The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-09-21
CSrn N. Cott0n-Farmlng VI. Cotton.
planting.

~. Il. Moore, In Southern Farmers
Monthly.l
haveYfor some time been making
comparisons between the profits of
farming and cotton-planting, and / will
give my ideas to your readers, hoping
that they may look this thing squarely
in he face, and may induce some Of them
to change from all cotton to at least
mixed farming and planting. For years
the South has been told that it IL suicid-
al to plant cotton to purchase corn,
meat, mules, horses and other things
needed by the planter, but all to no use ;
for each year the idea has been enter
tanned by every one that every one else,
save himself, would quit raising cotton
and that the price would be large and
he would get rich, and last year the
price was remunerative, and all went in
for the last acre that could be cultiva-
ted, and ruin followed. And, 30 far as
the general prosperity of the country is
concerned, it makes no difference wheth-
er the price of cotton is eight cents or
twenty cents. AS every dollar goes up
North TO pay for what we buy. This
course will bring ruin and poverty as
sure as time runs.
The sun does not shine upon a land,
nor never will, that became prosper
GUS country that depended entirely on
the pillow and the hoe to make money
Farming, even at best, pays but poor
wages, and the fact that the farmer
raises some stock and his own food is
his only chance for making money. In
making the comparison between corn
and cotton, shall take the river bot
tom of the Mississippi valley, and sup
pose the comparison will hold good in
other sections, and will take low mid
ding cotton as a sample, rs that il the
quality we make. A good crop for a
good man that will put in his time well
is eight bales, or 1000 pounds, lint cot
ton (the average is less than 5000, but
will take the largest crop. Low mid
ding is worth now in New Orleans nine
and one-fourth, which is eight cents net
Four thousand pounds of cotton at eight
cents will be 1920. Now the same la
Dor that it required TO cultivate anC
pick this 1000 pounds Of cotton vii
make 1000 bushels Of corn, worth now
in New Orleans sixty-three cents pei
bushel by the carload Thi. corn can
be taken to New Orleans and put in the
elevator by barges for six cents pei
bushel, and seven cents will more thar
cover the cost of Smelling and selling
leaving net profit of fifty cents pc
bushel, or $500, making a difference o
$3.50 in favor of the corn. Now, if pea
were planted in the corn at the las
plswing they would .fatten one no
to each acre, making at least IS pc
acre. But am aware that some plan
eT will say that they rent their Ian
and can get more net money per acI
with cotton than with corn. II the
will make a fair calculation of the COS
Of each and charge up to cotton til
waste Of the negro and give the cor
credit for the improvement in the Ian,
then they will frd that the corn pay
double the rent that cotton does
In my vicinity planters are payin
~ per bushel for corn on credit, pa,
able out of the next fall crop. If co
ton should sell for seven cents net,
will require IA 2-7 pounds of cotton I
pay for one bushel of corn. IF ma
can exchange his 1000 bushels of cor
for cotton ut these figures, he will &,
1870 pounds of cotton for his crop
corn, or about thirty-six bales Of cottol
in other words, we send thirty-six bali
OF cotton up North to pay for the eor
that ono man can make. Is there IN
wonder that we are IA poor as a churC
mouse, and Bill Arp is about right whe
he sava, 81 am Altered we are matte
Of fools"
There has long been an impression l
North, and even in the South, that Y
can't raise stock to proit-that we In,
no grass--can't feed stOck--that the iii
are too bad--that we have too many q
seases; while the fact is, we have mo
and better grasses than the North hG
We can raise hogs, cattle, sheep, mul
and horses for one-half the cost that
requires up North. And to faiten ii
stock for market, it can be done wi
peas even on the poor land of Gcorg
for less money than it can be done in Il
North, and while we are raising sto,
we are improving our lands instead
wearing them out.
am well aware there is strange ia
cination in planting cotton, We zee
the spring that $40 bale, and ten bal
Of cotton to the hand, but from Sol
cause we cant zee the expense attendi
the making of the crop.
A few days since ! saw an article
an Iowa paper telling of the sale
seventy.tive hogs by one nun, all of i
own raising and fattening, for 1897,
about three times rs much as can
made by one man cutvating cotton.
see also an item in the New Orlea
Times Of planter who iatiened 6
head of hogs, making 10000 pounds
pork, which he sold for 81, 800, neal
the whole Of which was net profit. II
he made this into bacon, it would
worth now $4,000, which is nice
come.
Brother planters, there is an cas-
and better way to make money than
planting cotton to buy meat and brei