The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-08-29
'L VII.
S25.O5 per Feddan.
Here are the items of expense per acre
as Pasha Maher gave them with the inter

Five hoeings.. :. 90
Picking. *
Transient Of cotton .... ...-. 20
Interest Oh pumping plant. Is
Total cost per acre. 49,. 500
Deduct net price OF seed. So
Net cost per acre. -: 49,. ~. 3ol
A plaster is equivalent to five cents in
Arperican 1nofirf, and the Egyptian farmers
expense per feddan OF acre reckoned i'll our
currency would be $500.
From this acre the Egyptian has OBJ
tanned 400 pounds of lint cotton and the
average cost TO him per pound is .Od2O
cents or six cents and a quarter approx
matey.
This is not counting in the cost of the
warehousing and interest on the investment
at Alexandria or of the cost of selling.
After all the Egyptian has not much the
advantage per pound Georgia farmers ar"
increasing their yield per acre, and as they
get it higher they reduce the cost per
pound. When they get to making IN aver
age crop of 400 pounds of lint to the acre
they viii be away ahead of the Egyptian
farmer in the profit on the crop, for 100
pounds on an acre would bring the cost
down to less than + cents IA pound.
a 5000 Acre Plantation.
Colonel Smith owns 10000 acres lying
in one tract in Oglethorpe and Madison and
has 1000 acres in other parts OF Georgia.
OF the 10000 acres he cultivateS about
one-half and the rest is III pasture and
woods, some original forest and the rest
second growth pineS His home is situated
about the middle of the tract which, how
ever, is not square, but has irregular boun-
daries In some places it is fifteen miles
across and in others only one or two The
soil is n light red clay of good natural quail
ity and susceptible of improvement. 1t is
spcndidly adapted to the cultivation OF cot
tom while corn, wheat, oats. rye, clover
and fruits melons and vegetables of many
varieties flourish there.
Colonel Smith has four systems of farm
fe cultivates 5000 acres by hired free
labor 1900 acres by c0nYicts leased from the
state oOO0 acres by tenants who pay him
one fourth of their crops. 1000 acres by
troopers" who pay him one half OF their
crops.
The acreage of each crop and average
Weld for the whole body Of land by all the
systems combined are about as follows:
cron Acres Yield.
C |,orn - 700. .3o'o00 bushels
Wheat. :. :. Il, 600. ....1 1000 bushels.
Oats. 500. 5000 bushels
WINS go -. loo. 49,. 5000 bHshcIs
Ruta Baga Turnips 100, $500. .3o,o GOO bushels.
Irish Potatoes. 20. LOCO bushrls'
Colonel Smith owns 200 mules, twelve
horses, 500 cows. oxen and calves, and
400 hogs His mules are fine and cost hlm
from $50 to 500 apiece. His herd OF
COWS contains many Holsteln Jersey ana
AYRSHIRE cattle. Some Of these catu"
are thoroughbred and are registered. lie
miks about seventy cows and makes Sixty
pounds of fine butter per day, selllnS IL
for % cents per pound.
He cultivates about 1900 acres around
his home place where he lives with free
hired labor, all the laborers being negroes
He also keeps constantly employed mum
Der of carpenters brick layers and black
smiths. Some of these mechanics are
white and others are black. He pays the
best class of labor on this farm 500 per
annum. the laborers feeding themselves.
He pays the second class $l.,5 per year and
the boys from $75 to $40 year. He
hires some negro women for five days in
the week i'll certain seasons and pays them
on an average of 40 cents per day. The
women do not work on Saturdays, eyotding
that day to domestic duties. Colonel Smith
furnishes all his laborers good houses, and
gardens for vegetables. lie supplies his
wage hands with tirewood. He works
about 100 hands on his wages farm. Two
white mon are employed to boss the Ia
horcrs and they are assisted by colored sub
foremen.
The Convict System.
The convict farm is entirely distinct from
the other farm so far as cultivation Is
concerned, being cultivated as a separate
plantation. This farm embraces 5000
acres on which an average of seventy
five convicts are employed. Now there are
100 All are men. They are serving
terms of from two years to life sentences.
Colonel Smith pays the state 81 per month
for each convict and clothes and feeds
him. The lessee has to pay the transport
taton of the convict from the place where
he is convicted to the farm and must pay
his fare back and supply him with clothes
|. when the prisoners sentence expires. For
every escape who is not recaptured. he
must pay the state $500. There is one white
man to superintend the convicts and fit
teen white guards. who are paid by the
lessee. Colonel Smith says that the cost
of the convict labor is fully as much per
capita as the cost of the free labor The
convcts do not do any more work than
the free workmen.
The Tenants.
About 1000 acres are cultivated by