Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-11-10
The Cost Of Raising Corn.

In his lotter which is printed to-day
correspondent in Ocoreo county romarl1s
| that in his opinion "rhe News and Cou-
rior and Col. Youmans aro both right
about tho cost of raising corn," and ho
! adds: "Certainly, corn can bo grown for
| ton cents bushol, but that must bo on
| worry rioh land. and with tho best of man
| agement, seasons, etc. There is land in
| this county that will mako 100 bushels of
corn per acre without any fertilizer, and
! tho work can be dono for less than ton
dollars, but this will not do as an argu-
mcnt for raising corn in tho South.
Forty cents bushol is nearer right and
that is about half what it costs tho all
cotton farmer when ho has to buy it OH
timo."
Our correspondent is evidently labor
ing under serious misapprehonsion. Wo
have mover assorted that corn can be
grown in South Carolina or tho South at
quoted the published assertion of large
and successful planter that it had boon
grown recently at that cost. Col. You
mans challenged us, it is true, to tako
charge of his plantation on exceptionally
favorable terms, and try to make corn at
that cost, but we declined the challenge
without hesitation, for tho reason that
we are not now in the farming business.
The Lancaster Review reported fow
days later that Methodist minister had
grown crop of 50 bushels on ono aero
| at Il cost of less than ton cents bushol
but it has never responded to our request
| for particulars, and the successful planter
has also maintained a persistent silonce
about tho crop ho marketed, and thore
the whole matter stands.
Our correspondent will understand now,
| we are sure, that we havo no controversy
with Col. Youmans, or anybody, as to
the cost of raising corn, but arc merely
| seeking Information on tho subject. Tho
simple statement of fact is that we do
not know what is tho cost Of raising tho
grain undor ordinary or average condi-
tions, and cannot find out from those
who ought to know-the farmers who
! raise corn. 1t is an important question,
and we have agitated it in tho hope of
clitating authorative information, but
without success 80 far. 1t is still Opon
for discussion and clucidation, and we
shall be glad to receive any statement of
facts and experience that will help to
scttlo it.
Our Oconee correspondent reports that
corn is certainly grown in his county at
| cost of ten cents q bushcl, but tho crop
is IN exceptional ono, Us ho explains, anu
cannot therefore be considered. IT is
moro to the purpose whom he says that
$40 cents y bushcl is nearer tho usual
J cost, and that that is "about half what
it costs the allcotton farmer who has to
buy it on time." Our contention has
been that it is far cheaper for tho cotton
farmers of tho State to raise corn than
to buy it, and this testimony goes to
provo that wo wero right. Our corros-
pondcnt Will rontior good service if Ito
will establish tho difference ho has stated
by facts and figures, or if he will show,
in any way, how much it ought to cost,
on q reasonable basis of calculation, to
grow as much as say 20 TO 30 hnahcla Of
corn to an aero, and what would bo the
profit" on that quantity as compared
with tho profit on tho product of tho
same acre in cotton.--Nows and Courior,
November 1.