St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-06-19
Tst. Louis Globe-Democrat.l

of Production Drained at the Rate of
$4,000, 900 Year.
Ist. Louis Globe Democrat
The Department of Agriculture recently
called upon the State agents in the COTTON
growing section to furnish information
about the extent and the evils OF the creol0
system The reports are in, and the veneer
able statistician, commenting upon them,
says:
.sThis record makes burden OF interest
that is unendurable.'
sit appears that d large proportion OF cot
ton planters are in debt for current supplies,
and that the loss resulting amounts OF So
COO 900 per annum i'll some States, ana ap-
serbs nearly or quite all the profits Of pro-
duction, while the soil is wearing away with
the lives of the guilty ators, for the benefit OF
the commercial class"
From the estimates and notes returned by
the State agents the following extracts are
taken
(By j. III. Nowln, State Agent, Little Rock,
Ark.
In the grain growing region not more than
25 per cent. of the farming population are
carving debts, and these chiefly for the pur-
chase Of real estate, and with them the
interest is less than among the cotton plah-
tatiOns In the cotton growing region the
rate of Indebtedness is much greater, ana
would place il as much as - per cent. OF the
agricultural classes"
Viewing the case, therefore, from all
points and giving due weight to all the in
formation l have gathered from dHetehC
sources, as well rs my own experience anu
observations, | think | am safe IN placing
the average cost to the average farmer OF
producing a crop under our credit anu
mortgage system in this state at ~
per cent. more than if he had the
cash at all times to pay for what he buys. AS
to the amount of the cotton crop 1t takes TO
settle the debts at the close of the year;
have no hesitation in saying that 1t taxes loo
per cent, ev 'Iy bale, ana sometimes more
OF course some farmers have surplus,
while others TALL behind and have to be car
ried another year by the merchant, or sacrl-
flee something under his chattel mortgage to
square his bill. | do not think there Is any
balance to the credit side of cotton in the
farming operations of this state, II cotton mas
to pay the bllis.
by j. X P. Hama, State Agent, Calvert,
cent of farmers of Texas are in debt, and
believe that barely fifty per cent, are able to
from the merchant. The general rule in
Texas, and have conferred with prominent
men OF various sections and hnd IL
almost invariably the same, ie for
the merchant at the beginning of the year
to advance him from s. to 50, gen.
orally about So, per acre of land cultivated
by him, to enable him to make a crop on said
land, with the understanding that as soon as
the crop is planted he, the farmer, will give
the merchant crop lien. Under direction
of the Supreme Court Il mortgage Is Invalid
given before the seed is in process OF ger
mination, and the general tenor of decisions
of our courts is that a thing must be an esse
before it can be disposed of in any way, l
am speaking now OF the small farmer VINO
owns his lane. The "renteI'' is compelled to
have his landlord waive his landlords lien
to the merchant or to indorse his note, or
both, before he can obtain supplies for him
self and family on which to make crop.
This crop lien is given for supplies. not
money, as general rule. The nominal rate
of interest is y per cent and as we have
law against usury. over l. per cent being
usury; but the actual rate, or rather the
difference between the cash and the
credit price of goods, is from % to 30
per cent. In case the farmer is not able to
pay up at the end of the year, and gives his
note for the balance, the rate is II per cent.
| should say that it will require IS to So per
cent. of the value of the cotton crop to pay
the debts due at the end of the year.
by S. NJ. Virgins, State Agent, New Or
leans, La.
Seventy five per cent. of the farm er and
planters are in debt. The cost of such in
debtedness, in my opinion, is fully - per
cent. of the entire crop.
The current rate of interest upon advances
of money and provisions is nominaly per
cent. and % per cent for purchasing, 90
per cent. for selling and per cent. freights
Total, about Is per cent. Country merchants
charge more, obtaining from Is to 20 per
cent. Tor advancing, besides heavy profit
on goods sold.
The smaller farmers, who mostly live in
the upland parishes, are more free from
debt, as rule. than the larger or more pre-
tentions planters on our alluvial soils
by r. d. Baugh, State Agent, Carrollton,
Miss.
The interest rate, when supplies are fur
nished to farmers, is from l to | Il per cent.
per month, which is generally secured by
mortgage. The bulk of the cotton crop
generally goes to pay for supplies. About
third of the farmers of debit.
one third are recoverably indebted and
one third hopelessly ruined. The rate OF
interest on general Indebtedness is usually
10 per cent Those who are out of debt are
common farmers, white laborers who Gull
tivate their own lands, and are in prosper
Gus condition. Those who buy mules, rent
land and have to be supplied with food,
generally come out minus at the end of the
year, and they constitute very large per-
Unless such farmers as l have described
can get 10 cents per pound for cotton they
can never keep out of debt. The ruling
price this season paid to the farmer was
pay for the supplies in making the crop.
lBy t. j. Redding, State Agent, Atlanta, Ga.
The average cash and credit prices of corn
and bacon during the last growing season
average OF the State) were about as follows:
Cash. Credit. Payable
Corn. .......... &c. 99c. November l
Bacon. Sc. lose. November l
think it would be safe to say that the av-
tIdeo idtt per CeHt. duuel 10 tIc cash prices
of all goods sold to farmers is 81 per cent. per
annum
[ByJ. G. Knapp, State Agent, Lemonia, Fla
In conclusion will say by way of estimate
that the entire cotton and fruit crop of the
state will not more than pay the debt of the
year.
by j. S Newman, State Agent, Auburn, Ala
would say that As per cent. of the farmers
of Alabama, including white and colored,
were in debt January l. without available
means of meeting such Indebtedness; 8 per
cent. interest is usually paid on old debts, and
sary to seek assistance from commission
merchants or country merchants in the form
of supplies of some kind required to make
their crOn.