The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-07-13
From Ms Easlern Farmer.


From Ms Easlern Farmer.
TOO MUCH LAND.
II is al undoubtcd truth, that one OF
The primary influences that retard the pro-
grcss of agriculture, and the productive
ness Of the labors of agrcilltnraIlsts III
our States is, TIC ownership and improve
ment (f that can be called Improvement
which pushes sol to less than half OF
! IFS capacity of too much land. We are
tod that the farm Of the celebrated Ro-
man, Cincinnatus, consisted Of only f ur
acres, the other three having been lost by
his becoming surely for friend. We are
also told fhai N!arius, who Yves celebrated
for his sfrliga!ity, and was three times
chosen Consul, and thrice hoaorcd with
a triumph, Oil returning from srlccasstnE
campa;ga. refused from the people a
grant of iiiiyacrcs of land, declaring tha;
he was bad citizen who could not be
contenteA with the old allowance ct Sc
ven acres. God forbid d'--cxclaimGd
;i.;s hero TO his soldiers, ''tiiai a -ct;:Zc;i
should !o,,,,, on that Is Il small piece OF
land which will support G man =.
The evil OF an extended ownership in
Ian Is by our farmers, consists III the III
cInalion which such ownership very
naturally bcgcts, to cultivate too much OF
il, and that but teebly, instead OF con-
fin;ng their industry and means to only so
much land as they can push to the cx-
lrcme Of lis capacity 10 produce. If ono
will inquire into the history of those who
have succeeded best as cultvators OF
the soil, he will find that they arc those
who have approached nearest to a RIG ID
observance OF that rule which cnlolns the
cultivation of no more lanl than can be
pushed to the highest condition of fertility
by all the labor and means which the cu!-
tiyatorhas to bcstow. All the land which
a man possesses beyond this, and con-
fined to his own occupation, had better
lo G,,,ow, or neglected than be suffered
10 in,poverish that which he Should cult
vatc by dividing within h:s labor and ma,
nurc, rendering the whole tccb'y and enly
moderately productive. In the vicIlAgc
OF Eoston-lhat is to say, within circle
of fifteen anal twenty miles from IL" c!!y,
hundreds of Individuals arc acquiring in
dependence from the proceeds Of farms
n6 Iorccr than that which in 0'dcn times
was sufficient for Gmcinnatus or a Ma
RUS, to support himself upon in style OF
notable ease and contentmont. But this
is not because Of their ylcinage to the
market-for the difference between the
nett amount Of their sales and of those 0!
more distant farmers, is not to be found
in the difference of cost Of transportation
which the two classes incur. No-the
tmain difference comes from the superior
prodpct;vcncss Of ethe.,tew acres OF tho
one over the many acres Of thc other
The one makes every foot5of ground that
he cuIliva,es productive to the full extern
Of its capabilitv, under the most gcncrou:
application of manures, and so conccn
tratcs his labors.to the utmost advantage
where as the other fails under the nfla
ence of the impression that unless he has
goodly number of acres subjected to tht
IplGugh every year, his farm is being neg
l iectcd, ayd that he. cannot raise eiiought(
Hive upon; and in order to seem to makt
a business oil farn,ins, his stockof manure
must bs7!iyidsds and scattered over tge
| whole. The consequence is, an unproh
table dispersion Of his labor, poorly cui
tivated farm, and feeble production Q
crops.
When shall we look forwardto agcne
ra!i.nprovemcnt in this particular anon!
our farmers! When one OF two mtiu
eaces prevail, viz: either the sinflq%nce q
In enlightened systcHa Of agricultural SCI
c:,ce, that SIS more active combinatio'
i, of head ani hand-work: or the iniiuenc
tof a very E!uvh increased price of -lan'