94 FARMERS' REGISTER— CONDITION OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 



deception until it is beyond his powolito control his 

 destiny any longer; and certainly we should think 

 it wiser in him to retrench whilst he has it m his 

 power, than to continue his course and reduce him- 

 self and his family to the brink of ruin, perhaps, 

 to want, tor such must be the final termination un- 

 less unforseen circumstances prevent. Many put 

 off the evil day, and because they have as ufficien- 

 cy to support themselves thus, as long as in all 

 probability they shall live, think not of the future, 

 and finally leave their fiimilies in the most abject 

 distress. This is selfish and unmanly, and cannot 

 but be condemned by all, however much we may 

 be inclined to follow in the same track. We have 

 said that we should economize in our (ixmilies, and 

 live for the present, at least, by the strictest rules 

 of frugality. But having gone thus far, we pre- 

 sume to go no farther, we enter not into the pri- 

 vacy of domestic hfe, we pretend not to dictate in 

 this matter. What is economy in one, may be 

 prodigality in another. All that we can recom- 

 mencf is, that each should endeavor to his utter- 

 most, so far to retrench his expenses, that his 

 income shall not only be equal to, but even exceed 

 it, so that there may be an excess which may be 

 appropriated either to the extinguishment of old 

 debts, or the purchase of other property. 



It is our wish to enter somewhat more fully into 

 the details of the economy of our plantations, 

 and to touch on some few of those sources of ex- 

 penditure which have for many years past drained 

 us of such large portions of our income. We be- 

 lieve that many of our planters on this score have 

 been both negligent, and wasteful. We beUeve 

 that much has been expended which might have 

 been saved. We believe that expenses have been 

 incurred which need not have been, had we but 

 iustly understood and estimated our own resources. 

 This has not been the case, and we are now reap- 

 ing our rewards. The evil is not, however, past 

 bearing, nor beyond a remedy. It but requires 

 that we should turn our attention seriously to the 

 subject, and manfully to persist in the execution of 

 our design of reformation. The first step towards 

 tliis is for us to determine to live as much as possi- 

 ble within our own resources, to purchase nothing 

 for our farms or plantations which we can rear or 

 manufacture at home, thus leaving whatever may 

 arise from the sale of our crops almost untouched. 

 We do not pretend to say that all that is needed 

 on a plantation can be there obtained — we know 

 that this is not the case — we know that in many 

 instances it will be better to purchase, rather than 

 attempt the making at home. But we do say 

 that more than two-thirds of our expenses on our 

 plantations may be saved by a just distribution of 

 the labor of our workmen. And here permit us 

 to introduce two trite sayings, and which it would 

 be for the benefit of our planters to reflect on, 

 somewhat offener than they do. The first is, "a 

 penny saved is a penny gained," and the other is 

 "take care of the pence and the pounds will take 

 care of themselves." 



The first item Avhich we would recommend to 

 the consideration of our planters is, that they 

 should raise on their plantations, at least, as much 

 grain as may be equal to the consumption of the 

 place; let there be rather an excess than a defi- 

 ciency. During the prevalence of the cotton 

 mania, (for we can call it by no softer name) tlus 

 was almost altogether neglected, and we depend- 



ed in a great degree on importations for our supply 

 of provisions. — Our whole thoughtt? were given to 

 cotton. This was the theme of every conversa- 

 tion, and every thing else appertaining to agricul- 

 ture was deemed of two little consequence, to di- 

 vert in any manner any part of our attention oi' 

 labor. We became completely infatuated; neglect- 

 ed every thing else and became purchasers of what 

 with the greatest ease might have been jiroduced 

 on our plantations in abundance. During the 

 period when cotton bore such extravagant prices, 

 some plausible reasons might have been assigned, 

 for thus deviating from what appears to us to be 

 the true policy of every planter, but that this state 

 of things should continue after the cause Avhich 

 produced it has ceased, is surely a matter of some 

 surprise. But so it is, although we cannot make 

 use of the same plea in extenuation of our fault. 

 During the period to which we refer, it was said, 

 "that an acre of cotton would p'urchasethe produce 

 of several acres of corn, and therefore it was Ijet- 

 ter to plant all cotton, and purchase whatever corn 

 was necessary for the consumption of the planta- 

 tion." In some instances this might have been so, 

 but we doubt whether at any time this has been a 

 correct system of management, and we are inclined 

 to think that the whole has been supported by 

 arguments draAvn from false data. The principal 

 of which have been: 



1st. In overrating the quantity of cotton produced, 

 and the price likely to be obtained, and underrat- 

 ing the corn both as to quantity, and the price we 

 would have to give for it. 



2dly. In not considering the difference of work 

 required in working and preparing the product of 

 an acre of cotton for market, and the labor bestow- 

 ed on an acre of corn, and how much more a la- 

 borer could attend of the one than of the other. 



3dly. In not apportioning justly the work neces- 

 sary to be done, to the means we had for accom- 

 plishing it, and on this, perhaps, more depends 

 than at first view of the subject appears. Thus it 

 sometimes happens that less is accomplished than 

 might have been, and it is owing to this that we 

 see one planter with the same force performing 

 nearly twice as much as any other. 



But it is not our intention to enlarge on these 

 topics. The present low prices of cotton will force 

 us, if it has not already done so, to abandon a sys- 

 tem of management, which has for its object the 

 raising of one article alone, with the product of 

 which we are to purchase all other things neces- 

 sary for us. This is regarded by many as a great 

 calamity, but we confess that we do not view it in 

 this light; it is true, one of the staple articles of our 

 state has been reduced in value; yet, still, we do 

 not see cause for despondency. The resources of 

 the southern states have never yet been fully de- 

 veloped, and we believe that there are many 

 sources of wealth, which are either untried, or but 

 just coming into notice, which may once more re- 

 store to us those days of prosperity which now 

 appear to have glided from us for ever. On this 

 sidiject we intend not now to make any observa- 

 tions, we Avill confine our remarks to the policy 

 proper to be pursued by our planters as individualf? 

 and not as members of a body politic. We intend 

 also to be brief in wliat we shall say, wishing ra- 

 ther to draw the attention of our planters to the 

 subject, and then leave it to their better judgment, 

 than to enter into any crude details of our own. 



