Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-07-26
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Gencsec Farmer.
EFFECTS OF CULTlVATlON-CU.
RlCUS FACTS.

agricultural and horticultural products, iur-
nishes a useful lesson respecting the ben
eficial effects Of careful cultivation. The
husbandman may read, in the case OF the
potato particularly, not merely the effects
produced by accident in the introduction
of useful plants, but the vast In p:ovement
resulting from judicious culture.
The speech of Col. Knapp, in delivering
the premiums awarded by the American
Institute 10 individuals residing in Newark,
embraced many curious facts, which will
probably be read with profit by the inel.!.
cent farmers. We quote a few paragraphs
every thing i'll this country, said he,
has been brought forward by protection.
In this black cline, but few of the sustain.
inc fruits of the earth were here lnd!gen.
Gus, or in perfect state. Even the IN
dian corn, 50 often considered as native
here, was with difficulty accl!maed. 1t
was brought from the south, and by de.
crees was coaxed to ripcn in northern
latitude. The aborigines who cultivated
i. taught the pilgrims how to raise 1t; they
plucked the earliest ears with the husk and
braided several of them together, for the
next years seed, and their care was re.
warded by an earlier and surer crop.
"The pumpkin, brought from Spain,
was first planted in Rawlvy, in Massachu-
sets. and il was several years before they
came to hard, kno;ty shell, which marks
the true yankee pumpkin, such as are Sc
lccted for the golden pies If Their g'or'ous
thanksgiving festival.
"Uur wheat was with difficulty accna.
ted. That brought from the mother coun-
Try had grown from spring 10 fall, but the
season was not long enough here TO en-
sire a crop, it was then sown IN the lAll,
grew nrdcr jhc lows in winter, and catch
ing the walmcst growth Of spring, yield
ed its incr ase by midsummer.
"Asparasus, which is now the delight of
all as an early vegetable, and for which
several millions of dollars are paid our gar
deners early, is of late culture in this coun.
,rv. AT the time of tie revolution, aspar-
agus was only cultivated on the sea.board,
this luxury had no, then reached The farmer
OF the interior.
"Thc history Of Ic po:a:o is a singular
one. Rces' Encyclopedia states that the
potato was brought from Virginia, by Sir
Walter Raleigh, 10 Ireland. The writer
should have said from South America, in
the latter par, Of the sixteenth century.
lie had no idea of is ever being used as
an esculent, at that time. 1t was pointed
out to him as a beautiful flower, and lis
hard buiby root was said, by the natives, to
possess medicinal qualities. lie took ii to
ireland, where he bad estates presented TO
him bv Queen Elizabeth, and planted it in
his garden. The flower did not improve
by cultivation, bui the root grew larger and
softer. The potato. in is native bed, was
Il course ground-nu'. The thought struck
the philosopher to Try the potato as an ed
ible, and boiling and roasting it, found it by
either process excellent. He then gave
some of the plants 10 the pcasanry, and
they soon became, in Il measure, substi-
,u,c for bread. when he harvest was scan
".
"The potato was successfully cultivated
in Ireland before it was thought of in Eng.
land it grew into favor by slow degrees,
and was 50 lite known when our pilgrim
fathers came to 10 this country, that 1t was
not thought of for a cropin the New World.
It would have been an excellent thing tor
them. if they had been acquainted with the
value of the potato. 1t was not till l7l9
,b,t the Irish ro'ato reached this country.
A colony of Presbyterian Irish, who settled
;nLondondarv, in New Hampshire, brought
the root with them. This people found
their favorite vegetable flourishcd well IN
new grounds. By degrees their neighbors
came into the habit Of raising potatoes
but many years elapsed before the culiNa'
ton of them was general among the yeo'
manry Of this country. Long alter thcy
were cultivated IN New England, they
were held in contempt, and the master me-
chanic often had to stipulatc with his ap,
prentice that he should not be obliged to
eat potatoes. An aged mechanic once in.
formed me that he raised nine bushels, nav
;no at that time Q746) a dozen apprentices,
bnt did not venture to offer them boiled
notato with the meat, but left them in the
cellar for the apprentices to get and roast
as they pleased; he soon found tha; be
should not have enough for seed, and lock
ed I'D what was left. The next year he
raised the enormous quantity of thirty Sly
bushels; the neighbors stared-Du' MS
BOYS devoured them during the following
winter.
- .< .,,,. -. ,,,e gentry