The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-05-06
Grain VS.. Cotton.

Grain VS.. Cotton.
The estimate placed upon the cotton
crop of 1880, as reaching over 5000, 900
bales, is fast becoming q vcritablc fact.
The figures which thus place this crop
in advance of all crops preceding, do
not, however, dampen the ardor or
diminish the desire of our planters TO
increase their acreage in cotton plant
ing. Wheat, corn and oats become Il
secondary consideration even to the
of being nullity.
Last year the cotton crop was sub
jected to a biighting ordeal of wet
weather in this section Of our State, and
the year before was almost as disastrous
to the corn-crop. Thus n reverse alter
nateiy took place with these crops, and
il becomes n matter Of some interest to
place the results OF these two years in
comparison.
Year before last corn was imported
in large quantities TO supply the wants
Of the farmer caused by the great fail
ure in that crop. Cotton, on the con-
trary, was produced abundantIy, and
its sale furnishing the ready capital
was employed in importing the neces-
sarry amount Of grain. Besides, flush
cd With the abundance of cotton
gathered and marketed 1T good prices,
not only were the farmers led to in
crease their acreage, but to do so at the
expense of planting corn. Happily for
the planter, the corn crop for 1880 was
a success, while the cotton crop has
been in this portion Of the country a
complete failure. Had there been a
failure of the grain crop, conconitantiy
with the cotton crop, who could esti-
mate the disastrous effects it would
have entailed?
Now, for the result of our compari-
been attended with almost q universal
lack of the payment of debts upon the
part of tho farmer for his supplies, and
if the corn crop had failed he would
have been placed in Il serious and criti-
cal condition. 1t may be said that
tnlS Is I'LL lll INV l u lHc COT
ton crop, and that its negative aspect
as Il paying production is positive
| proof of its necessity rs Il means Of sup.
port. We say not, for intrinsicaliy II
Il grain crop raised to tho total cxclu-
sion of cotton will always enrich its
grower, besides, in itself furnish the
means of an actual support to man and
beast. We mean primarily so, too, for
cotton is only made the means by its
conversion into money. Besides, a
grain crop meets present necessities
without the contingency of having to
rely upon foreign markets and prices,
the cXorbitant tariffs of corporutcd
monopoIies in the shape of public car
riers.
But the entailnlent of debt upon the
farmers by the failure here of the cot
ton crop, is the result Of the corn crop
blight Of year before last. Thus we
see its far reaching consequences. No
one denies this. In view of this as
poet Of the matter, We ask what has
been the saving feature with the farm
ihS ih''itH' VI I'Sl ) VIZ, from Il Stanu-
point not only of speculation but of
reality: II was last years grain crop.
1t is the grain crop that now enables
them to stay away from their supply
markets, and allows them to husband
their resources by not plunging deeper
into debt. We daily see Il manifesto
ton of this fact, by the scarcity of
wagons i'll, from the country for sup
plies. This, too, in face of most dis
astrous failure in cotton, not only in
quantity, but as much so in quality.
We urge, therefore, these thoughts