The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-11-06
FARMER AND PLANTER.
COST OF a COTTON CROP.
Few Facts and Figures that will Bear
Studying.

"A
Studying.
am through with the hoe on my in
dividual crop of fifty acres. The cost
of such labor is 81. so per acre. We use
the day labor for this work, and go over
the crop twice The pillow goes over the
crop five times, which costs S2.10 per
acre. Now this cost of So. go is all after
crop has been planted. Prior to this to
get the soil in good condition, and in
Guiding planting, the cost is estimated
the same, which brings the amount to
$3.50 per acre before picking. The pick
ing, at so cents per hundred, will bring
the acre up to SO. IS plus $3.50, $40, 95,
provided the crop averages 500 pounds
lint cotton to the acre. Then 50 addi@
tional for guano, and we have $12. 95,
not counting hauling and ginning. all OF
which the seed will pay.
This cotton in market will bring to
the farmer upon an average $22. so gross,
which is net profit of So IS, or nearly
43 per cent profit. Now, what is the
matter with the farmer? First, he does
not use cash money to make his crop;
second, he does not average the 500
pounds to the acre.
These are the two principal reasons.
Now let US suppose that we make bale
to three acres. We get only $500, with
expense account same. So we have
Els. 90 minus Sl2. 95, which is S. 05 Only
81 05 per acre.
When it is known that the method
largely employed, the tenant or share
system, oftener makes less than the
latter figures than over them, one can
at once realize the coming necessity.
Plant less cotton and make more to
the acre. Raise all supplies at
home and keep cash money to pay
labor. The farmer who pays his
hands in trade orders, does not get the
best labor. So his crop costs him more
and he gathers less; tho proportion runs
down in accordance with this and one
other prominent feature, the personal
attention given the work. The white
men and boys who work in the fields
and they are many in this section, are
making phenomenal crops, but what to
do with the thousands of negro tenants,
who are butchering large plantations
is question that strikes the thinking
man with force. The negro who is so
favored by nature, birth and surround
| ings, could make money rapidly, and
some do. In this section there are
negroes who own good stock and lands,
all of which they made right here.
They can buy more stock or land
on time and are treated from a bust
ness standpoint, with the same degree
of confidence that is awarded to other
| industrious men of forethought So
cially they expect nothing and get it.
Otherwise their advantages are equal
in all respects TO other citizens The
average negro would be lost away from
the cotton belt. 1t is his glory to make
and pick cotton. Yet he needs guidance
and counsel at every turn. Those who
seek it, obtain it freely and prosper.
One other thing the cotton planter pays
too little attention to: selecting seed.
Like produces like in both animal and
vegetable world. Good seed will I'M
der proper cultivation, produce good
crops l mean seed that come from a
first-class crop, will produce first
class crop, just as the progeny of thor
oughbred. 1t is better to buy seed from
a neighbor, if his crop averages more to
the acre than yours, but it is best to
save seed from the best spots and not
plant all mixed as is usually done. We
pay more attention to the selection of
all other seed probably, and yet talk of
improving cotton seed. One should
leave to grass all the poor places that
lowers the average, and only cultivate
such land as will make with ordinary
good cultivation two bales per acre, for
less than that will not pay.
OF course this article is only upon the
common farming as it is seen every day.
Some of US here make some fancy crops,
but we are not writing for those IT. j.
Walker, in Southern Farm.