The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-01-23
IT PAYS LIKE A GOLD MINE
BUT
From The Daily Item.

The Sumter Item reports that, from
data before it, it is satisfied that the
tobacco crop in Sumter County has
been profitable one, though some
farmers have lost money on it j;
"there is no doubt about tobacco
having become an established crop"
in the county: that "6ne tobacco"
can be raised there; that when the
soil is adopted to the plant f.it can
be made the most profitable crop
grown in that section y and that
some planters report having "made
from $25 to $50 net per acre, and
others estimate that they made more
than that
Our contemporary adds. however,
that "the outlook for an increase in
the tobacco acreage is not bright, as
far as can be learned" and "the
culture of tobacco may not be ex-
tended this year." We must confess
that we do not understand what this
conclusion signifies or implies. If
the new crop has proved generally
profitable, and has become generally
established in consequence +; if fine
tobacco can be grown there and can
be made the most profitable crop
grown in one of the best agricultural
sections of the State and if some
farmers have cleared $25 TO $50 an
acre, "and more than that" growing
tobacco, we beg to be permitted to
ask why the acreage of the crop
should not and will not be extended !?
1t beats cotton at 5 cents a pound,
and corn and wheat at so to 10 cents
a bushel. No new crop could well
show better returns for its first year,
and the reported returns ought to
suffice to cause all the counties
around Sumter to go into tobacco
raising on large scale. Even at
$25 an acre prolific say nothing of
the $50 and more-it should drive
cotton out of the field without
ceremony. There are some farmers
in the State who, if current stories
are to be believed, did not make s25
last year on forty or fifty acres Of
cotton.
Yet the Sumter farmers turn away
from this tempting and paying crop
and will not 60 extensively into the
business Of growing it, while their
neighbors in Darlington and Florence
propose to quadrupie their acreage
in the same crop this year. 1t is
strange and unaccountable behavior
on their part Perhaps, however,
they have found something that pays
better than tobacco. The Item
should let the farmers of other
counties into the scret.-Neocs and
Courier.
We can give, in part, the expla-
nation asked and will do so. Tobacco
has been planted in this county to
some extent for four years. The
first year one or two parties planted
experimentally; but as is often the
case, the experiment was made on
too large scale. One man planted
twenty-five or thirty acres and the
others scarcely less. The expense
was heavy, as matter of course.
Barns and packing houses had to be
built, planters and other impliments
purchased, and overseers, who un.
derstood cultivating and curing
tobacco, employed. The 6rst year
the crop was not success financial
ly, and one Of those who had invest
ed large amount of money in
barns abandoned tobacco after the
first crop.
The next year, however, the acre
age was increased six or eight fold,
and quite a number undertook the
experiment on a small scale-plant-
ing from three to five acres; al.
though others planted twenty-five to
forty acres and invested $500 to
81, 200 in barns, etc. On this crop
several made fair profit above the
gross expense, while others, those
who had planted extensively, in par
ticular, lost money
The third year, 1898, there was a
slight increase in the tobacco acre
age, more farmers planting tobacco,
although those who had planted so
extensively the previous year re-
duced their acreage. Owing to
m;shaps, drouths at critical times
and hailstorms-the crops of seveal
planters were total failures.