Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-17
Beneficial Effects of a Diversity Of
CrOpS.

NTOHS.
Almost without cessation the price of
cotton has been declining ever since the
opening of the present business season.
On the first day of September last, mid.
ding was quoted in this market at IL
1916 cent?. and yesterday quotations for
the same grade were 104 cents-more
than a cent pound less-and many
shrewd operators anticipate a still fur
ther falling of in prices. This decline
is attributed mainly to the fine maturing
and picking weather which our planters
have enjoyed, and which gives promise
of much larger crop than was expected
some months ago. 1t is common esti-
mate that this years crop will go con-
siderably above 6. 900, 600 bales, provided
no early frost, of which there are no
immediate indications, comes to cut
short the yield. while, under any cir
cumstancee, a fine crop is conceded.
From this steady decline in the price of
the great staple, our Southern farmers
can learn an invaluable lesson. Last
year, for the first time in a great many
years, the planters generally seemed
determined to make an effort to render
their farms self-sustaining, and to throw
off, as mach as possible, their depend
ence upon the West for home and farm
supplies. To this end considerable
attention was paid to the cultivation of
grain and cereal crops. and, in conse-
quence, to-day, instead of being buyers
of corn and oats, a great proportion of
our farmers not only have a suf1ciency
of those products for their own use, but
a surplus to sell. So far as Georgia is
concerned the yield of both of these
crops is greater than the most sanguine
anticipated.
1t was predicted in the early part of
the past summer that this attention to
food crops would materially reduce the
yield of cotton, inasmuch as the acreage
of the great staple would be largely de-
creased This it was thought would
lead to higher prices than prevailed last
year, especially as it was also thought
that the supply from Egypt would be
materially lessened, if not wholly cut
of. Yet in face of these plausible an
ticipatiOns, we see indications of one of
the largest cotton crops which the South
has ever produced, and prices steadily
falling as a natural sequence.
Suppose then that during the past year
our farmers had not have adopted a new
departure, but had, as a rule, have stuck
to their old Affection policy, what would
have been the result? Simply an enor-
nous crop, which would, in all
probability, have been too great for the
| demands of the world. Then would
have followed low and unremunerative
prices, and the-Southern planter would
have found himself out of pocket on
his cotton, and at the same time depend
ent on the West for the actual necessi-
ties of his farm and household. He
would, in word, have been much worse
off than nothing As it is. he will not
only receive a fair price for his cotton,
and will be perfectly Independent
besides, but even had cotton declined
to five cents pound, he would still be
able to live, and be in condition to start
afresh comparatively uncrippled.
This lesson will not be lost upon our
farmers. They can see plainly and IN
mistaksbly for themselves the great dan
ger to which they subject themselves by
the all-cotton policy when they rely only
on their sales of the staple for means to
purchase the necessaries of life. We
predict hereafter that they will see to it
first of all that the home and farm are
taken care of, and when this is done
then attention will be bestowed upon
cotton as a surplus crop This is the
only way to be rid of debt aud embarrass-
ment, and to secure the true indepeud-
| ence of the planters of the South.