78 



of corn, the conclusion that the exclusive culture of cotton in the present 

 exhaustive mode is more profitable than rotation with other crops upon 

 a recuperative basis. Ilerein lies the whole question of the future profit 

 of cotton culture. Our correspondents, now and heretofore, furn sh 

 facts to prove the possibility of growing more than the present amount 

 of cotton on half of the area now cultivated, leaving the remainder to 

 produce, with little added cost, an abundance of corn, beef, pork, wool, 

 fruits, etc. This can be accomplished by a system which shall make the 

 soil more productive than at present, while it is undeniable that the 

 mode of culture now and heretofore practiced renders the soil less pro- 

 ductive. 



Will planters continue the old practice ? Many correspondents think 

 a new departure is pending. It has often been promised before. The 

 first rise in cotton has usually buried the impulse in oblivion. The dif- 

 ficulty is, as one correspondent has foreseen, the present race of planters 

 know better than outsiders how to " make cotton," but very few of them 

 have learned how to do it without injury to the soil. They can only ob- 

 tain golden eggs by killing by inches the goose that produces them. 



North Carolina, — Craven : The only crop for money or exportation ; $50 per acre 

 may be counted as the maximum yield, though some, by extra care and calrure, have 

 produced three times as much. Montyomeri/ and Tyrrell : Cor.ton and corn the chief pro- 

 ducts; corn, beiug heavier in proportion to value, csts more for transportation, and 

 therefore brings the producer less money. Fitt : The crop from which the tillers of 

 the soil expected to realize the most proht ; but, in consequence of the low price, many 

 have failed iu their expectations, and are obliged to curtail their operations for the 

 ensuing year. Chowan : Although most profitable, the low price has caused several 

 farmers to fail. Farmers begin to learn by expt-rieuce that cotton will not do to de- 

 pend upon. Catawba: One acre will produce 350 pounds of lint, at 14 cents, $49 ; 

 cost of fertilizt-.rs, $().:?0 ; preparing ground, cultivating, and gathering, $18; net 

 profit, $24.70. Moore: Almoat the only medium of money circulation among the 

 farmers. 



South Carolina. — WiUiamshurgh : About the only crop. Some few farmers who 

 did their own work or hired on specially favorable terms may have cleared enough to 

 pay taxes after supplying their families! Chesterfield : The crop was below the a vera,ge, 

 and the price scarcely sufiicient to pay the cost of production, leaving the planter with 

 no margin to support his family or as compensation for his services and interest on 

 investment. Even those who did their own work have failed iu most instances to pay 

 for supplies cousumed in making the crop. Lexington: Most profitable, but even that 

 has fallen very far below the profits of the previous year. Laurens : The all-absorbing 

 crop. A good and full crop was made ; but little margin to the producer. Chester : 

 The only product to which our people look for profit ; yield average, but price too low 

 to be remunerative. Barnwell : Notwithstanding the low price, and the failure of many 

 planters and the bankrupting of a large portion, those who managed the business iu 

 a business way with their own capital realized a larger per cent, on investment than 

 those engaged in other branches. From actual experience you have the fo'Uowing 

 statement: Five hundred acres of land, at $4 per acre, $2,000 ; work-animals, $800 ; 

 implements, $300 ; total capital, $3,100 ; laborers sufficient for this farm, 200 acres 

 iu cultivation, working on half time, supporting themselves, make for the proprietor 

 30 bales of cotbon, of 500 pounds each, worth $60 per bale, $1,800. Deduct for fertil- 

 izers, $300 ; use of work animals, $250 ;'of implements, $50 ; annual repairs, $225 ; taxes, 

 $75: total. $900; clear profit, $900. The feed of the work-animals is replaced by their 

 work in addition to the cotton, and the cotton-seed and manure pay for ginning, bag- 

 ging, and ties. 



Georgia.— J7a?Z ; Before the war not 100 bales of cotton were made in this county. 

 We have marketed this year over 5,000 bales, most of which was grown here. Broohs : 

 Not. however, so" remunerative as it would have been had not the planters bought so 

 largely of fertilizers. Whitfield: I planted 4 acres; used 500 pounds of Stonewall gu- 

 ano, which cost $20, and raised 3 bales, 500 pounds each. A neighbor planted 20 acres, 

 common upland, without using any fertilizer, and raised 11 bales, averaging 500 

 pounds. Another planted 22 acres' without manure and raised 15 bales. Another 

 planted 1 acre, using stable-manure, and raised 2,200 pounds of seed-cottou. Gordon : 

 Our poorest land for the piist two years has yielded more per acre than our richest lanU 

 in cereals. Upson : Many who have managed their farms well and had a little 'ii'J''«y 

 ahead have lost it all, ami those who were in debt are worse iu debt than ever. \\ o 

 do but little iu the way of diversifying or rotating crops. Upon an average we plant 



