Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-02-15
ST. LOUIS, MO.
Corn VS.. Cotton in Maury COUNTY
Columbia Herald, 9.

columbia Herald, 3.
Our figures and conclusions we hone
Will not please everybody. Our object
is to awake discussion and get nm
controversy which will bring out ali
the facts right now, and thus have the
subject pretty thoroughly sifted BY
planting time.
In renting land for a share of the
crop, or for money, or in hiring hands.
u Is always the object of all parties to
tne contracts to secure as near a fair
share OF the proceeds of the crop "a
possible. 1t may be pretty safely as
sumed that what holds true of the
Prohttableness Of growing any crop BY
hired labor will, for series of wears
together, be about correct Concerning
land. ' ''
Let us take an average farm as to
quality and proportion Of arabic land
etc. For convenience we base our
estimate on farm of $50 acres. allow
ing fifty acres for pasture and clover
land, waste land, lots about houses.
gardens. etc. This leaves 100 acres
for cultivation. We have taken the
calculations of several good farmers
and made one OF our own, all agreeing
very nearly as to results.
II Gotten and corn both are grown.
then the usual proportion will be
seventy acres of cotton to thirty of
corn; This will require at least eight
hands and six mules. The product
may be stated at 600 pounds of seed
cotton and thirty bushels of corn per
acre. The expenses will be $40 per
acre for cultivation of cotton, and as
the hands who grow cannot gather
more than half, 81 80 extra per acre
Tor gathering, total Sll 80 per acre.
foT corn 70 per acre, and FIVE hands
and i've mules will cultivate it. the
working season being moreover much
shorter. Put the cotton at 2lc in the
seed and the corn at 400. 1t will come
nearer averaging 40c than cotton will
23c. Then we state
COTTON CROP EXPENSE.
sixty acres cotton at sll.5O per acre. $500
Forty acres corn at $500 per ac1e............ 200
Iotal.....,........................... ...., ssso
ISooM.
S50 lbs. seed cotton, Of 21Sc......-...... $500
Law bushels corn at 4Oc-...................l8 $50
BIN
fiO''' 400
CORN CROP EXPENSE.
100 acres corn at $5.00........,........... s5OO
INCOME.
5000 bushels corn at 4Dc.................. S19na
rreht'.....'..... 700
Giving actual money balance in
favor OF the corn of 1910. But this is
one OF the smallest advantages of the
corn crop. 1t is more certain than
cotton, less exhausting to the soil and
furnishes in stalks, fodder and shucks
a good deal Of cheap feed for stock.
Moreover, as it requires fewer hands
and less stock fewer cabins, less fencing
and less frewood are needed. Less
capital is necessary in order to make
a crop, and the farmer is not often
obliged to 60 in debt for, supplies, or.
1t he has enough money on hand to
cultivate a cotton crop without going
into debt, he can use half of it in
making his corn crop and put the rest
into young mules or young cattle to
run on his grass lands and make them
profitable.
The cotton planter is of all men the
least Independent. When his crop is
made it must be sold. or he must 20
in debt or starve. He can't eat it; he
can't manufacture il, and sometimes
he can hardly sell it. But if he has
corn and can t sell it he can eat it, or.
with the help of little stock he can
manufacture it into males, or beef, or
mutton or pork, whichever happens to
be most profitable.