Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-10-29
From the Carolina Planter.
THE STATE AGRICULTURE.

our elections is over, and The excitement
diminishing. will our friends think little
of our Agricultural Society.
Last winter we made Il favorable COM
mcnremeu-rIle large delegation of plan,
ters and farmers to The Convention seemed
to prnmisrh better things for Agriculture.
The renewed ai,empl 10 e>iablis!ia Il gen
eraI Society TO enlist The influence OF gen
llr,nrn throughput our whole State. Is
worthy of our most strenuous cxerilnns IL
advance. Our people are so much ~ ih'
habit ofcpmmencng every impurianl mat.
Ter on a grand scale, ard then giving way
that it becomes Us To look weIIi0 This mai
Ter, and impress upon our members the
necessity of continuance Of their efforts
In The fluciuatng condition Of The value
of our staple products nf several years
in the general adversely which prevails
thruunhOul our whole cUuntry-wlttI our
commerce cmbarrnssed-our finance de
ran.ed-our crops short. aud Il necessity
10! rigid domestic economy, our policy Is
10 give greater attention to our produce
which is consumahle amongst us. With
The extremely low price of OuI staples.
we still have To furnish The same amount
of meat, clorhing, medical attention &c
to our ncgrnrs-our cIliIdren's education
has 10 be paid for, and the ordinary en-
pen>es of living have 10 he mel-our lakes
To he Stale are MOI reduced, and the calls
Of charity are increased, and what mnre
,auahlr mans are adopted TO aid lis in
nrrr broken fortunes. than with nnani'nty
and earnesrnesS TO put our shoulders To The
wheel of domestic agriculture. and improve
our condition nj home. If we cannot
produce a, much saleabe material as We
desire 10 bring us in money. we can save
great portion of our expenses hv Attending
Il little more to our immediate necessities.
Although many of our planters who have
good lands, large forces Of negroes, and are
Tree from debl, can alInrd to make cotton
ii The low prices which have lately eXis-
ted, sill there is numerous class whn
cannot compete with Them, or with the
planters of the fertile West. Ii is The in
rerest of all the class TO look more now To
lnrmine than 10 rlanting-lO improving
their lands, dividing their staples and Civ
ing their energies to The culture Of the ne
cesiIies of life. This class of planters.
whose lands arc worn. have eilhcrto dis
pose of their lands and negroes, nr rcmrv,
10 oth"r ami more productive soils, or to l,-
satisfied tn use such means are within their
power tn renew The capacity of their lands
II is heromIng every year question Of
importance whether our lands can com
pete with the West in producing cotton
and when The immense extent of country
is considered which is yet to he brought
INTO cultivation; and The necessity for la
borcrs 10 work that soil. il is doubtful
whether we can produce cotton at rh
prices which The steadily increasing pro
ducts will necessarily induce.
The number of nesrnes in the Southern
States is imited-the lands extensive: in
the Southwestern States it is well
known fact that the increase is compara.
lively trIliins-not al all TO he compared
with that in Southern aud Middle States.
The tendency Of the demand for slaves is
Inwards the new lands the Southwest,
aud a continuance in The depressed price
"rnur staples, will necessarily lead our
planters 10 send them where the product
is such as will enable profits to he made
if that stable is alone to be depended |
upon.
When the present embarrassment Of thr
country shall be relieved. and The dulficu
lies of The South western planters re.
moved, there noi being enough negroes in
the country 10 cultivate one half Of the
western lands, their value will be enbanc.
eh. The loss from The clima,e and
small incresc of that class Of lahorcrs in
she West and South west. will cause
constant demand for them which will take
them from our planters who are still plant
Ing worn OH plantations in our state. II
Is said that in Virginia at This time there
are but few 10 be- had. and even with The
present prices tra'lers are taken them of
to New-Orlrans,
The time is um distant when many of
"ur planters of poor and exhausted soils
will not he able 10 keep negroes ut price
Iha, western lands will fix upon them.
II becomes US all therefore to look to
our main chance-the Improvement ofour
a rirnlInre-to give more of our attention
aud thoughts to nur soils, 10 be able 10
keep what we have, aud make our own
means profitable. If men will consider
the condition of the agriculture of the old
and look at the immense pro.
1ucis of heir staple compared witt, ours
and see the constant and perscvering ef-
orls Of their asrirulturists. it must certain
y impress them with belief that we can
to something five try.
The efforts making BY The East India
Company To improve line culture of Cot
on in the East Indies is worthy Of our
notice, although the probability is thai
mr. country can produce it always at il, /
ow aprice as any olhcr-sIll tramn,els
nay exist in the form Of imposls that NAV ;
prevent our competition with them at a {
u'ure time. However, under all crcun- !
tances it is our duly to exert ourselves in |
mr. OUn cauSo We ne.d an ;,p,,ro,,oJ