The daily gazette., 1881-07-13
eOuthern Agrfeulturs.

l 19As
Two years ago, In 1879, it was Ssti-
mated tho cotton planters investmen,
would yield him 4 per cent.--quite q
pretty profit for agricultural iabors.
! but the profit was too pretty to last for
the crop has, 90 increased on the
strength Of II that, with 6.6OOiOO0
bales poured upon the market In 4
single year, 1t, is estimated that the
4 per cent. would fall to 41sp6r cent.
or even less. But the ali-cotton rjlan
II to be considered not only from the
standpoint Of profit, but from that of
loss. Tho entire devotion of the
planter,s estate to the cultivation of
cotton necessarily excludes the rSis.
ing Of anything else, and iusf AZ ne.
s:sarily includes the purchase Of pro-
visions and other necessary articles
from the people, and in the place
where they may be had. The result
II that whom he has sent his cotton!to
Market paid his bills and made his
necessary purchases. he finds himself
just 0 little worse of than he was the
year before. Snch . system must
necessarily end In bankruptcy II per
sisted In, and while Of course the all
cotton plan has been by no means
universally adopted In the South. the
ststistios shoW that It has spread sufiS-
ciently to work serious injury to that
section. Thus 1t appears that ssin sll
the cotton States together there is an
excess Of consumption ever production
in wheat Or a., e62, 244 bushels, in corn
of 1d6. .o64, ,270 bushels.s In 6ats If 77-
~, ,106 bushels, and in hsy Of AO11,l
100 tons. For the 288, ,69S, ,682 bushL.
els OF grain and the SOL, 100 tons Of
hay which they buy of the North
every year these States pay $3.50, ,OOO,-
V00. The prices PAID ara unreasonable
high-e2O barrel for mess pork, 75
cents bushel for corn, 90 cents for |
oats, $50 ton for hay. These are The
figures gwen - saah rates 10 dealers.
70 which rs per cent. must be added |
70 got ut the ActuA1 cost of, these sup
plies to the planters and laborers, The
exchange Of cotton at 8 cents 4 pound |
against these Northern oommodities atl|
way Of fmskinS money. No vonSsrE %
that istslligsnt mon Ike Presfdent /
Aoroheed raise tho voice of warning !
against an agricultural system whioh |
must eventually ruin all who adhere
70 1t. 30 far, II we are to Judge by
me yearly increase In the cotton crop,
his earnest protests have had but little
sfteot but it 10 only reasonable TO |
!uppose that the facts, which he has
brought out with 90 much force and
which must bs bitterly familiar to
'ome Of his auditors, will in the
course Of time bear practical fruit.
The south can raise its own meat and
bread quite a. cheaply a. It can buy
hem from the Wese or North. With
t. genial climate snd fertile soil It IA
" agricultural anomaly that Il should
,ase to obtain corn and wheat from
oretgn marksts, and with Its millions |
4 acres OF pasturage and forest II
hould count its stock farms by the
housand and b. sbls to supply its
'lasters and farmers with all klnds Of
nsats. Such b System would Be
'asedI on oommon-senss principles and |
night be happily supplemented BY
rational culture Of cotton, which
nder these circumstances would nav | /
Ar better than the monster crops
'hich make great figures on paper,
mt leave few dollars In the planters'
'ookets at the end Of the year.