1t and that with ordinary
tillage our rich hi]sides could be made to bring
from 300 to 1900 pounds per acre, worth from
$50 to 500. We believe also in our county it
would pay on rich lands, whether fresh or ma.
nured, better than cotton. We hope to sec the
experiment made and wish the beginning may be
made at once. II must be grown in considerable
quantities or not at all as 1t can only be sold by
the producer to manufacturer or licensed
dealer, without paying o heavy license. It oan,
however, be sold to suoh parties as freely as
corn, wheat or cotton. It may be said there is
no manufacturer or licensed dealer in this
county. Granting this to be true, 1t can be
shipped oAmarket as cotton is and then sold to
suoh parties. But the absence Of licensed
dealer here is due to the fact that no tobacco
Of consequence Is grown here. Make the to.
bacco and you will then zee q market spring
up, for It would be case without q parallel
that an article 80 much used should perish for
want Of purchaser. II thousands Of pounds
Of tobacco wor0 grown In our county the people
would see that o number Of merchants would
at once obtain licenses to buy and ship to manu-
lecturers, and thus we would have not only {,
market for 1t, but active competition, which
would secure the highest prices. Tobacco. like
cotton, would always command cash, and buyers
would be as easily found as buyers Of cotton are
now. For instance, 1t costs but five dollars now,