Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-19
Smaller Farms.

..- ~ SmaiieFF FdFTfto.
One Of the unsettled problems Of the
future of this country is as to whether
the holdings of farm lands are to be
concentrated in the hands of few
large owners or whether they are to be
divided among many small owners, and
notwithstanding the hundred and thir-
ty-seven years since the foundation OF
the government, there Is very little defi-
mite data upon which to base any rea-
sonably satisfactory predictions
Had 1t not been for the great Civil
war there is reasonable certainty that
large farms, great plantations. whole
districts owned by few families
would have been the general rule, es-
pecially in the south. Conditions had
already shaped themselves up that
way. Given the ownership Of land and
negroes, 1t required only fairly good
management to get more land and
more negroes, and the man who had
neither land nor negroes, or even ne
groes without land, which did not hap
pen often, had poor show to make
headway in the world. That the abo-
lition of slavery changed the tendencies
that had existed in the south previous
to the Civil war, there Is no reasonable
ground for dispute; but as to how
things are going in the future still re-
mains unsettled.
Just as before the Civil war the con-
centration of land ownership In the
hands of few people pointed to GER
tain inevitable tendency, the same
thing would be true today If other at
tending conditions permitted; but up to
this time there is not much reason to
believe that the other conditions re-
ferred to are likely to be brought
about. The chances seem to be against
such thing; but still the final deter
mination of the problem remains for
the future.
Considering especially this county, 1t
Is not difficult to look back and review
with more or less interest If not actu-
al profit, some Of the tendencies that
have been noticeable during the past
fifty years. In the first place, with the
freeing Of the slaves and the bankruptcy
that followed the Civil war, most OF the
large ante bellum plantations were
gradually cut up into smaller holdings.
AS lands became cheap by reason of so
much of it going on the market, many
individuals whose plans were colored
mainly by their recollections Of condi-
tions that had existed Immediately pre-
vious, began to buy all the land they
could get possession of for cash or
credit. AS land had always been the
leading basis Of actual value, they
rightly concluded that it always would
be such leading basis; but for various
reasons, events did not move along rap
idly enough under the new conditions
and much Of the accumulated holdings
referred to were quickly dissipated.
OF course it is hardly worth while to
discuss the agricultural system that
was so generally followed for the first
twenty or thirty years after the Civil
war. Most fairly intelligent people of
average business experience can read
lily understand the impossibility Of q
system that looked for success through
ruinous credit, that often cost the
farmer more than he could hope to pro-
duce. The majority attempted to fol-
low the system indicated, and the re-
suits that followed were natural. Only
the comparatively few who were con-
tent to try to make headway slower on
more conservative lines have been able
to pull through the terrible ordeal.
OF late years since the country has
gotten on it's feet more firmly, quite a
number of people have accumulated
large holdings of land. The accumula-
tions have been by various means-by
careful, purposeful toll, by inheritance,
/ by converting the money secured
through various other means and en-
terprises; but only few large land
owners are finding their holdings pro-
| fitable 1t seems to be almost out Of the
| question to work a large farm to ad-
| vantage with hired labor, and the rent
ing and cropping systems are constant
| ly growing less satisfactory. With 1t
all, large landholders with few excep-
tions, are feeling more pressure than is
altogether comfortable.
The present tendency seems to be in
the direction Of smaller farms. This Is
more noticeable In some quarters OF
the county than in others; but it is
more or less noticeable in all sections.
AS to how permanent this tendency
may prove, however. is only matter
for speculation. While Of course, there
is little probability of cheaper wage la
Dor, there certainly being no such in
dications in sight, there Is possibility
of improved methods. For instance. If
| 1t should develop that much of the Ia
Dor that is now done by hand could be
| done more economically by machinery,
and some enterprising capitalist should
| make a success in that direction, there
would be a boom for larger holdings;
| but under conditions as they now exist
and from all we are able to see in the
| immediate future, we are inclined to
| think that the cutting up of the larger
| farms into smaller holdings bids fair to
| continue.
Mr. d Tiptnn tho Sort horn rail-