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

Total....."............. ...........25, ,l5l
Valuing these 25, Isl improved imple-
menls at an average of $40 each, we find
not less than quarter of million dol
lars so invested in South Carolina in
1883.
The following is a statement of the
number of steam engines used on farms
and their horsepower:
Number of eDgines..................." 1908
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ,4l3
Estimating this power at SIPS to the
horsepower, we have $1,76l ,625 inves-
ted in steam power for farm use in the
State in 1883, which, with the value of
| farm implements, makes about 50, 100000
expended for improved implements and
steam power used on farms.
The Labor Problcm-The Condition of the
Colored Farmers, SC.
l. The proportion Of white 10 colored
farm labor in the State: Seventeen of
the counties, consisting of Oconee, Pick
ems, Spartanburg, Chesterfield, Lexing.
ton, Greenville, Anderson, Horny, Collie
ton, 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 $40 colored. The other seven
teen counties return white labor at an
average of 14.5 per cent. white and 85.5
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 paid, and
sometimes without stating whether the
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 SS to 50
month for males and SIS to $6 a month
for women, with board.
8. 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 the c0lored
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-
ton monthly and the remainder at the
end of the year; and the tenant system,
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.
ducipg merchantable cotton is about s
cents q pound for the whole State, or
$40 for bale Of 500 pounds.
6. The percentage and 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
PEI cent. for ginning.
7. Farms owned and worked exclusive
w 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.
s. 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 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 sue
cessful as rule.
9. Farms owned by white proprietors
and worked with hired labor as q rule,
in most of the counties, are returned as
not in as good condition as small farms
owned and worked by the white farmers
and their families. There are 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
q 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.
12. Immigrants: Nine-tenths of the
counties report few or no immigrants.
13. The operations of the Stock law,
the Lien law and Prohibition law: The
Stock law is generally approved as q good
and most useful law. The Lien law is
condemned as most pernicious one by
thirty out of the thirty-four counties.
The Prohibition law. wherever enforced,
is reported as working well and doing
much good. In only three counties it is
reported as being beyond practical en-
forcement. These counties are Beaufort,
Georgetown and Berkeley.