162 
SOUTHEBN CULTIVATOR. 
MULE POWER, VS. NEGRO POWER-AGAIN. 
Editors Southkrn Cui tivator— Nothing would be 
wiore foreign from my wish than to lead the young plan 
ter astray by any suggestions J might make in your jour- 
sal, as I have been a young planter myself and hud many 
inconveniences to contend with for want <'f practical 
knowledge, and I am young yet, Messrs. Editors, in my 
profession ; but 1 have long since learned one thing, that 
over cropping is a curse to the Agrieuliura! community; 
Isay, ihertfore, do not lead the young planter into that 
temjitation. Judging from what experimental knowledge 
I have gained fjr the last 21 years, I believe I am right in 
wluU 1 may have to say on the present occasion. 1 shall, 
fthtrtfue, launch out against the doctrines maintained, in 
Dr. Phuops’ first and second communications in your 
March numlier, and if I do no other good I may draw 
from him more cnru’la'ive evidence of the soundness of 
bis pt»sit!on. Fver since mule or horse power has been 
brought in as an assistant in cultivation, it has !>een the 
(®!rjeoH'f every planter to so equalize the work of the mule 
and hand as to give time to the hand to gather what is 
made and to attend to all ne’cessary improveiirinls on the 
plantation. Now 1 1< arn from rntiny of the best planfer.-. 
®f the Souili that a good mule can do tlie [.lowing (f 33 
acres while the common hard can not cultivate and gather, 
taking one year with another, more than 12 acres, and 
this is also my experience. And I will here say: What 
would it protit us to cultivate all me land on the continent 
©f America and not be al)!e to gather it. Still the Doctor 
wants more mules to make more corn and cotton. He 
seems to be clearing the brush out ( f the way to carry out 
bis fiivonte [dan <.f gathering trashy cotton, as he has 
said in a former communication, that it would not pay fir 
githeting it clean, and that he, one year, sold his trashy 
cotton ill Vicksburg f tr about as much as liis neighbors 
who g.ithered it clean. Weil, from my experience, 
Me.<srs Editor^, so.ne [lerson, in that transaction, was 
badly “sold as that s-me cotton had to be soi l on its 
merits, either in New Orleans, the North or Furope; at 
least I haveiieen selling cotton in New O. leans fn* 21 
years, and have never iieen so fortunate in getting as 
much for tras'oy cottrm as f ir my clean, hy at least 25 pi^r 
cent or more; and ! think not only every commission 
merchant in New Oilcans will bear me out in tliis usser 
tinii, but those of my iieiulibors woo are aceju linied wiih 
ihe way 1 geiieraily prepare my cotton for market. And 
still the doctor recommends an addiiicu of mule power 
fsav one mule to the hand) to make more corn and cotton 
i am also in favor of every ficilily in making a crop, giv 
iog both tfieir part of the work, and keeping in view, at 
the same time, the gathering of it in good order. Can a 
mule pick cut corton 1 If not, what would it profit us to 
cuiiivate the whole world tind lose ill Why, tlien, 
this great array of mule power, and even resiirii; 
teams, that they may “go if,” after a rain, with Gilpin 
speed. Does not the iiand have to follow the mme? 
Wouid you not rest a negro as soon as a mulel Hu- 
manity would say, sooner. IMy plan is to give both 
moderate work and let ail rest at the same time; but the 
doctor is fearful of getting his mules burnt up by the sun 
Is there no danger of the hand who lias to pick out the 
cotton being burnt up by the suit while the mule is rest- 
ing 1 I had a common size mule to live 24 years, and she 
cultivated her 33 acres f >r 20 years. 1 had a rnare to uie 
at 22 years old that culiivaied, up to within two years of 
her death, 33 acres or more. 1 have one now, and a half! 
dozen mules tiiat are not short of 15 years old cultivating 
4heir 33 acres. Why, then, go to the expense cf supply 
ing our plantation with a mule to the hand 1 The addition- 
al expense on my plantation, at present prices, would not 
besliort (jf^iCOOO; and were we, all at once, to jump into 
Dr. Philips’ plan of one mule to the hand, the cost might i 
be increased to double. Had I better not have the interest : 
tin the above amount than to invest it in mules to make ' 
cotton and see it rot ? 
Messrs Editors, 1 was once a Sheriff, and sold a man 
out that bad been worth S50,000, who declared to me that . 
tlie borrowing of $3,000 and paying interest and costs 
irom time to time had broke him up; and still the doctor 
recommends more mule power, to make more cotton that • 
.■annot be gathered. If made in good order: if we had | 
machinery to gather it instead of the fingers (not one of ; 
those made near Memphis, for I would as soon send it to ; 
market in the stalk as to have one inside of a cotton field J 
of mine); the doctor’s mule power system might be looked I 
on with more favor; but he is going ahead of the improve- :! 
menis of the day — railroad speed has not yet been dis- ii 
covered, much more the lightning speed of the electric tele- ; 
gra[th, ingathering cotton. We have yet to gather it with ; 
the fingers, and I doubt very much whether or not any 
other mode will be discovered in our day. i 
The doctor also contends that the quantity made has ■ 
no influence on the market. Why, Messrs. Editors, there ' 
is not an early frost or a heavy rain during the picking ; 
season but has its influence on the cotton market. Why I ■ 
Because there is a likelihood of not so much being marie, i 
consequently a fall takes place in Europe and is followed • 
in America. What was the cause cf corn selling last fall I 
at $2 per bushel and this year at 50 cents per busheH I . 
will let your readers answer that question. The eame j 
cause operates on the price of cotton. The scarcity or i 
abundance of the crop causes a fall or a rise in price. ' 
Some times, I acknowledge, in'fermediate causes may have i 
their influence for a time; for instaitce-^a protracted war, j 
drawing off the money from its natural channels to the 
supplying of bread stuffs for armies, and I have even i 
known tlie potato rot in England cause cotton to fall half 
a cent in America; but, speaking in general terms, all ' 
know that the price is governed by the quantity made, i 
'J he doctor's over-cuhivation has another badclfect. It > 
leaves us no time to improve our land by cutting hill side 
ditches, manuring, fi.xiiig fences, building and rnakii g t.be 
necessary improvements on the plantation. Not only so. 
If, by Ins system, I e should make a large crop, it would | 
kee[) a negro slandiiig in the mud all winter ami spring lo I 
jjatlier it, and ifhe did not die with pneumonia or wii ter 
f ver, the scr d i f rheumatism, sciatica or some chronic dis- 
ease would cause him to go as a cripple fbi life, should his 
constitution not be as snong as an ass. 
jMy experience for the last 25 years is, that a small crop - 
well saved, is better than a large one badly saved. The 
docior may conteud, though, it is not more cotton he 
wi.siies to make, but corn, i will meet him there with my 
12 acre crop to the hand. 
I have always contended we should make all our corn 
and meat on the plantation and not be dependent on any 
seciion for those pioducis. If 1 have not done so for near- ! 
ly 2U years past with a mule to 33 acres and 12 acres to 
the hand, and sold corn frequently to those Hying to cul- 
tivate fiom 18 to 20 odd acres to the hand, let my neigh- 
bors speak out. 
But Dr. Philips may say I have not made as much cot- 
ton as my liands could gather off my 12 acre crop of com 
and cotton. In answer, 1 will say : last year I made more 
cotton tiran I got out in good time, and lost not short of 
20 bales in the field. He may say say my land may be 
better tiian my neighbors’. If so, I say cultivate less and 
I they will have more time to improve their land, instead of . 
I putting everyihiiig under spur and whip to make a large 
crop that could not be gathered in good order if made. 
I The doctor's plan puts me in mind of a little boy who 
