The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-09-11
Future Of Cotton Planting.

Mr.. James Richardson, the biggest cot
ton planter in the world, has been giving
some of his impressions oil his business
to New York reporter. Mr.. Richardson
aims to grow about 10000 bales Of tho
great staple every year. and his father
once had crop Of IS GOO bales.
The views Of such :. large planter are
in their way quite rs interesting as Il dis
sertation from big spoculators on stocks,
and they are not open to the suspicion Of
being made TO influence the hcmarket. Tho
subject is really Of wider interest, for cot
ton is still king in tho South, and moro
people are concerned IN its production and
manufacture than GHhbe i'll Wall street.
Ten thousand bales at So a bale are worth
10000, and this is about One-tonth per
cent of the value of the whole American
crop. II he chose 20 do so, Mr.. Richard
son could "hear'' tie p:ice of cotton just
as young Gould pu. down Missouri
Pacific by passing the dividend. Being
planter as we'll as Il merchant, it IS to
Mr.. Richardson's interest to keep up the
value of the staple.
1t is encouraging to find him speaking
hopefully of the outlook, though his con-
clusiOns arc not likely to be widely &C
cepted. lie says he made more money
OF cotton when it was low than when 1t
was high, because then he had to study
to take advantage of every turn ofthe
market, every facility Of transportation,
and every possible scheme to augment
the yield and improve the quality. For
instance, bale of cotton is always bale,
and freight and other charges are based
upon this unit, not upon its weight.
Ordinarily bale Of cotton weighs 800
pounds. and it costs 81 30 to get cotton
baled, shipped, and delivered to ultimate
buyers. Mr.. Richardson, according to
the interviewer, said he compressed ,2'o
pounds into each of these trade units,
with no addition to the cost of transporta-
ton and other expenses. Tho margin
saved was quite enough to make low
priced crop profitable. lie must have
been misguided as to this, for bales
weighing over 100 pounds are regarded
as understandable; but this point is not
material.
The planter must first produce the crop
before it can be baled and marketed, and
there are quite as many problems to be
considered in this important branch of
the business. What will be news to most
people is Mr.. Richardson's remark that he
"breeds' cotton with the same care other
men devote to horses. There are many
varieties of the plant, and to produce the
best staple requires constant admlXture
of these. Tho negro field hand must be
fed abundantly, and as he is passionately
fond of pork, that kind of food must be
produced as economically as possible. So
with mules and oxen, both Of which are
used to such great extent on the planta-
ton, MIR. Richardson is convinced that
the negro is determined not to be fuan-
cier hence to get the best results he must
be hired and not taken into partnership.
In other words the white planter must
own the land and do the thinking. This
is not flattering to the believers in the
necessary uplifting of the colored man
into the landholder and employer, but
coming from planter of such wide eX-
perience it is woit th serious consideration.
The plan that had to be adopted soon after
tho war of furnishing the ground, team
and tools, and supplies, for part of the
crop must be given up for employment
at straight wages, though by Southern
custom the planter furnishes cabins, gar
dens, wood and other things free.
Mr.. Richardson sums pthe following
as the essentials for the successful cotton
planter of the future:
"Cotton must enter on new life. 1t
can have no dividend ownership. The
man who grows it must be solely respon-
Lue lldlldEOlIlCuts 11O AL uoL hofO
the machinery as far as possible to absorb
not only his staple, but it's refuse. He
must manufacture, as far as possible, the
lint into cloth. He must also manufac-
ture the cotton seed, its cake, oil ETC.
The smallest of these things is of the
value Of the largest in its general econo-
my. He must also watch the matter of
shipment with the greatest care, and
conoeding 10 the railroads and steamboats,
their traditional views, must bale, COM
press, tie, etc., for himself"
In other words he thinks that the bust
ness mnst be managed with the same
care and attention as manufacturing and
commercial enterprises, and that it should
be done on as extensive scale. While
we concede the truth Of much of what he
says, we see no reason why the small
farmer, white or black, who owns his
lands and teams and furnishes his own
labor may not continue to grow the sta
pie at the same advantage as ever. 1t is
also impossible for the planter to work
up the raw products if this wero essential
to success only few great capitalists
could engage in the business. Cheap
cotton has revolutionized Southern farm
ing, and so far as it has taught the neces-
sity of economy and watchfulness. Mr.
Richardson's views meot with no dissent.
There will always be room for the small
fry in cotton growing, and when cotton
gets too low for tho 1ive-bale men it will
be too low for the producer Of ten thou
sand bales.-LouisUitle CoMicr-Joornal.