94 



THE UPPER PINE BELT. 



cents; one at four cents. Paul F. Hammond, of Beech island, furnishes 

 the following : " The cost of production varies greatly with the character 

 of the land cultivated, and the skill of the planter. The complement of 

 hands and mules is two of the former and one of the latter. The items 

 of expense are, w^ages of hands, meat for hands, cost per annum of mule, 

 exclusive of feed ; extra picking, guano, gear, implements, bagging and 

 ties. One mule and tw^o hands will cultivate, on an average, twenty acres 

 in cotton, fourteen acres in corn and fovir acres in oats, making grain 

 enough to furnish bread to the hands, and feed for the mule. I am in- 

 clined to think that 4,000 pounds of lint, including weight of bagging 

 and ties, to the mule, is rather above than below the average. In some 

 instances planters may reach a production of 8,000 or even 10,000 pounds 

 of lint to the mule, while more frequently those who fall below 2,000 

 pounds may be met with. In the following estimates no allowance for 

 taxes, rents, interest on capital invested, nor for the services of the pro- 

 prietor or manager, nor for transportation or charges for selling, is made. 



Twelve bales Eight bales | Four bales 

 to the mule, to the mule, to the mule. 



Wages for two hands per annum. 

 Meat for hands, 300 lbs., @ 8 cents 

 Cost of mule per annum . . . 



Extra picking 



Guano 



Gear and implements 



Bagging and ties 



Cost per pound lint . . . , 



$180 00 

 24 00 

 30 00 

 48 50 

 60 00 

 10 00 

 13 50 



$366 00 

 6.10c. 



$180 00 

 24 00 

 30 00 

 20 00 

 60 00 

 10 00 

 9 00 



$333 00 

 8.321c. 



$180 00 

 24 00 

 30 00 



$308 50 

 15.221c. 



