The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-24
Sensible Views By z Farmer,

that proposes TO reject wCOiens as q
Northern and Western product and
81 be titate cotton to increase the
consumption and demand for the
staple, when in fact If the demand
was double in the South it would not
create as much as ripple IN the
market. so far as demand is con
cerned. IF we would come to The poin,
of rejecting Western meat, corn, oats
and hay and effect upon the cost OF
these thugs which should be raised
at home and on every farm, we
could not wonder at tie decline of
agriculture, and the collapse of The
one crop system.
Over production of cotton, the
Chief staple crop of the world, to the
exclusion Of all other crops is the
troubl5 ard only trouble. 1t was
the custom Of farmers before the war
to grow every thing that was con-
sumed on the farm, that could be
grove, and all of the successful
PLANTERS Of TO day are those who still
adhere to thin ante bellum custom,
Your correspondent remembers well
when thousands and tens of thou
sands Of fat hogs were driven to
other markets, and then leave 8
great deal more at home than could
be consumed. They diversified their
crops. The surplus corn, meat, wheat
and oats were shipped and in large
quantities, taking quite a fleet Of
steamers and sail boats to carry it
dovn the Roanoke to the markets
We know how it is now.
1t is said that the line tetween
salty and insanity is so exceedingly
attenuated that you cant alway g
tell the difference between sane
and au insane man. II g man from
the East or West or from any we'll
diversified section were to travel
through the South at this time where
nothing is observable but denuded
cotton fields, and nothing to ropre
sent farming but cotton stalks ana
poverty sEd the hue and cry of hard
times and did not pronounce this
insanity, he would ut least pronounce
this one crop sytem reckless
absurdlty. Nothing to eat or to feed
with and not dollar TO show for
what has been done And yet an
enormous amount of harl work has
been done, aud properly applied it
would have brought plenty and peace.
The mystery to me is, why people
should grow cotton to the exclusion
of other crops with the expectation
of buying supplies out of a crop that
has for several wears been selling tie
low the cost Of production. | know
Of but one explanation and that il,
that the cotton crop Of the South is
grown on credit. | haze always
foand cotton an exceedingly expcn-
s:ve and lsbotious crop aud can not
be prCtitably grown for less than
fifteen cents pound and the plan
teGs are getting six cent?, and there
is no substitute. 1t is the king
money crop of the world jadiciously
managed.
Now for the remedy; eight millions
of bales Of cotton represent an
enormous amount Of labor and
money, say $25O,O0O 600. From
these figures it would look like the
credit of the planters was yet good.
One half Of the above amount will, if
properly applied, make the planter
seifsu.taining. The first thiog to do
IS reduce The cotton acreage full,
ooe half, aud grow all Of oar sI-~
plies in abundance, hogs, cora, wheat
and oats, and one half of the cotton
that we now grow will bring the
same money as the whole crop now
brings with the supplies rs clear
prof. have heard some cay that
they could pot raise hogs, hus this is
simply another name for negligence.
1t can be done easily and cheaply.
[ will admit that we cart do 1T now.
because cotton takes all Of our time
and attention. The Alliance leaders
seem to think reelection Of acreage
impractlcable for the reason that
when one planter reduces his acreage
another outside of the Alliance
would Increase his in the belief that
the reduction Of acreage would in
crease the price, and the acreage
would &c kept up despite the under
standing. In this / think they are
mistaken. II the Farmers Alliance
will turn their attention TO the re-
ductiOn Of acreage for the Ext cr0r,.
IL 81