The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-29
THE soARIrY OF LABOR.
That is What the Farmers Are Com.
planning of Now.

MONTEzUMA, GA, Sept. 2S.-Farmers In
this section are more interested now in
gathering their cotton than they are IN pol
itics. The scarcity Of labor has scared
them. The cotton fields have been white
for over a month and many o. them have
not been touched. The storms have
stained most OF the cotton and great deal
of it is beaten out Of the ground
II the railroads ana saw-mills continue to
employ the black labor the agricultural in
dustry in Georgia will undergo a
considerable change Planters never
experienced so much difficulty in
getting their crops gathered. They
have been annoyed all the year, but they
feel the scarcity OF labor more now than
ever before.
WHY LABOR IS SCARCE.
They have lost control of black labor be-
cause they are unabls to pay the high prices
paid by the railroads and saw mills. Hands
that were formerly employed on the farms
at $40 q month standing wages, get now
from the mills and the railroads 81 and
81 50 a day. The absence of labor was
great last year, but it is more noticeable
this year, as the crop is larger. | asked
several farmers about here what would be
the result of the scarcity of labor, and
was told that the farmers would lose a part
OF their crop. They will be unable to
gather all they made, and what they suc-
ceed in gathering will be inferior. Com
menting on the present situation Of farmers.
an old-time farmer said to-day that there is
but one way to avoid the same trouble
next year. That is to plant less.
Many of them do not see, either.
how they will be able to do this. 1t takes
nearly ever ything they make TO pay them
out OF debt at the end of the year, and they
cannot plant little crops to pay Off big
debts. The merchants are always very
careful to see that the crop is large enough
to insure them against loss on their supplies
before they sell to farmers. II the farmers
don't plant to suit the merchants the mer-
chants withhold credit.
farmer said there is but one thingsthat
Will force the farmers to reduce their
acreage, and that is want of LABOR. II
labor Is as scarce next year as it is this, the
cotton crop acreage will be many thousand
acres short This will entail correspond
ing falling OFF in the production.
1t is estimated that II each planter turns
out his land. reserving only such portion
as he and his family IL able to cultivate, the
production in Georgia will not exceed 6OO,-
600 bales
The cotton acreage will drop from above
S,0OO,0 900 acres to below 1000 900.
The 100000 alliancemen, together with
the other planters in Georgia, will not cult
vate on an average more than fifty acres
each, only third of which will be in cot
ton.
REDUCTION OF ACREAGE FAVORED.
Now and then farmer is found who
favors this manner Of farming. He Is gem
orally ,well-to-do, thpfgh. His land is un-
incumbered and his dsbt is very small. One
of this class said to-day that when farmers
began to plant smaller crops better times
would be seen In Georgia. He said northern
farmers do not cultivate more than one third
as much land as the majority Of farmers In
Georgia. And they live a great deal better.
Most of the Indiana farmers pant thirty
and forty-acre fields, and the planter whc
has eighty acres under cultivation is a bic
farmer. In Georgia, he said poor farmers
plant 500 and 600 acres. Off of the 500 acres
he gets perhaps 175 bales of cotton. II he
were able to cultivate it as well as he would
fifty acres, he would get 500 bales Off of 1t,
The best farming in Georgia, is by those
who cultivate what is called "brag patches.
These patches consist Of five and ten acres
brought up TO high state of improvement
There are few planters in Georgia nov
making two bales of cotton per acre or
these patches. A 10-acre patch which viii
produce two bales per acre, is more valua-
BILE than thirty acres producing one bale or
three acres. 1t is said that large percent
age OF farmers in Georgia are getting
poorer every year blowing W
the old red hills. They continue to In
crease their acreage in order to pay of
their debt at the end Of the year. They art
unable to use fertilizers owing to the large
amount under cultivation, and they have u
plant heavily to get credit.
As they increase their acreage the labor
increases and their expenses become greater
Every expense grows, while the land Il
wearing out and the farmer is getting
poorer.
The farmer says that this state of affairs
will exist until necessity forces the planter
out.
Within the last ten years many big
farmers have failed In Georgia. Formerly
l 600 acres under one fence was not an un
usual thing; to-day not many farmers are
able to stock such plantation. Tht
farmer said that they have reduced theil
acreage gradually from necessity, and they
will reduce it more. When they begin OF
the small farm he predicted better times ii
Georgia.
A man must plant at least fifteen acres Il
be called a cotton raiser. II he planted nc
more he would be more prosperous. Th,
old farmer said instead the majority O
farmers in Georgia plant fifty acres anc
over.
REFORM ALLIANCEMEN CAN BRING
ABOUT.
Said he, If the alliancemen were to star
out by cultivating twenty-five or thirty
acres in cotton and as much in corn, the
other farmers would come to it. He said
that labor will continue to be scarce, and
he predicted that in a few years black
labor cannot be had ON the farm He said
that farmers would have to learn that they
must do their own work. The sooner, th,
better for them. It would curtail produc
ton temporarily only. Others farmer
wonld DO attracted to the farms lying out
and more people would engagein agricultur
el pursuits. Land could be bought cheape
and general division, SO to speak, woulC
result The farmer said that while thu
scarcity Of labor is hurting farmers now
it will benefit them in the end.
It will make them plant less.
1t will cause them to save the money ex
pended on labor, and make them enricl
their lands. q. d. r.
Congressman Ellis Renominated.