The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-12-16
COTTON PLANTING.
Interesting and Instructive Facts About
the Cost Of Producing COtton.
llp0pStQ Chronicle,

HHIpNU CHfOnhfc.
COLUMBIA, S c., November 90 Capt
| Paul F. Hammond, of Beech Island
Aiken County, has contributed a most
Interesting and valuable article to the
annual report OF the Commissioners
Agriculture of This State, regarding the
cost OF producing cotton in South Caro-
Ina. Capt. Hammond says that cents
pound seems very low figure a; which
10 place the actual cost of making cotton,
and yet while it costs many planters
cents, some 10 cents, and not a very few
ever l2 cents, tho fact stands as fact
within his own knowledge, that it has
been made for less than four cents, and
he claims that it can be demonstrated by
figures that on finer land, with judicious
and economical methods, industriously
pursued, it can be made, and should be
made, at four cents, three cents and even
less than three cents per pound. Even
then," Capt Hammond continues, sell
ing his crop at an average of seven and a
half cents net, there is no great income
left to the producer of thirty, fifty or even
6 hundred bales of cotton"
He then submits detailed estimate of
the cost of making cotton per acre, show
ing the net cash expense to be about 81.
If the product was $40 pounds OF seed
cotton, or $50 pounds Of lint, the cost
would be 3.SS cents per pound where it
was 200 pounds lints 81 cents, and where
il was $50 pounds, 245 cents pound.
Capt.l Hammond continues: "The
planter who makes cotton at a cost of
three cents and sells it for eight cents,
ought not certainly to complain of the
per centage OF profit upon his expenses.
So, too, as rule, the per cent. of profit,
on the total Investment in land, mules,
machinery, implements. ETC., will be
found one which business men are accus.
toned to regard as large. Property is so
extremely low that a planter making an
average crop of 100 bales will not need
to have invested more than $4,000 to
Sl3,000-Sl0,000 in land and buildings,
and $4,000 in stock, supplies, machinery,
eGc.
eff, then, he be good planter, on
moderately fair land, for none is really
good land which will not bring 800
pounds of lint cotton, when manured, he
will make from 500 to S25 bale, and his
income will be from $4,000 10 $2,500-a
very fair return from his capital" :"
"What then," he asks, lis the matter?
Why is there so much complaint? Are
not the cotton planters fast sinking into
a condition of almost hopeless poverty?
"[ might answer, he says, "that the
whole world is growing poorer. The
business depression everywhere is mar
vtsllous, unprecedented, and agriculture
among the worst sufferers, rs she always
is. The great Northwest can not stand
wheat at so cents Tbrce-fourths of the
farms are mortgaged to their full value,
and their nominal owners and tenants
can only endure their miserable lives
because they were reared in the poverty
of the Old World. For some years it
has been known that in every county in
England scores of rich farms are lying
tenantless and unworked and now We
have the statement on good authority that
rent on the average, is not more than los.
all acre, and of this los. los. is required
to pay interest on the investment in
building which the landlord has made,
leaving the mere pittance of Is. (Sl.25)
to represent the rental Of land which
makes from 20 to so bushels of wheat.
Why, in the cotton growing section of
the South, where it is healthy fnr white
family to live, land rents for from two
dollars to ten dollars per acre"
Capt. Hammond then discussed the
different modes Of living in the North
and West and in the South, and thinks
that one Of the causes Of poverty in the
South is extravagant living, but the real
cause is debt and an outrageous rate OF
interest. "If", says he, 'the manufac
lures want cheap cotton they must give
US cheap money.
"But there can be no interest without
debt. Neither for this is her agriculture
or her planters so much to blame. What
people or what business, except On the
bear side Of Wall street. ever prospered
or could prosper with a market falling
falling, falling, for twenty years? At
the close of the war cotton was worth
forty cents, and it fell, little by little,
steadily for twenty years, until it has
come down to eight cents and the cotton
planters are impoverished. If at that
time cotton had been eight cents the
difficulties to be encountered would, for a
time have been terrific; buff it had then
risen steadily, year by year, through
twenty years until the price reached forty
cents, the Soutern planters would have
been rich-rich, prosperous and as hap.
py as money could make them. ln lS43
cotton was six cents; negroes sold Tor
$3.50 and the planters were poor BY
1860 cotton sold for IL cents per pound
and negroes for Il 900, and therein lay
the secret of the great wealth of the cot
ton planters. 1t was not the money
they made; the percentage upon capital
invested is greater now. 1t was not
money saved out of incomes which we're
larger than they could spend. By no
means. 1t was by the gradual, and in
the end, very great increase in the value
of their inyestments-about the only way
men in numbers ever get rich honestly.
Capt. Hammond then says: "While
have contended that the profits of cotton
planting are in one sense large, and that
agriculture is more lucrative business
at the South than either in the North or
West, or in Great Britain, am very far
from saying that the planter can grow
rich, or even hold bis own, at present
prices. He may grow cotton for cents
and sci! it for cents, thus realizing over
100 per cent on the cost Of making, and
not far from 90 per cent. on the value OF
his entire investment, yet even s25 bale
is loo small profit either to make him
rich or the country prosperous. Let US
take the case of a planter who makes lOO
bales and see what becomes of his income.
Cotton cannot now be grown in large
quantities by one man, for the all.suifi-
cient reason that few men have the ability
to manage the large amount of labor and
numerous other operations required.
What one man can see after is usually
the limit of what he can produce profta.
bly. shall not exceed the truth when
| say that the planter with $4,000
invested, including his dwelling and all
the appurtcnances thereto, owes $4,000
and pays $500 in.eres. on it. He will
need advances Of :i 800, at an average OF
six months, to make his crop, and the
interest on that il $75. he will also
need 81 800 10 live upon, suprosing a
family of five, the usual number. Five
wears ago his family expenses would have