SOUTHERN AGRICULTURE, 179O-1860 293 



cost of construction and maintenance of these fences was consid- 

 erable. In South Carolina, the state geologist estimated in 

 that the cost of fences every ten years equalled the annual 

 of all the stock (cattle, sheep and hogs) which these fences 

 intended to prevent from becoming injurious to other prope 



Methods of cultivation on these small plantations were, owing 

 to the ignorance of the people, but little letter than those on 

 the large plantations. In some portions of the South, hov. 

 where the people were of a more intelligent character, the houses 

 and farm improvements were good, and the people lived in more 

 comfort than even those living on the large plantations. Domes- 

 tic manufactures flourished in these neighborhoods. Kach fam- 

 ily spun and wove from wool or cotton the garments required 

 for the use of its own members, while the neighborhood shoe- 

 maker and blacksmith supplied the shoes and farming implements 

 required by the community. 



1 he almost universal form of land tenure throughout the cot- 

 ton belt was individual ownership, whether of large or - 

 tracts of land. In the hill country, as we have already obsc 

 the small farms predominated ; elsewhere latifundia were the 

 rule. The renting of land for agricultural purposes must have 

 been extremely rare, for census and agricultural and 



travellers' accounts are alike silent in regard thereto, \\here 

 the average price of occupied land was only 5 or $6 pci 

 and new lands could be secured for from 50 cents to $3 per 

 >uld be small reason for any one renting land. It 

 "t until the break-up of the agricultural q 



by the Civil War that land in the planting states came to have a 

 1 value. 



Although nearly every writer who has attempted to descrilx- 

 Smith icultural conditions has had something to say about 



the credit system with which lure was involved, 



nation concerning this interesting phase 

 economy previous to the war is difliailt to obtain. 1're -Ix-llum 



IVC usually contented themselves with <1. 

 !ce of the Southern farmer by which he renderc 

 -.dent upon factors or merchants by pi crops 



