Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-05-24

/ ply for manures as heavy as lime. Ye
who, among the most sanguin', could have
hoped for more improvement of Soil? d
who, among The most avaricious, coule
have required more claar profit in farming
than he has achieved? If the position O
our correspondent should be even considered
as on the utmost verge ofthe territory im'
Proveable by vicinity 10 towns, still the cir
Gle around each would be 15 miles in dI.
ameter, and the whole space so improved
would yield net agricultural profits surpas.
sing those now derived from one third OF
the state. Besides, in each Of these ci. ces
hall the proprietors would have means and
facilities far better than those Of our cor
respondent, either in closer vicinity to the
market for sale Of products, and the source
ofsupply Of putrescent nlanures--of water
carriage--or ofbeds Of mari, on the spot
which would save the most costly, and ye'
the most profitable expenditure which he
has incurred, for the purchase oflime. Yet
these parts of our country surrounding the
towns. so susceptible of profitable improve.
ment, are, with few rare exceptions in
particular farms, among the poorest in the
state. Especially around this one, Peters,
burg, and even within The distance Of the
farm ofour correspoi dent from his market,
there are lands having ten.fold advantages
for improvement, and which would now sell
for Sc the acre, and which bring no real
profit to the present cutiyators even at that
price Of purchase, or valuation of capital.
Yet there is mari either on, or not distant
from these lands, and the richest of pure
scent manures in the town, which may be
bought for % cents per load of20 bushels +;
and Of which nine. tennis rot in the town,
and serve only to poison its air, because the
neighboring farmers will not move them
away at that low price, or even if given to
them. There might be secured, within six
miles orthis town, independent fortunes for
one hundred improvers like our correspon-
denI, on tracts ofland which now yield little
or nothing to their cultivators.
But to all this the answer is ready, from
every one whs is thus neglectful Of the
means proposed: eff all within six miles of
Petersburg, or even of the more populous
bwn of Richmond, were to pursue this
course, the markets would be soon glulted
with supplies from the land and the now
plentiful and cheap sources of manure
would be used up, without supplying half
the demand" SO it might be, if all were
at once to adopt the same course Of reform
and improvement. But no such fortunate
and general and simultaneous change is to
be expected, or hoped for; and for any
number who will take the course recon-.
mended, there is no danger of their want.
ing either the proper supply of manure. or
the demand falling for their products. And
if, in the earliest possible time, every flrmer
within ten miles Of Washington, Richmond
Fredericksburg, Petersburg. and Norfolk,
should improve his land and increase his
products as much and as rapidly as Com
Jones has done, there can be but little ques-
ton that their markets, both for sales an
purchases, would grow as fast as their own
The very poverty and un.
productveness ofthe adjacent country. and
the consequent scarcity and high price OF
supplies TO the markets, is one cause that
retards the growth of the towns; and even
though better supply ofthe markets might
reduce prices somewhat, yer by making the
demand larger and always certain, the sup.
pliers would, on the whole, be better re.
warded than now.
1t would be one Of the greatest Of bless
ings to Virginia if her other own native.
born sons would generally do as this one
has done; bu, ifnot, it would be the next in
value If some hundr ds of The more indus
trious, prudent, and economical Yankees
would come and colonize the agricultural
wastes which are to be found within few
miles of each Of our towns, and profit fully
by the resources which the present propre.
tors neglect, and suffer to be totally lost
Ed. F. RI