Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-08-22
AWAyING SEA OF COTTON.
Big Plantaffon-The Largest Cotton
Farm in Alabama.
Union Springs CIiss) Herald.

I Union springs tA1iSSJ
/ Last Thursday the Herald man, in
company with Mr.. J. f. Lassater, III.
B. Houton and L. Ham, visited the
farm of Messrs. Roberts & Salter,
about five miles north of this city.
These two young men have with
wonderful energy and agricultural
skill reclaimed from virgin forests
and sedgy old fields some of the best
land in this country. and have made
it Blossom like a garden. liz the last
four years they have cleared over 900
acres of land and dug % miles OF
bitches. We saw one solid body OF
emerland green cotton on 200 acres
of fresh bottom land. the plant reach
ing up to cur shoulders on horseback,
and heavily fruited with bolls and
squares, which the experts of our
party said would not make less than
three -fourths of a bale to the acre.
With the exception of those of a
few squads" the crops were in fine
condition, and these were being work
ed out by an extra number of hands
aad teams kept for that purpose by
the firm. The system and order
maintained on this immense planta-
ticn is marvellous, but it is vitality
necessary to success. Everything IS
regulated with military precision, and
the hands" 60 to work and return to
their meals by the tap of the bell.
The small army of laborers and their
families on the farm, numbering some
/, 800 souls, are comfortably housed
and are apparently very happy. Each
family has its garden apart and raises
pigs, chickens, etc.
Although cotton is regarded by the
proprietors as the man marketable
product of the farm, they do not ne
elect corn, which furnishes the sin
ews of war so to speak, to make cotton
with. A large body of corn was
shown us that Mr. Ham, farmer of
judgment and experience, estimated
would yield 40 bushel 20 the acre,
and much going us high as fifty
bushels. Mr.. Roberts himself thinks
that the corn will average twenty five
bushels to the acre. From actual ex-
pertinent on four acres, Mr.. Roberts
demonstrated that corn can be made
on his place at ten cents per bushel.
In 1882, with much SIN aller force,
and less land in cultivation. Messrs.
Roberts & Salter made $50 bales of
cotton. Since the favorable rains of
the past few days, which We're great,
ly needed, low estimate of their crop
for 1884 is:
100 bales of cotton at cents $1,000
95 0g0 bushels of corn at 80 cents. 81 5O
Total ........,...........s SCI. $50
Cost Of making and gathering same. SIS 900
Profit ............ ....................$ 33, 80
The large oat crop made on the
place this year was fed to the stock,
and its value is counted in the S25, 600
expense.
To make this crop 392 regular
laborers are employed, and calcula-
ton in the expenses is made for extra
help to gather and market it. One
hun bred and fifty-niHe mules and
horses are worked regularly, and -
horses and mules, additional, are
kept for extra work on grassy crops or
for hauling. There are used on the
farm SO two horse wagons, IL one
horse wagons, and one four horse
wagon. The Grrl buys its plcws by
the hundred.
The foregoing will give some faint
idea to the reader of the large farm
iu Alabama, but a more comprehen-
sive one can be had by personal in
spection. Our recollection of the
waving sea of verdant cotton and
shimmering corn is pleasant in
deed. The memory of Aunt Roses
mammoth chicken pie, rice custard
and other good things when we re
turned to the bachelor farmers
house at 2 o'clock, with a cavalry
soldiers appetite, is a good companion
picture to it.