The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-02-26
Two Sides to Everything.

EDITOR COTTON PLANT: A great dea
has been said about the advantages o
growing more corn than cotton. Nos
this opens up debatable subject and the
affirmative side is looked on rs the strong
est. To test the weight of two objects
place them in balance scales, which de
cides the matter at once, but in this case
complicated matters come up, and as the
farmers are always ready to have their
experience tested as to what has been
their success in planting the various
kinds of produce, the Cotton Plant has
opened its columns for the benefit of the
agriculturist, that if there are good plans
advised, they can be taken up, and the
worthless modes thrown aside. In the
first place, it is admitted that barns full
of corn are very essential but how often
are efforts made to fill the barns and turn
out to be almost a clear failure. Then
what is the consequence? II no oats OF
other ubstitute is made. a fall back has
to be made on King Cotton enough to
master all deficiencies. Yes, three bales
of cotton will pay for two hundred bush.
els of corn laid down at the corn buyers
nearest depot. Right here let us illus
trate: Three bales of cotton are made
on FIVE acres of upland, and let The same
acreage and same quality of land be
planted in corn, and the same amount of
fertilizers be used and the cost of labor
one half to make the corn, aud when 1t
is gathered it only measures out fifty
bushels; figure this down to a close cal
culation and see wha. the profits are.
The entire cost of making and gathering
the three bales of cotton was eighty dol
lars, and the entire cost of making and
gathering the fifty bushels of corn was
forty dollars; the bales of cotton each
weighed four hundred pounds, at ten
cents q pound the amount would be
$l2O; the fifty bushels of corn at sew.
enty.6ve cents per bushel would be $37.-
so. A clear loss on the corn would be
$3.50, and the net profit on the cotton
$4.00. The cotton seed from the cotton
would more than equal in value the
shucks and fodder from the corn, aud
"Straws show which way the winds
blow"
A planter setting o good example is
worthy to be guide, like Mr.. w. Mar.
tin, near Hodges Depot, who is man of
good, sound judgment and q practical
planter. He was of late interviewed by
q correspondent ef the Cotton Plant on
his experience of fifteen years in farm.
ing, and remarked: at FIRST, for years, he
made the raising Of cotton specially,
aud succeeded to all expectations next,
be turned bis attention more particular
ly to the growth OF grain leaving off cot
ton to some extent, and at the end oil
the years of the grain farming it did not
fit up 80 we'll as the cotton farming did.
He recommends diversified crops and
the planting of plenty of all kinds OF
grain, but make cotton specially, and
at the end of the year ali business trans
action fits up to fraction and a surplus
in the treasury. Planters are sometimes
strayed off with cattle experiments. 1t
is the safest way to count the cost, prof.
its and losses before the experiment is
made. "a word to the wise is sufficient" "
Of late, a noted lecturer, asking for con.
tributions, iu the midst of his speech to
q large audience, said that the people
were complaining of short crops and
hard times and AZ the end of the year
the tongue and buckle would not meet,
but advised them to cut plug out of
the middle by giving literally, and then
press the two sides together and it would
be all right. All of the audience could
not see into the mystery, but concluded
it was strategy. Sarcasm or no sarcasm,
it is conclusive fact, that there are two
sides to everything. w. A. MOORE.
Cokesbury, S. @.