The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-09-16


ing such needed supplies as can not
be raised, are improving their farms,
buying furniture vehicles, farm i'm,
plemen,s, etc., and in some cases are
lending and investing money
That the cotton section is raising
largely other things than cotton, and
that. therefore, the planter, if a
slave" Of "kipg Cotton" is SO be-
cause Of bad methods, and nos be-
cause of adverse natural conditions,
may be amply demonstrated The
principal cotton-growing states are
North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama. Missis-
sippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas,
Tennessee These ten States had
last year something less than 49,
0o0. 900 acres in cotton. The same
States (onitting Maryland Virginia,
West Virginia and Kentucky, had
"a, 1854, 100 acres in corn, 2,266 ,Al5
acres in wheat, 3,302,l53 acres in
oats, 107,24 acres in rye, 126, ,S93
acres in potatoes, l,667,553 acres in
hay. The corn acreage alone. it will
be observed, was 25 per cent. greater
than the cotton acreage These
figures are from reports of the stat
istician of the United States Agri-
cu!,ura! Department. The Agricul-
tural Department does not report the
acreage or yield Of any but these
sfap'~ crops ; but from the reports of
the Eleventh United States Census
we learn that in 1889, the census
year. se7en years ago, and before the
South had reached is present stage
in the diversilication Of lis products,
these ten States produced 75,lG2.-
72S pounds Of tobacco. l27 $50 574
pounds OF rice, 1867 ,562 bushels of
peanuts, 3 443, ,355 bushels Of peas
and beans. l73 594 bushels Of grass
and clover seed 22,025 ,S24 bushels
of apples, "a 7l5,2s7 bushels Of
peaches. 3ls,6l5 bushels OF pears,
655. i66 bushels of plans, market
garden products to the value of
nearly S4,o0o,00o. butter ON farms
only and not including product of
dairies), l39, 1888. 1886 pounds; cheese
Con farms only), 329,745 pounds :;
milk (on farms only). 537 ,027 ,68S
gallons Z; eggs. l2S,99O,924 dozen !;
honey, 1851. 200 pounds. The
number of sheep on farms mot in
Guiding sheep on ranges was 6.2S4.'
59l the number of cattle on farms
was l2,71S,l23 f; of swine, 12,311.-
s67 OF poultry. 70,S22,89l. Three
States of these ten North Carolina,
Georgia and Tenne ssse) produced
7O4,932 gallon of wine and 4,7l5,-
200 pounds of grapes sold for table
use, the market value of the wine
being more than one fourth the value
of the California product, and the
value of the grapes sold being 80 per
cent. Of the value of the California
sales.
And these multifarious products
are raised not only and not predomi-
nantly sin the Piedmont region and
along tie edges of the cotton belt, :"
but in the interior Of the distinct
lively cotton territory" as we'll. The
counties in Georgia (the State in
which the author of the Independent
article lives most noted for cotton
production are likewise large pro-
ducers of the cereals. an1 are con-
spicuous for fruit production. What
is now known as the fruit belt Of
Georgia is in the area of largest cot
ton production The great peach
orchards around Macon, Fort Valley,
Triton, NarshaI!ville the vineyards
that are making their owners rich at
Tifton, Morelands, Newman, AID in
dozens Of other localities and all
''in the interior of the d;stinctively
cotton territory"
As to the impossibi!ity of selling
grain raised in the cotton belt, If the
Piedmont farmer or the Western or
Northern farmer eau sell his grain.
what is there to prevent the farmer
ia the cotton territory from selling
his !? All have access to the same
markets; all have equal ;vileges in
the matter of railroad transportation
The report Of the statistician of the
United States Department of Agri-
culture for December, 1895. gives
the average farm price for 1895 Of
various farm products in ali the
| States. The following table shows a
comparison Of prices Of grain in
representative Northern States, With
the average of prices in the ten cot
: ton States:
Cora Wheat RYE Oats
Mas: achusetis, so -. 81 81