Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-08-20
A griCultOrals

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OLfNA.
BY HON J. r. PoINsETT.
THE HOMESTEAD,
Oh Saluda Rirer, near GreenviAe S C. :
September, 1914. }
(Concluded.)
Through the priseworihy exertIons o1
State and District Agricultural Societies
all kinds OF stock are improving. Uni
few years past, the hogs reared in This
State. we're all of that long shouted and
long legged breed, which consumes sc
much and produces so little. Too many
of these iii favored pigs are still to be
seen in our woodlands, but they are grad
ually misunderstanding; and il is to be hoped
tina, they will soon be so entirely superce-
ded by more thrifty race, as sooH to be
regarded only as natural curiosities. The
Berkshire and China breeds of pigs intro
dured into this country from the northern
and western States, aud in some i"s'an.
ces, directly from Europe, are producing
This desirable change throughout the land.
Few sheep are raised in South Carolina,
and those chiefly for their meat. In the
lower districts, The Syrian or broad tailed
sheen are most esteemed, being well a.
dapted to the climate, and yielding the
best mutton. Few horses or mules are
raised in the State, the demand for Them
being annually supplied from Kentucky
So TOO, the best, l may say the only good
cattle for the supply of our meat markets,
are driven frum over the mountains,
chiefly from the same Stale. With very
few exceptions. tho woodlands furnish the
I only pas,urage, and the cattle for the
most part diminutive and uuproductive.
1t will be in vain TO expec, auy general
ameIioration of the races by importalions
from abroad. until more attention ie paid
to paslurage lands. Fortunately, this is
compatible with The best system of hus
bandry. with one third Of our farms under
the profitable lallow Of turneps, sweet
potatoes. and peas. The latter cultivated
partly for forage; one third in well set
pastures and The rem aiming third in grain
or cotton, the land would rather improve
than deteriorate. while. it would be much
more productive than under The present
was,eiul and destructive system.
The convertible husbandry Of Grea,
Britain, that is, a regular change from
ara,ien to pasturase, is better suited for
the thin soils of this portion Of the South,
which become too incohesive under con-
slant lllage, than the alternate husbandry
which can only be successfully practiced
No
access 10 abundance of putrescent manure.
This system requires one half the farm 10
be cultivated in some Of The cereal grains,
while The other half is under pulse, roots,
cultivated herbage, or simple fallow. A
great obstacle to proper division of our
farming land is to be found in our defective
,methed Of enclosing our fields. Almost
the on'y fences in use in South Carolina
are the Virginia or worm fence, made of
rails laid zigzag, and the post and rail
fence, both of which hegin tp'decay from
the day they are erecIed requiring not
oply great care and labor 10 keep them in
order, hut extensive woodlands to furnish
materials both for their structure aud re-
pair. This is the more surprising, as in
this country live fences are easily made,
and require only a very few years to come
to perfection, after which they may be
maintained for ages with liule trouble
and scarcely any expense. l will men
ton few of the most common plants
which might be employed for the purpose.
and give The best method Of cullivating
them in order to rear hedge in the short,
est time. The Nondescnpt, native rose
of rapid growth and singuIarly strong aud
lhorny. constitutes, if properly cultivated,
an impenelrable hedge in three years.
The cuttings should be set out Two feet
and half apart. in three rows two feet
aud half from each other, for the two
fold purpose Of working the ground be.
tween the rows, and giving broad base
to the hedge. The plants ought to be
Kept free from grass aud weeds the first
Two years, after which they will only re-
quire to be trimmed TO form an enduring
and impervious fence.
The Mccartney rose, although of moi
quite SO rapid growth, il treated la the
same manner, makes an equally good
hedge, and would probably prove harder
north of South Carolina. The common
holly. if set uu, in the month of March,
aud Gu, down TO within few ipches Of
the ground, rarety fails TO strike root. and
in due season forms secure hedge
Auolher description of Her, the cassine,
may be successfully lransplan,ed for this
purpose in February. This plant grows
so abundantly in the lower districts, that ]
have caused il TO be Gu, out of The woods
by the roadside in cods a foot square,
and sci out on land prepared 10 receive
them. Each clod will coutain four or
FIVE young plants. which must be trim
med 10 within few inches Of The ground.
They ;he n require no other culture, and ". will
form good hedge in three years. The
thorn will answer, if set oul in double or
treble rows, as will 1he crab apple, and
other armed plants. All that appears
necessary. is to give the hedge sufficient
ly broad base, no, less than three feet, and
m .cni,iva,e The plants for TWO dr three