The Greenville times., 1884-11-15
DESCRIPTIVE AND HISTORICAL OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
PLANTATION PRODUCTS.

cotton engages the chief attention and labor of the
whole agricultural population, and is the basis Of all
mercantile and financial transactions and ventures
of ALL
Washington county is in the very centre of that
region where favorng conjunction of climate, soil
and average rainfall, produce the best results in
growth of cotton both as to its quality and quantity
The seasons usually consist of warm wet spring,
favorable to early termination of the seed and
thorough roofing of the plant; hot summer with
occasional aud sufficient rains, and constant and
heavy dews, ensuring sufficient and timely growth
and long dry gathering season, commonly extend
ing to the middle of December The average RAINFALL
by far the greater portion falling before the lst of
June, is 4S inches; not excessive and yet a sufc.
lent amount. The first killing frost oftener comes
after then before Oct. 25th, giving long season for
the maturing of as much cotton as can be picked.
OF course even with such favorable surround.
ing close and untirng attention and labor required
to ensure profitable returns Though for that matter
what pursuit or calling exacts lessl
1t is not in tho size of the plant alone that the SUI
perioiity of the cotton grownn this section, of which
Washington county is the centre, consists. But in
its extraordinary fruage. In its perfection, upon
land that has not been abused or neglected it is not
uncommon to find plants with 400 or 500 bolles on
them. In 1870 the average production throughout
the county, estimating by the amount gathered, was
little less than bale per acre. Last year. 1888 it
was very little less In each of those years the
yield in the county has been over 10000 bales aver
aging 800 pounds per bale. This is far in excess of
the production of any other county in theSouth and
justly entities Washington to the claim of being the
"Banner Cotton County,"
The cotton from this region is known to all cot.
ton dealers as "Bcnds cotton" from the unusually
long bends in the river between Vcksburg and
Memphis. This cotton is classed higher and sells for
moro than any grade except the Sea Island Its
marked superiority is in length and strength of fibre.
Which characteristics have undergone and are capa.
BILE Of decided improvement by careful selection OF
seed and good cultivation. This excellence in quality,
joined to the productive capacity of the soil, un.
equaed by other unfertilized lands enables Wash.
ington and adjoining counties to offer decidedly
superior inducements to all who desire to engage in
cotton planting
The greater portion of tho planting property
of Col. Ed. Richardson, the "Cotton King" is stu
ated in Washington county In thus locating his
landed investments he has exhibited an instance oil
the remarkable sagacity aud soundness of judgment
which has been the secret of his marked success il
the great and varied enterprises in which he is Ell
gagged. In the great overflow Of 1882, but one of hi
eleven Washington county plantations was seriousl,
affected. During that overflow indeed there wat
more land "out of water' in Washington county thar
in all the remainder of the Yazoo Delta IL not of tn,
entire valley between Memphis and vicksburg. Ant
we will note in this connection that no leyee on thu
front OF this county has been broken in near,
twenty years)
For more particular evidence Of the quantity o
cotton produced in the past ten years. refer thu
reader to the certain statistics ofthe Board of Leye
Commissioners, published herein. But that data af
fords correct idea of the capacities of the Delta o
the results to be reached under thorough system
of cultivation. OF course there are exceptional in
stances where lands are properly and with correc
judgement cultivated But when that cultivation
was the rule, crop failures were unknown. Ther
were good seasons ana Dau, Dut none Ill winch
change in the manner or an increase in the amour
of work did not make successful crop. We hav
now before us list, by plantations, of the cottoi
and corn produced upon 7S plantations aggregat
ing $500 acres of land in cotton on Deer Creek it
1860. This list was prepared by Major r. A. O'Hea
for o corporation, which then contemplated budn
locks on Deer Creek and making it contnu ousl
nayigable Bales Of cotton produced on said no.
acre, 3533O bales. The corn crop said year, on sal
plantations, averaged over 30 bushels per acre.
This rate of production is not of necessity al
incident of slave labor. For there are plantation
or portions of plantations where equal results ar
now obtained by honest, and not overw orke
negro lsborers
1t is not to be thought because Of the prominence
} given to cotton culture, that Washington county il
not we'll adopted to the production of grain, gras
and live stock Under an imperfect and insufficen
system of cutivaton,with favorng seasons, much a
corn can be, and is, raised herein as in the famet
Western prairie region. And with thorough cult
vation, which few planters approach, the corr
crop rarely fails as in the west. But corn cultur
labors under the disadvantage of being dependen
upon the cotton crop than which no crop is 81
exactng.
AS TO the smaller grains, oats arc in common