Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-08-13
AgriCulturalo
From, the Transactions Of the N. Y. Ag-
ricutturaL Society.
AGRICyLTURE OF SOUTH CAR
OLdNA.
BY HON ]. R. PoINsETT.
The HOMESTEAD,
ON Saluda Riper, near Greenyite $ C.-3
September, 1874


September, :ls44 }
Dear -Sir:-On recurring to the very
,compreheusive inquiries embraced in your
circular Of March las, ] find, by retaining
i, so long without reply, that l have as
nnmed task which my limited knowl-
edge and experience will scarcely enable
me 10 perform in satisfactory manner.-
This reflection, acknowledge, comes
100 late, and will endeavor TO describe
the agricultural CONDITION Of South: Car
oliua by the aid of such information as ]
,possess. and that collected from authorities
worthy Of credit.
For many years after the settlement OF
this Stale. indigo was the onl y agricultural
product raised for "a foreign market III the
rich alluyial lands of the. middle and low
'er country and tobacco in. the interior
above tide water, and as far within the
granite region as the country was settled.
The frsl great changein the agriculture OF
South Carolina was made by the inro-
,duc,iun of rice, which was first cultivated
on an extensive scale about the commence
MEN, of the eighteenth century. In the
very Interesting memoir Of K. f. w.
Allstou, ESQ, on the Introduction and
cultivation Of rice in South Carolina,
published in Charleston, in lo43, il is sla.
led that "at first rice was cultivated on
the hig land, and en i'de spots Of low
ground as they were met with here and
there. These low grounds being found 10
agree better with the plant, the INLAND
sWa,nps were cleared for the purpose Of
extending the culture. In the process of
lime. as the fields became 50 grassy and
stubborn, they wele abandoned for new
clearings; aud SO OIL until at length was
discovered .he superior adoption Of the
,ide|lands, and the great facilities for rri-
garion afforded BY their location. For
these the iuland plantations were gradual
ly aud slowly abandoned, and that great
BODY of land which, little more than CEN
lurv ago furnished for exploration over
$4,000 barrels of rice, now lies utterly
waste, constituting, where Trees have moi
,oyersrown il, the finest nateral pasture
which could be desired"
1t is much 10 be regretted that these
fine meadow lands should remain unre'
claimed, for they might be rendered
highly productive with very little outlay
if cultivated iu lucerne or clover, rye
grass, aud timothy. Once drained and
we'll sci in grass. even the common crab
grass of the country, these lands would
weld from one to two tons OF good hay,
which is never worth less in Charleston
than from fifteen 10 twenty dollars the ton
When the small amount OF labor necessa
ry TO produce this result is considered aud
compared with that required 10 prepare,
sow aud lend the land for rice crop, anu
to prepare The gram for marke:, 1t Will be
found that the culture OF tie grasses might
be introduced with advantage not only on
the abandoned meadow lands oil the 10.
land swanps, but as profitable altera,
ton of those situated OH llde water IL
will appear scarcely credllable, IN coun'
tries where the true principles ot husband
nv are understoud, aud lands are Kept 10
beau by a rotation OF crops, that on many
of the tide swamp plantations the sou mas
been cultivated every year 10 rice Tor
century past, without rest anu Without
change; aud such is The praclice on all the
rice lands in South Carolina. Aud yet
under this extraordinary course they yield
from torry,ive TO sixty bushels ol gram
to the acre. owing 10 lile natural strenS'h
and fertility of lie soil. and The Tree use oi
wafer. As the dilfereut methods o! cnl'
,iva.lug rice are probably known 10 very
few of The nor,hern farmers, as II Is
subject of curious Interest 10 tllcae WHO
are engaged iu agricultural pursuits, VIII
eudeavur 10 explain them as briefly as
possible. The broad sIarsIns ol aiiu'ia'
soil which border the rivers IN Inc low
country of Sou,h Cdrultna. are Tilted ior
the cul lure Of rice nearly as high as 'he
ticiies flow up them. These margins
wueu uurelanned, are heavily 'im9tied
with tho declduous cypress, l"pti", anh
Other Trees which delight III humid s'il,
for IN ordinary seasons theif roots Is c"'
ered with waller, ar each return VI tue
ride, and during The lreshr's 5" frequent
ON lhes. rivers, which remain 50 lor dayS
ard weeks together. These ncI bottom
bands are cleared aud surrounded ny all
ambonkfnent oi earth; which IS iufulshed
with y sufficient number OF trunks, very
simple aud ingenious son!r'vanee, all
swering the purpose oi flood gates, alter
nateIy 10 admit aud 10 drain oil tie "a'er
with The How aud ebb or the lide. Anonl
,weIve feet Within lis embaukmen', runs
. broad ditch which extends around 'he
field. and receives the water from tue
smaller ditclies tnat iulersecl the land at
distances varying from thirty 10 hlly lee'.
The fields; which rarely euiOrace oil area
of more Than twenty five acres are sePa-
rated from each other by s'rong emoahK
mems called cross dams: The heid mus
laid out, i. prepared 10 receive Tue seea
with The ulnlos, care. Phe SOL IS broken
up with a plough, aud after being harrow.
ed. is gone over with The hoe, 50 as 70
break up all the clods: In this condition
il is laid of in drills fourteen inches apart
into which the seed is sown'hy the hand'
Al the rale of from two TO three aud a
half bushels an acre. Two meIhuds OF
..,,,;,r Tho seed are practlced; Inc one Is