The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-14


ota!'...''............. ...........25,l5l
Valuing these 25, ,l5l improved imple.
menls at an average of $40 each, we find
not less than quarter of q million dol.
lars SO invested in South Carolina in
| 1883. "
The following is q statement of tho
number of steam engines used on farms
and their horsepower:
Number of engines. s..................... 1903
dorse'power...... ...................1i,41 ,413
Estimating this power at $I25 to the
horsepower, VIC have 81 ,761 ,625 inyes-
ted in steam power for farm use in the
State in 1888, which, with the value of
farm implements, makes about 50, 600 900
expended for improved implements and
steam power used on farms.
The Labor Problem-The Condition OF tho
Colored Farmers, &c.
l. The proportion of white TO colored
farm labor III The State: Seventeen of
the counties, consisting Of Oconee, Pick.
ems, Spartanburg, Chesterfield, Lexing.
ton, Greenville, Anderson, Horny, Colle.
ION, Abbeville, Marion, WILLIAMSBURG,
Edgefeld, Darlington, Lancaster and
Barnwell, containing about one-half the
total population of the State, report the
proportion of white labor at AL per
cent to 64.9 colored. The other seven.
teen counties return white labor at an
average of 14.5 per cent. white and e5.5
per cent. colored. This would show for
the State about 80 per cent. of white
farm labor to 70 per cent. colored.
2. Wages paid: Owing TO the various
methods In reporting wages psid, and
sometimes without Gtsting whether tbs
rate Is with or without board, it is not
practicable to do more than form an ap.
Proclamation for the State. The rate of
wages can be taken as from So to 50 q
month for males and SIS to Sc month
for women, with board.
3. Extent to which women and chill.
dren, white and colored, work in the
fields: About % per cent. of the white
women and children work on the farms.
and about 81 per cent. of tho colored
women and children.
4. The most prevalent system of labor:
The systems chiefly used are the contract
system, in which services rendered are
paid for by giving the laborer the Use of
land and house; the contract system, in
which wages are paid monthly, or por-
tion monthly and the remainder ut the
in which the laborer rents the land and,
from the crop, pays the landlord the rent
and for the use of animals.
5. The estimated average cost of pro.
duciDg merchantable cotton is about s
cents pound for the whole State, or
$40 for bale of 500 pounds.
6. The percentage aud cost involved
in raising, picking and ginning cotton,
the State over, is about rs per cent. for
raising, 20 per cent. for picking and s
per cent for ginning.
Z. Farms owned and worked exclusive.
ly by whites are returned almost univer-
sally as in good condition, though one or
two counties return farmers on such
farms as barely making living.
8. Farms owned and worked exclusive.
ly by colored people are almost univer-
sally returned as in bad condition, though
in all the counties there are q few excep.
tional colored farmers who are said to be
successful and thriving, and in one or
two counties, notably in York, the col.
ored landowner is said to be quite suc-
cessful as rule.
9. Farms owned by white proprietors
and worked with hired labor as q rule,
in most Of the counties, ere returned as
not in as good condition as small farms
owned and worked by the white farmers
and their families. There arc exceptions
in some of the connties, however, where
these plantation farms are said to be the
most successful of all.
10. The condition Of colored farmers
as landowners is almost universally re-
ported as much better than as tenants.
AS tenants the colored farmers, with only
few exceptions, to give point to the
rule, are returned as failures"
II. Colored farmers in nearly every
county are returned, as rule, as not
making progress, not saving money, and
not acquiring land.
II. Immigrants: Nine.tenths of the
counties report few or no Immigrants.
IS. The operations Of the Stock law,
the Lien law and Prohibition Law: The
Stock law is generally approved as good
and most useful law. The Lien law 10
condemned aa q most perpicions one by
thirty cut Of tho thirty.four counties.
The Prohibition law, wherever enforced,
is reported as working well and doing
much good. In only three counties 1t Is
reported ais being beyond practical Ell.
forceIletlt. These counties are Beaufort,
Georgetown and Berkeley.
tH