The sun., 1893-11-08

cultivation; that 30 sterile are the
uplands, and much OF the valley lands
east OF the Mississippi that the corn
rows are an average Of five feot apart, and
the plants, ono In hill. three foct apart
| In the rows, the result OF such planting
being that an acre sustains less than third
rs many plants as at the North; that this
thin planting accounts for the meagre yields
Of Southern maize fields, which, for the
seven cotton States east OF the Mississippi,
average but 1913 bushels Nm acre, rs against
| 29.4 In the seven surplus-corn States; that
| Southern farmers are well aware OF the
| fact that planting corn close upon their
sterile lands results in an entire absence of
| ears; that no amount of asseveration will
enable the cultivator to make productive
farms OF the unoccupied lands OF the South,
no matter in how many publications they
may have been rated as arabic; and that
there is not the slightest probability Of anv
considerable number OF white people at
tempting to found new farms upon such
lands until wheat, corn. and oats bear sew
eral times their present prices In the great
markets of the world.
Throughout the South we hnve found the
populations subssting largely upon food
and forage grown at the North. even con-
densed milk being shipped there by the
car load. like so much baed hay.
Those not fully informed as to the adam
tation of Southern soils TO tho production
of the various staples have been inclined to
berate Southern people for their deDend-
ence upon distant fields for food and for
age; but the fact is that by processes OF
natural selection the Southern cutivntor
has found that while his fields are but i'll
adapted to cereal production. he can pro-
duce good crops OF that fibre which clothes
the most OF mankind; that he can secure
yields OF cotton that are half greater than
those grown by any competitor save the
one cultivating the rich Nile alluvial, and
that In employing his lands in a produc-
ton to which they are especially adapted
he secures fair returns. whereas it would
result in starvation should he attempt to
compete in the worlds grain markets with
lands that produce more than twice as
many bushels an acre at half the labor cost
There will be some extension Of the culti-
waited area east OF the Mississippi. but few
new farms will founded. West of that river
many new farms will ultimately be opened,
but the South, as n whole. will do remarka-
bly, well il the additions to the cultivated
area during the remainder OF this century
equal the added requirements OF the world
for the fluffy staple.
That we are correct as to the future OF
Southern agricultural development Is indi-
Gated by the census. which shows that OF
additions to the cultivated area OF the thir-
teen Southern States. from 1879 to 1889, ag-
gregating $780, 900 acres. no less than 6, 5,649,-
900 were absorbed by the expanding cotton
fields. leaving but 900 acres. or a bare
increase Of % per cent. to be added to the
area employed in growing other staples;
while at the same time the Southern popu-
lations increased 20 per cent. East of the
Mississippi the cotton fields not only abb
sorbed all the added acres. but invaded
100000 heretofore employed in growing
cereals. AS the world populations to be
clothed are likely to increase from 10 to is
per cent. in the next ten years. the South,
to meet increasing demands for cotton,
must add quite as much to the cotton fields
In the next ten years as in the last ten. Is
a larger increase probable in view OF the
fact that the available lands are less by at
least 6.520.000 acres than in 1879?