Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1839-06-13
From the Giobc.
for ourScLUeS

DECLINE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE T..
STATEs.-We extract the following brief
yel highly interesting article liom North
ern paper. for the purpose of making ltw
comments on the singular state of things
it sets forth:
"OdcsSa Hhrat.-Six thousand miles
from y. York. in the inferior of The eastern
continent. and in The heart Of the most
dcsponc Government on earth, Is city
continuing 60,000 inhabitants, sprung up
where hul ~ years since only few fish
crlneu's Iuts existed, and al the wllarvrs
Of which now two hundred vessels are
sometimes sern at 4 time, exchanging the
various products of the east and the west.
That city is Odessa; aud the wheat ship
ped from this place, in large quantities I"
tie countries of The Mediterranean, Pnru
gal, Spain, G. Britain, and-lo The shame
OF American agriculture, he il said-to Ibis
country, also, is known by the name OF
Odessa wheat. The whole immense ex
tent of Southern Russia, including the
Crnea. is vast plain, rich in the soil.
whenever cultivated, producing, us does
I b, same range of country i'll Poland aud
the north Of Germany, the most luxnrlant
crops. il is divided oft into immense sris-
nnries, ur, as it would he called al The
South. plantations, cultivated by white
slaves. of hom some of the proprietors
own :40.0U0 TO 100000. ard thrse men,
cIoIlIcd in un,rrssed steep skin, and per
forming all their operations in the most
primitive, barbarOus manner, arc sill able
To send wheat to This country, AMI II IS SAID
al Il handsome profit. TO Eus the
trade in Black Sea or Odessa heat is an
| object OF consequence; aud now when, in
consequence Of The rarlir failure Of tn"
crop, The ports are thrown open for the i'm
porla'ion of grain. The supply from This
| source promises not TO he the least abuli
dan' in meeting The wants of Il half fam,
is'cd population"
The facts here stated are VIGOROUSLY
true; and IT 0nI y remains 10 enquire intn
The cause of This phennmennn. Does This
ne es>liy for importing wheat from Il dis
thnce OF SU0U miles, with an adequate
profit 10 The producer and importer, arise
trom. rcdundanry Of population, scar
CITY Of land, Il deficiency Of labor aud cap.
itaI employed in agricultural pursuits in
The United Siales. or from some other ex-
lensi> ely operating influence
To1lc first rwn p ,ints of the incrroga-
tory, the answer must he decidedly in the
negative. There is no redundancy of
population. aud no scarcity of lautl. The
population of the United Stres is less in
proportion to the number of square miles
than lha, OF Russia, or any other country,
from which we have of late years derived
large quantities of agricultural products,
for hich our climate and soil are adnIira
bly, adapted: and in no civilized cnunlry
nl the earth Is laud so cheap Il, in ours
Nor is il one Of the least extraordinary md
unnatural features in the present aspect of
tie subject. that in proportion rs our sphere
of agriculture increases, by lhr acquisition
and scrllrmenr of new territory. the scar
rity and high prices of agricultural pro
ducts increase. when, according 10 all The
deductions of analogy and experience. the
ore ollght 10 expand, The other TO diminish.
d what CAUSES, iIlPu dlt w I'i 'tS' IiuC
this unnatural state Of ,hnosl w" have
but one answer to give; to the redundancy
of paper money and the diversion nf The
enormous capital thus created from the
improvement and cultivation of The land,
to vast nbj bjerls Of speculation holding out
delusive prospects and imaginary anlicIpa.
lions of profits, such as land cannol yield
even to the application Of intense labor and
consummarc skill. Millions Of men are
thus seduced from their allegiance To the
soil, and The wholesome labOrs of The field,
into schemes, ofevery kind in llie visionary
hope of enjoying nor oul y the necessarics.
hut Iuxnries Of life, without The labor of
the hands or the sweat of the brow. In
stead ofcontributing to the great mass Of
The necessaries Of life, by producing more
than they consume. they produce nolhns
bur schemes. and consume every thing
"They toll not, neither do they spin. YET
Solomon. n all his glory, was moi arrayed
like one of,hrSr ?"