The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-14
THE AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK.
Crops In 1888 and 1s92-The Prospects o
tho Farmers I'm South Carolina.

Crops In 1888 and 1ssa-The prospects o.
tho Farmers I'm South Carolina.
Ne,cs and Courier.
| CnTTON.-The upland cotton crop Of
1888 was 468,227 bales of 400 pound.
weight against 698,593 bales Is 1882
The area of the crop was $4,000 acres
greater, or about 81 per cent; the yield
per acre declining from l92 pounds III
1882 to l29 pounds in 1883, or about SO
per cent. With such seAscl as that o:
1882 .he State in 1883 would have made
at least 100000 bales Of 400 pounds
weight, A season that cut the crop down
IN Middle Carolina from 2l7 pounds pei
acre to 1873 pounds, or about "a pounds
OF lint cotton per acre, can but be regard.
ed as o singularly adverse one, if not one
propitious season in 1854, with such an
increase of area az took place, in 1883
will give an upland crop of 800, ,0OO
bales of AGO pounds. With fair aver.
age season the crop will easily reach
700, 600 such bales.
! CoRN.--The corn area in 1888 was l..
359, ,693 acres, or 1888 acres more than
in the previous year. The product was
lO,876,744 bushels, against 1872, ,873
the previous year, showing the enormous
and entirely abnormal decline of 1851, :.
! l29 bushels, and in yield per acre 5-13
bushels. With fairly propitious season,
the yield in 1882 was 133 bushels per
acre for the State. Such rate Of pro.
| duction, with an area of 100000 acres,
would give us crop for 1884 Of 1920
0O0 bushels.
| SMALL GRA1N.-The area in oats in
1883 was al 600 acres less tha, in the
previous y5sT, boing 3e.,95s acres 10
! 362,373 In 1882. The crop was ..I87.OS
bushels, against Z, 929, $40 in the previous
year, showing the serious decline of g.
~, 1888 bushels. In wheat the area de-.
| clined from 201 ,815 acres in 1882 to 1872.
2l5 acres in 1883. The crop also de-
| clined from ], 1884 $40 bushels In 1882 to
l,388,73l bushels in 1888.
The present outlook 80 Gar as the small
grain crop is concerned Is most encour.
aging. The area of the growing crop is
stated on the best authority as 10 per
cent. moro than in 1883. This gives as
the small grain area for the present year
Oats, 353, 1853, acres; wheat, OO,43S !;
rye, 1870, and barley, 1852. Such an
| acreage with the rate Of yield of 1882
would give in oats 7,437,2l3 bushels,
worth, at an average of fifty cents to the
bushel, $3,718,60l; 10 wheat 1905, 1924
bushels, worth 81 800 600; in rye $4,000
buahels, worth $40, 900; in barley $4,000
bushels, worth $4,000, and aggregating
for the four grains $5 100000, which sup.
p!emented by an ordinarily good yield
OF potatoes, peas, sorghum and otlinr
subsidiary crops would amount to at leRot
$4,000. 900, with the possibility Of reach
ing $9,O00,G00 in an abundant year.
Such production of food crops ia evident.
ly of more value than 80 much money 8
worth of cotton expended in buying
Western supplies. The crops we have
| described equal zoe, 600 to 225, 900 bales
of cotton at $40 to the bale.
The area of rice underwent some small
reduction in 1883 OH that of 1882.
There was but little change in the area
of sea islands. Both of these crops have
suffered a serious decline; the former
from the cold and unfavorable spring
and swarms of devouring birds later on |;
and the latter from unpropitious seasons
and the presence of swarms of worms.
1t is likely then that these crops declined
on the previous year by about 20 per
cent. for rice and 40 per cent. for Sea
Island. The rice crop of l883-84 is
tierces in 1928. The sea island crop
| has possibly declined from I6,7I5 hags
in 1928 to $500 bags in 18S3-84.
The subsidiary crops also suffered de.
cline of from 25 to SIS per cent.
THE FLESH CRoP.-Under the opera
tion of the Stock Law there has been
| necessarily diminution in the numbers
of cattle, swine, &c. Taking the statis.
tics of swine we sec that the number in
1888 was 553, ,525 against 564, 4,5S7 in 1882 !;
showing decline in numbers of II, ,062,
OF less than per cent. It Cannot DO
doubted that the value of the stock has
been enhanced by much greater per-
centage than the above decline in num-
bers. We may fairly take these same
figures for horned cattle, whilst sheep
have suffered a sharp decline, perhaps
owing TO the want Of much needed aud
stringent "dog law" ~ Tabs.
~ Improved Stock. trss III
CArTLE.--According to cll % estimates,
based on the county reportS there arc
7522 Jerseys, ut Ayr5hiTes, SO Dsveas,
33 Holsteins, Guernsey 10 the State,
besides number of Short horns and
Brahmins. In most of the counties the
jersey stock il preferred, In one case
t. Devon with AN eighth Brahmin ID
! mentioned as a valuable cross. In
Charleston the Holsrein are e.estsemed the
most valuable as milk stock, and IL 10
thought that this breed Of cattle, as soon
as It Ii we'll known, will stake the lead
of all others." In nearly all the coun.
ties general mention is made cf :ths ,prsoss;s
ence. of imported stock, though tho
number be not given. There is an
awakened interest IN the improvement of
stock in all sections Of the State. .@f
SHEEP.-Merinos, South Downs, Ok.
ford Downs and Broad Tails are reported
from many parts Of The State. -'.ta
HoGs.-The Essex and Berkshire are
most mentioned and preferred.
| There can be little doubt that there
are not over FIVE or six counties in the
State where the Improvement of stock
has not become an object Of. much prac-
tical effort and attention. Spartanhurg
aud Marlboro stand at the. head, each
returning 200 head Of Jerseys Lsurens,
| perhaps, ranks first in sheep. Beaufort,
Georgetown, Coileton and Hampton
stand at the foot of the lis. as regards
improved stock. They are heavy
colored counties. ~.
Tho Efficiency and Supply OF Labor.
i