Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1847-03-17
From the Camden journal.
CuLTlYATIONEOF:RlCE.

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published by Us last summer. The au-
thor, at the request of several friends,
has promised US two or three numbers
more, ,on the same subject: nm
AR. Editor :-Sir-I am of opin-
ion, that your paper is eminently calcuI
lated to promote1he agricultural interest
of the southern, sec.ion-of our Union.
Situated asswe are 10 these States, SO
lir,leircmoyedfrom the tropical--tayored
wi,hsseasons so heightened, we are en-.
abled TO cultivate any of the fruits, and
moseof the grains oflhasi region It is
therefore,of moment 10 ,ke planter 10
awaken his eneig gies-to encourage en-,
terprise, and to make experiments suited
to :four favored situation. In accor,
dance viii, these feelings, have read
wi,h'much interest, the various improye'
meu,s IN progress in she arrs of agricul-
'thre, so judiciously@ selected in your pa
per..i.There is one view however. which
a, this crisis, I think important TO the
considerations of The platter, which I
have not seen expressed. Nor do: |
know oisnyexperiments nowin progress,
likely to produce any favorable result.
TO make experiments and to conf
tnunicate the result, lco6ceiqe to be our
duty.-To give them publicity is task
which you have promised to perform. .
Formerly, " hen lands we're fresh and
yielded abundan!ly when cotton bore a
high price, and the planter pocketed a
heavy return from his crop, matters
moved on with very hule difaculty.
Twenty cents pound fer cotton suP-
piled the necessity Of all experiments, and
an'expedient was seldom thought Of
indeed. the science of agriculture was
entirely neglected. But, now, these
from ,imes-these worn out and sterile
fields, have prefxed another feature to
the scene in which the planter may
see portrayed on the one side, poverty
and embarrassment, with all of its con-
eomitants collateraliy connected. On
the other, the only antidote, industry,
economy and frugality. And since it
has become one of the clearest axioms
which can be deduced from the recent
history OF the cotton market, that labor,
skill aud industry even when applied by
the bestinformed and most judicous cul>
tisa,ors ofthe soil, will very little more
than clear incumbent expenses, (and
indeed some planters fail in doing this
much. J IL is loud and lGrgen, call
upon the community of cotton growers
to.abolishl al least to a considerable exss
,enl, if NOT entirely, the Sal,ure ofthis
yaiueless commodity, and adopt sysleme5
atieslly, some otter!more profitable in
Z It's stead. s5.S:t t5!t
II Here the question vesy naturally:
arises, whatscansupply The place .ofcol-s
TONI what wiltyield agbetier revenue :
Let us then, ,sinquire into the nature Of
,helricet plan, land compare, from facts
which accident has brought within, our
view, its relative value onupland culture.
I,isa yellknownfact, that the lice plant
,hrisss well and willmaturet perfectly on
any Iandthatwill produce cotton. The
result a,wiIl be, 1ha, the product Of an
acre Of rice, is more than double than in
cotton. Tina, more can be cultivated TO
abe hand-that il willmature as soon and
sthe harvest is over before that of cotton
is is.failly begun and what is paramount
to any other. advantage in the scale is,
thar there cannot reasonably exist any
apprehension Of starving out the COM
eiruni,y even, if rice becomesa stable
:tommodity in this region, on matter to
what extent it may be cultivated. Nor
is there any probability Of g glul,ing the
market, with an article in such universal
demand, aad where the geographical
gl,mits in which il tan be cultivated to
ally advantage are so clearly defined.
Objections may be offered. to this
change Of culture from the fact, that rice
is an aquatic plant, and only be proGta-
Z bly cultivated on lands that are irrigated
2 at will. To this objection, | would only
remark, tha. j, is not unusual for planters
]. who are mos, fayorably situated on tide
9 lands even, to adopt system to dry
culture with some fields, resulting in an
abundant harvest. Indeed, it is long
8 Contested point With successful growers
6frice, whether the water or dry culture
will yield The greatest product per acre.
With she use Of water more can be
cultivated to the hand, and that the
fertility Of the soil IS better preserved,
2 are points long since, yielded. These
remarks are intended 10 ilustratethe fact
iromshe peculiar organization OF the rice
splaut, ii will accommodate itself to either
Q the wet or dry culture ]; then why should
: I'VE for onet moment doubt, that if We
giveit atrial, it will in like manner ac-
T .eommoda,e itself,ina pecuniary point os
view to all the necessities, ofthe cotton
? planter :? Few will hesitate 10 try the