The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-03-27

mules and cattle are fed with corn
grown in the Northwest. The planters
| family and help eat vegetables, meat,
| and even eggs which he never pro-
! duced An agricultural newspaper ex-
pert from Milwaukee told us PERSONAL
! ~ that during a tour OF TWO months
! through certain of the cotton States
/ he found the country people eating
/ fresh vegetables which had been grown
/ in Wisconsin and California, and some
were using canned goods in summer.
The first step in diversification Of
! products is TO provide those foods that
the planter. his cattle and his cOmmun-
! ity require The planter must live
within himself. and in addition furnish
| all of the farm products for which
there is ready local market-veget-
| abIes. fruits. meats. milk. butter and
eggs. If then, the cotton crop is small
or money scarce from low prices, the
planter is provided for. so far as he
and his are concerned. That is not all.
| The planter can grow the corn his
mules and cattle require for fifteen
cents a bushel: and what does il cost
him TO bring il from the Northwest?
| The Western farmers price; the COM
mission Of the elevator owner, who
puts it on the rail: the railroads
charges, and, finally, the profit of a
| second dealer who sells il in small
quantities to the planter-al these
charges bring up the price to fifty
cents. and the difference of thirtyfive
cents has to be paid out of the hard
| cash received for cotton.
If the first great step IS taken in the
diversifying of crops. and each agricul-
tural community produces all it re-
quires for consumption. in which di-
rection is the next step? The South
some time ago largely gave up compel
! ing with the North and West in mutton
and wool. Just as il is now proposed
that we shall make way for our rivals
! in cotton production in other countries
! ''The center of cereal production in
| this country has crossed the MisSiS-
sippi," and not only has the North
given way to the West in grain supply,
| but the Southern States during the de-
cade ending with 1890, as shown by
! the census reports. have decreased the
| cereal area .342. 673 acres. We must
| expand our production OF meats, and
not only to meet local needs in farming
communities. but the South must COM
| pete for the meat supply of the great
manufacturing centres that are devel
This should be done by the aid of i'm
proved breeds of cattle and hogs. and
especially of high-claSS sheep. Sheep
not only mean an increase of meat,
but a greater number spread thlnly
over the poor lands resting from cot
| ton growth will also give to the South
a larger share in any advantages of
wool production. The increase of ami
mails will provide a home market for a
greater production of corn, and meats
offer the best form of shipment for
surplus products to distant markets.
Products for sale should be such as
will bear the cost of transport. In this
respect cotton, even at five cents. has
greatly the advantage over corn, whose
local value is only one-half cent per
pound.
After cotton, tobacco is the next
great money crop. Of the 4S3. O00.0
pounds grown By this country last year
the South produced the chief part, Ken
lucky and North Carolina supplying
three-fifths of the total amount. The
South can produce more of this article
for which the demand is permanent.
North Carolina is now growing tobacco
and the census tobacco bulletin states
that the average price for this State in
1890 was 25.2 cents, and of four other
large tobacco States, including Connec-
ticut, nine cents per pound. All the
Southern States might well ask for the
privileges of Louisiana. She grows
cotton and tobacco: is rapidly obtain
ing the production of rice. having in
creased from 100000 pounds in 1860
TO $4,000. 900 in 1890, when the total
American production was 12S,000,000
pounds: and she has the monopoly of
cane sugar We could enlarge further
upon the possibilities of Louisiana, but
our subject is "The Crisis in the
South"