Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1846-11-18

about whenever the proper means arr
resorled to. One reformed drunkart
going about telling the people the rock
upon which he had split, and the mean:
by which he was at last saved, has cx
ercised salutary influence over thou
sands. Letsomc reformed falmrr dc
the same, towards eaecting an agl icul'u
raj reform, and the same measure o
success will crown the efsDrt.
But, however much agricultural sur.
veys will DO towards advancing our, ag-
ricultural wants will do still more. Take
an ins'anee. A few years since, the
Charleston vegetable market was the
most miserable in the Union because
lis citizens were not vegetable using
people. A new population with new
wants has grown mp, and behold the
consequence. The Charleston veocta-
ble-market has hecome one of the best
supplied in the Union; large amount
of capital is employed in farming for
that purpose and fully Sloo, 900 is an
naally derived from this source Of labor.
a large domestic trade is thus put in
molten, and not only this, Charleston,
like some Of her Nor,llcrn Sisters, is
beginning to carry on an export trade
in several kinds Of vegetables and the
Northern cities are new the annual
purchasers of some thousand Of dollars
ofshe aabors of our Charleston farmers.
The depressed condition Of our agri>
culture has beca so often presented to
us, ;tt,at we are apt to consider itsworsc
than it really is. We must not be de
ceived however. While our agricnltu-
raj resources have beea very impeffeciiy
developed, our planters and farmers are
far from being in the distsessedsSstate
represented. And if we look at the
present and past condition of our agri-
culture, it will appear that our planters
have actually undergone many improve
men's. The traveller passing through,
any District in South Carolina,Swill,
observe that we'll huilt cottages and in.
many places elegant mansions, have.
takenthc places Of rude7iog' irouseszd:
fofmcr times he will find the style of
living amongst all classrs improved even
to luxury !; he will see education more
generally ;lil1nsrd, and refinement in
many places lcrvading, where 30 years
ago, was to be foand the greatest rus.
,ici,y and rudenrss. To bring ort all
this reform, must have cost something !;
and the people must have been at work
to pay for it. We will not gran, there
fore, that Soulh Carolina has been doing
nothing 10 tie march of Improvement,
or in the making Of money. Bnt at the
same TIME we contend, she has no, done
hundrcth parl she ought TO have dons,
with the numerous resources at her
command.
A volume might be written in ,poin-
ling ont the many cases, in which a
liberal investment Of capital would call
forth the agricultural resources Of the
State. We. shall instance one or Two
only. All along the sea coast Of Caro'i'
ma, and ON, the margins Of our rivers
there AFRO thousands Of acres Of marsh
lands which when reclaimed, produce
the most abundant crops of 'ice,' cotton
or corn, yielding in every instance
where the experiment has been made.
twenty, thirty and forty per cent. on the
capital invested in their reclamation.
Let companies be formed TO reclaim
these lands, and after reclamation,
either cultivate or sell them out. The
plan is no new or un,ried onr. 1t has
been successfully praclised elsewhere,
and at this time there are companies on
the Mississippi, whose business is, AT
immense. Profits, 10 reclaim lands for the
uses, Of the planters.
We state it upon reliable authority,
that nearly one mitlion of dollars oI
slave property, have been. taken away
from Two. or three parishes of,ihis State
i.within 20: years, solely from the want
ola few thousand dollars Of capital 10
drain certain swamps and irrigase some
ofthe best rice lands of South Carolina.
Had it been otherwise, our State. would
E,his day have retained large portion OF
tho, slave population that has gone Wes'
and the. wealth and taxes arising from
these sources would have still been here
to divide amongst her erpeople. ;.
/ Let those patriotic capitalists who
know nothing Of the resources of ooutl
Carolina. bnt the commissions on the
sale other Rice and :. cotton-let those
who are eteruaIly prating about what
lazy nennle we are. while they, lordIY