79 



about two-tbirds of our land iu coflon and tbe remaining tbird in corn, and call 

 that our crop. Muscofjee : It did nob i>ay tbe cost of production. Forsyth: In sev- 

 eral instances lauds -which were worn out aud would not produce 200 pounds seed- 

 cotton per acre, by tbe use of fertilizer made, after paying for fertilizer, $20 per 

 acre. Some did even better ; iu one instance one acre of old, worn-out land, after de- 

 ducting cost of guano, netted $70. Doiiffhis : Cotton is made a specialty by many to 

 tbe neglect of making meat and l)r3ad,.aiid, to my knowledge, bat few have made money 

 the past year, and those are tbe few who did not use any commercial fertilizers, and raised 

 their own meat and bread. Doohj : Planters expected to realize 18 cents for their cot- 

 ton, and made heavy liens for tlieir provisions. At the maturity of the liens, cotton 

 was selling at 11^ to 13 cents, hence a large number were forced into bankruptcy to pro- 

 tect themselves against their heavy liabilities. Others sold off' a portion of their stock, 

 and are farming on a smaller scale this year. Wilkes : Cotton was the crop. Those 

 who raise most supplies, and devote the rest of their time to cotton, have, nut only in 

 the past year, but in tbe olden times, succeeded best. They were before tlie war, and 

 still are, the money-lenders outside of banks and regular capitalists. Earle : On 8 

 acres four laborers, with two horses, made 16 bales, besides corn, fodder, oats, pease, 

 and potatoes to run tbe farm another year. This, however, is above an average. Putnam : 

 A larger crop made than ever before — about 9,000 bales. Columbia : Less guano used, 

 less cotton and more food-crops will be the motto this year. Madison : Commercial 

 fertilizers pay a better percentage in Northeast Georgia than in any other portion of 

 the Slate, from the fact that we are too far north for fruit on cotton, (without such 

 sfimulants,) owing to the shortness of tbe season. With the aid of fertilizers we make 

 hue yields. It does not rei£uire much skill to raise 300 pounds of lint-cottou on poor 

 land. 



Florida. — Tallahassee-: The county has not more than made a living for the past 

 two years. Madison : Has been deemed most profitable. No statistics are or can be 

 given which show this to have been the case, except that almost every farmer planted 

 more or less cotton, generally as much as be could tend. The larger farmers have been 

 falling behind every year, aud a majority of the larger farms are cursed with liens for 

 the last and previous years. Tliere now appears to be a dwterminjition on the part of 

 planters to make their farms self-supporting, as has been the case heretofore with the 

 smaller farmers who did nob use colored labor extensively. 



.Alabama. — Clarke: For the last two years it has failed in amount of production, 

 and prices have been low, particularly the last year, and, therefore, instead of a pay- 

 ing crop, it leaves the planters largely in arrears with their factors. Montgomery: 

 Either corn or hay might have been made more profitable than cotton, but provis- 

 ion-crops are of secondary consideration in this county. Conecuh : The only thing 

 that has been cultivated ou anything like a large scale, and I am fearful that it will be 

 so for years to come. Lauderdale: The only branch followed for profit; about two- 

 thirds of the land cultivated is planted in cotton. Randolph : Nearly every one planted 

 his best lauds in cotton, bought fertilizers extensively, to be paid for in cotton by the 

 first of November, at 15 cents per pound, (instead of which many subsequently agreed 

 to pay cash, with 2 per cent, per month added, in anticipation that cotton would be 

 higher.) Tliey also made and used home fertilizers. The suuiming up of the whole is, 

 Ave made a good crop, at large expense, and realized considerably less than cost. Corn 

 is selling at $1. This last year has taught many a lesson I hope they will not forget. 

 Franklin : Almost exclusively relied on here for money. A simple statement of the 

 cost of production will show that, at present prices, it is cultivated at a loss. Butler 

 and Pike: As a rule farmers mortgage their stock, lands, and growing crop to procure 

 supplies with which to make cotton, and at the end of the year are iu a worse pecuni- 

 ary condition than at the commencement. Limestone: It will not pay the expense of 

 growing. Blount : A vigorous effort was made last year to raise a large crop of cotton. 

 The crop was good; about $150,000 vvorth was raised in the county, mostly by white 

 labor. But the price scarcely covered the cost of production. Calhoun : The best and 

 only paying crop. 



Mississippi. — Pike : The crop resulted, in most instances, in a loss to tbe cultivator. 

 Grenada: Every other crop has been unprofitable, owing to neglect aud bad culture, 

 and the cotton crop short and unprofitable, owing to disorganized labor, bad culture, 

 *?tc. Kemper: Did not return the cost of production. Yalabusha : Has not proved 

 very profitable the past year. Madison : The majority of the farmers are in debt, aud 

 to a certain extent are compelled to cultivate cotton, to band over to the merchants 

 whom they owe, as the latter advance the supplies on the condition that the cotton be 

 sliipped to them. Altala : We consider the cotton crop the most profitable, yet wo 

 nuist acknowledge that this seems unreasonable. While the cotton crop requires the 

 labor of the entire year, corn, sugar-cane, aud potatoes, sweet aud Irish, can be raised 

 by half the labor. The difference in result is that the cottou crop, great or small, can 

 be sold for cash, while the other products cannot, aud herein is the secret of the rage, 

 as we call it, for cotton. Claiborne: No branch profitable, save iu a few instances in 

 Avbich the labor was done, or directed and controlled, by white men. Smith : The 

 principal branch, but do not think, as now followed, it is profitable. 



