The Dawson journal. (Dawson, Ga.) 1878-18??, 1883-02-15

proper charge. The capital on whic1
interest is expected now consists o
the improved land and tools eff cultiva
tion. In 1860 a mans wealth wa
counted BY negroes not by acres. Tn
Investment now needed Is not s.
so great, anil the vast chafge for sick
ness, care of the aged and the children
etc Is now removed from the planter
But for this lessened expense, tn,
'ands of the South would by the yea
1888, be almost alienated frou the or
lglnal owners. The question then is
how much can a man make, with GER
tain lands and Known crops, to cover
cost of living, which includes the cos,
OF making his crop and compromising
his labor, and have to spare for his
interest and gradual payment of prin-
cIple! Can he feed his family and
stock. pay his hands, fertillze and
seed his land, and pay fifteen percent
interest and prepare for paying the
principal? The fact that planters all
over the South have been paying
twenty-five, forty, fifty, sixty and
even In rare cases, one hundred per-
ceht; and that they still hold their
lands, would seem to answer the aues-
ton in the affirmative. But it is true
as stated BY Ale lander H. Stephens
two years ago, that they are rather
getting poorer than richer The bur-
den is too great. In the instance
above cited, If the gentleman had pail
has debts BY the forced sale at SIS, 900
when he only owned $4,000 and not
renewed the debt as he did, he would
have been in very Strengthened Cir
culnstances, and had to lower his
mode of living. But he would have
been free. Here, it is easy to arrive
at first conclusion If a planter has
five bundled acres OF land. and can,
by selling two hundred, clear off old
debts and have enough left to make
his next years crop, 1t is better to do
it than to borrow. Intensive farming
put upon the remaining three hundred
acres-that is, the same labor. the
same fertilizers aud the same thought
given to three hundred that was Civ
en- to the i've hundred, will probably
enable him at the end of two years
to buy back his lost l,nd If bad crops
sickness, etc, intervene, there is the
anxiety and enervating depression of
debt, and risk Of forced sale lifted off
his mind. Besides, if the two hundred
acres is sold to an actual settler, even
If he don't want with the purchase, his
part OF the country has doubled in
value. This rule adopted in a whole
country will put up zeal estate 100
percent. Real estate doubled since
1896 on very partial application of
the principle. One purchase in q
county has been known to permanently
appreciate the value of all the land in
it.
Country and City Stores
This subject is a little complicated
because there is not any uniform sys
tenn Of trade in any whole State in the
whole South. In Georgia, for instance
1t is the custom Of Atlanta to deal
with country merchants only, which
includes the small towns. The ple-
sent warehouse s. stem of Atlanta is
not over two years old 1t has been
the custom to buy on the streets, by
means IF men who looked out for in.
coming cotton. The great house of
Maddox IL Rucker say that this year
for the first time they are getting some
consigumcnts direct from the produ-
GERS. They have never advanced any
money to planters or farmers, and do
not desire to do SO. They advance to
the smaller merchants, and take as col.
lateral security the notes of the far
mers, Endorsed by the merchants. This
throws the trouble and expense of col
lection on the merchant, and makes the
factor secure In Augusta, Macon.
Columbus and Savannah the vicinities
have large plantations and heavy plan
tiers TO deal with, instead of the small
crop makers. The people of upper
Georgia are more farmers than plan
tiers. In the cities of lower and mid
nile Georgia the transactions are large
enough to justify the factor in dealing
directly with the planter. The Gus
tom has been to deuand bale of cot
ton Ill the fall, Sent to the warehouse,
for every ten dollars of advance on the
crop. This compelled the planter to
make cotton to he exclusion of all
other crops. 1t will be seen, that to
make the cottnn ioh fertilization ma