68 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
REFORMATION, OR BANKRUPTCY AMONGST 
PLANTERS IN THE COTl'ON STATES. 
It does not require the prescience of a prophet 
to deter nine that cotton planters naust make 
consideranie retrenchments of expenditures, or 
submit to ruinous sacrifices ol property. At 
the present prices of cotton, even his six bales 
of cotton to the hand, with his supplies of stock 
and provisions, will not more than save his ca- 
pital, without alfordingany surplus, or very lit- 
tle, for the support of his family. The hopes 
ol a better mariret have so long deluded the cot- 
ton planter, that further disappointments can- 
not be borne; while a revolution in the market, 
lor the better, is very uncertain, at least for a 
few years yet. The most rigorous economy 
must be submitted to, or bankruptcy. “A pru- 
dent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; 
but the simple pass on and are punished.” — 
When too late, many will learn thal it had been 
wiser to live a few years upon bread and water, 
and wear sackcloth, than to cast their children, 
unaccustomed to labor and hardships, upon the 
world, to live by the sweat of their brow, or per- 
ish. Two or three years of rigid economy in 
dress and equipage, with a douWe energy in the 
increasing and saving productions of our plan- 
tations, (if not too late,) may secure indepen- 
dence, when one year more of usual eitrava- 
f ance would prove ruinous. Most planters 
ave, no doubt, taken the alarm, and have made 
double effort to increase productions, raise all 
their stocks and provisions, and have ceased 
speculations. This might have saved a wreck, 
with a cotton market averaging 8 cents;, but this 
will not now do, the reformation must go lur- 
ther. Not 50 per cent must be cut off Irom the 
expenses of high living, dress and equippage. 
To human nature, this will be like plucking out 
the right eye. It is pleasing to human nature 
to climb to high stations ot life, but revolting to 
dome down; yet it is better to walk down than 
to fall. Parents personally may submit to the 
self-denial; but giddy sons and daughters will 
not see or feel the necessity. For parents to 
have the moral courage to enforce a law of ri- 
gorous retrenchment, against the murmurings, 
entreaties, or haugnty insinuations of children, 
will require almost the holy fortitude of Abra- 
ham m offering up his son Isaac. It will not be 
hard for you, parents, to return to your old-fash- 
ioned homespuns again, as in old times. But 
what think you of reducing your sons’ cloth 
from $8 or $10 to $4 or ^5 per yard, and other 
expenditures in proportion^ What think you 
of substituting for the piano the needle and 
thimblel Of encouraging the honest industry 
of daughters, instead of the extortion of tailors 
and mantua-makers? Of substituting a plough 
and mule for your son’s hounds and hunter? 
Think as you may, reformation must be exten- 
ded in all of these classes of expenditures, more 
or less, or suffer warse consequences, if cotton 
planting is your only source of income. If 
planters in general would commence with si- 
multaneous action in the work, the mountain 
would be soon levelled to a plain. Custom 
would remove the mortification of seeming in- 
feriority. Let those whose circumstances would 
enable them to bear the pressure, as patriots, 
set the example, and the victory is gained. — 
Further, such a rigid course of making and saving 
would inspire confidence in creditors, and there- 
by indul^nce would be secured. 'The unfeel- 
ing creditor who would grind and oppress the 
honest debtor who was making every edge cut, 
and even cutting off many of the common com- 
forts of life from his family, in order to pay his 
debts, would bring down the indignation ot the 
public mind upon himself, and excite the sym- 
pathies and secure Iriends in behalf of the hon- 
est debtor, We have already witnessed a be- 
nevolent and noble disposition with creditors, 
^with a lew exceptions,) to indulge where there 
is confidence of security, and especially among 
our bank officers. And if the frugal, saving 
and honest planter, after all his hard struggles 
and sacrifices of comfort under a depressed mar- 
ket and distracted currency, beyond the calcula- 
tions of the most experienced commercial men 
and wisest financiers, should fall by the hands 
of his oppressor or some unfeeling speculator, 
there will be a reluge tor the oppressea, who has 
fallen under honest struggles instead of extrava- 
gant living, which will enable him to go dowm 
to his grave in peace. And if he leaves his ta- 
mily to inherit honorable poverty, it will prove 
a better legacy than dishonorable wealth. 
If the plantiTs, however, will, in time, with 
determined pur; ose, earry into full efi'ect the 
doctrine ol retrenchment; look well to their own 
plantations, rather than trust too much to over- 
si'ers; raise all that can be raised for the use 
and consumption of their plantations; put their 
sons to the plough and daughters to the needle; 
feed negroes and brutes well, and make all move 
in their stations; bring overseers to the mark, 
and make them bestir themselves, or dismiss 
without ceremony. Let them also take an ag- 
ricultural paper, and believe nothing they read 
there without good evidence; nor reject any dis- 
covery with evidence; and one article may af- 
ford them sufficient information to pay 500 per 
cent on the cost of the paper. Let them look 
well to their legislators, vote for men of sound 
wisdom, of pure moral and patriotic principles, 
who can. and will speak and act when necessity 
calls for it. Let them take care of weather- 
cocks and popinjays. Let creditors be patient 
and mercilul. Let debtors be honest and can- 
did, paying as fast as possible, and avoid all low 
devices towards their indulgent creditors; and, 
above all, pray lor blessings upon their honest 
labors, to Him who alone can give the increase, 
and can make Aard times prove blessings in dis- 
guise. But take warning, planters, and be at 
least as wise as the burnt child; risk no more 
speculations or big debts, (even if cotton should 
ever rise again to ^ cents per pound,) and if 
you do, calculate to pay debts at the rate of six 
cents, and you will be sure to make a saving 
calculation, and not risk the ruin of your estate 
again. If cotton rises, still raise your stock and 
provisions; stock makes manure; too much cot- 
ton alio vs no time to make manure; a few acres 
well manured makes more than treble worn out. 
Seed your waste lands with valuable grasses, 
which raises stock with the least expense, saves 
or improves lands, and will not be in the way of 
cultivating or picking out the cotton crop. The 
Kentucky hemp-grass is thoroughly proven to 
suit our soils and climate, and one sowing is for 
life, easily killed when needed, and affords graz- 
ing all winter. The herds grass is also proven 
and will grow best on marshes and branch bot- 
toms fit for little else, and grows in winter, and 
in March covers the ground with verdue. We 
have native summer-grasses plentifully, aitd il 
we secure winter pastures, little expense of 
grain will be required to excel Kentucky in 
stock, as our climate favors the winter growth 
of grasses better, and our winters are milder, 
and therefore favorable to raising stock. If the 
depressed state of our cotton market should 
drive planters to economy in living, to improv- 
ing lands, raising stock, diminishing the pro- 
duction of cotton in our own cotton States, and 
driving the Indian cotton planter out of market, 
all will work together for final good, (if not 
wrecked in the storm,) and one year mere, per- 
haps, of arduous and prayerful Jperseverance, 
the danger may be over, and Carolina planters 
in the harbor of safety. Monticello. 
Planter. 
i;^He is a public benefactor who, by the pru- 
dent and skilful outlay of his time and money, 
shall make a single field yield permanently a 
double crop; and he who does this over a square 
mile, virtually adds a square mile to the nation- 
al territory — nay, he does more: he doubles to 
this extent the territorial resources of the country, 
without giving the state any larger territory to 
defend. All hail, then, to the improvers of the 
soil! Health and long life be their fortune — may 
their dreams be few and pleasant, and their sleep 
the sweet repose of the weary — may they see the 
fruits of their own labor, and may their sons 
reap still heavier harvests. — Blade. Magazine. 
TO FARMER'S DAUGHTERS. 
I have talked to you so much about every day 
business, you will think it the only matter 1 con- 
sider any way important; 1 can assure you this 
is a mistake. 1 look upon menial culture as of 
equal moment, but as all the wise heads in crea- 
tion discuss this topic, I leave it with them, and 
again take up the old theme of work, woik. — 
“opring lime of year is coming,” or to use the 
language ol the old poet Solomon, “the winter 
is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers ap- 
pear on the earth, the time t>f singing of the 
birds has come, and the voice of the turtle is 
heard in our land.” Nature will soon enrobe 
herself in her rich green mantle, tastefully in- 
terwoven with flowers of every hue, from the 
colourless lilly, to the deep dye of the rose and 
peony. Now, you can assist the noble Dame in 
the arrangement of her toilette. She is like 
some other ladies, and loves to be decked with 
bright ornaments. 
You can embroider the hem of her garment, 
put here a leaf and there a flower; in another 
place a small tree, shrub or vine, and you may 
finish off with an edging of Purple Shade, or 
rows of White Fringe or Purple, as may suit 
your taste. Should any parts of her mantle be 
neglected, fill up with a rich border of straw- 
berries, and dot with the golden pear, snow 
peach or blue plumb. 
But to go on in a plain old fashioned way, 
now is the time for gardening, and as it is a most 
delightful employment, I want to speak to yoa 
of your taking an interest in it. There is none 
more calculated to improve the minds, as well 
as the physical powers of the young. It has a 
more soothing and happy influence than almost 
any other. Uo into the garden when you are 
listless and low spirited, (as you often find your- 
selves when you do nothing useful) plant some 
shrubs or flowers, set out a bed of strawberries, 
use the rake or hoe industriously in finishing 
off borders, form a plantation of raspberries or 
any thing else necessary or pleasant, and by the 
time you feel like resting, all your hyppo will 
be gone, and you will wonder why you have not 
lound out before, thal the garden is the place t» 
frequent, if you wish to be vigorous and in good 
spirits. I’he rage for flowers of all kinds is be- 
coming so fasliionable now, that any one who is 
not fond of them is almost wondered at. In this 
part of the country you see ladies handling the 
spade and other tools. 
Spading, hoeing and raking are quite a fa 
mode in our region. 1 was riding through town 
some time since, and passing a garden where 
every thing was in a flourishing order, 1 noticed 
a lady with her spade, and her manner of using 
it could not have been excelled by Gen Jackson 
himsell. The gentleman who was with me, has 
not done praising her yet. You may say, I 
have no taste for flowers. The right way to ob- 
tain this is to go to work. I knew a young lady 
who had no fondness at all for flowers, and ne- 
ver thought of cultivating any. She received a 
present of a rose or some other little shrub in a 
box.. At first she cared but little for it, but after 
a time, when the buds began to expand, she was 
attracted by its sweetness and beauty, and by 
degrees her love for it increased, until she won- 
dered she could care so much for a flower. She 
began to collect slips of different plants, to tend 
them with the most watchful care, and she soon 
had a very pretty collection. Now every little 
bud that blows, every fresh leaf that puts forth, 
seems to give her so much pleasure, and she 
would not be deprived of the enjoyment their 
cultivation affords, lor any consideration. 
If your homes are destitute of flowers and 
shrubs, you could, in a short time, so much al- 
ter their appearance by planting them out. You 
can do it yourselves, and you will take more in- 
terest in them than if your parents were to do it. 
In travelling I have passed so many bouses 
where not the least flower might be seen, and 
the thought always came over me, there is not 
much care taken at that place to render life 
pleasant — to throw around the inmates any of 
Its sweetnesses; to lead them to refinement and 
