Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-10-04
From the Southern Cultivator.

Mr.. ED1roR--I am not vain enough to think I
have much influence, nor that can bring forward
facts arguments in light strong enough to in
duce many to attend thereto; but knowing that all
of us do exercise influence somewhere and that
some persons will be convinced by mode of set
ting forth argument, whilst others would not be,
have thought that hight do some good. Besides
this. hold that every man in community should
do something in his day and time to benefit his
and to exert his influence the side of improvement
and good morals.
With such feelings, propose to throw together a
few thoughts upon Draining and to submit the same
to you for your approval or disapproval.
have heard quite number of planters in our
State ridcule the idea of draining land in the South.
And to show what influence such men carry with
them, heard quite an intelligent gentleman say.
two days since, that he found the greatest in
planting to be among those men who plowed and
hOed without regard to weather, wet or dry; never
stopped for water wet land. If saving to the very
cents was not their principle they would have less
success. Go to these men and inquire for q grind
stone, a cross-cut saw jack plane, or even good
pillow, and you may ransack place with twenty to
forty hands and peradventure find no such things.
They do nothing but make corn and cotton and why
should they not get rich =? 1t annoys me to have
such men held up as examples, and yet their dimes
give them eclat in certain quarters.
So with draining. know plantations with twenty
to fifty hands, where there has not been owned in
ten years more than shovel or spade. 1t is true
they make and cotton and are getting along.
But let me ask, WnerG are the fortunes the Ncn
lands that were in Virginia, Maryland, and else
where east of us? will answer: fathers taught
us to plant and to for nothing but saving dime,
they left property and land pretty we'll used up
we had to eat the negroes they made, and thus
sold one at time All OF us were not drunk
ards or gamblers, yet managed to get through,
and now, having to work, saving something
for our children, to go and do likewise"
Suppose we teach our children to save their land,
to husband all its resources to feed it, and provide
for it, will it not feed their children afterwards
The policy of the whole South has been the " kill
ing the goose for the golden egg order. And could
the mantle of the great and good J. c. CALHOUN fall
upon me- would spend the residue of my days in
endeavoring to effect an alteration in the present
opinion of Planters as to what constitutes good
planter.
At present, the best planter is thought to be the
grower of the greatest per hand crops, without
gard to wear and tear of land Or hands
| should require the planter to show an improved
per acre yield. We notice fat mules, and healthy
negroes, why not notice the ellfed feds1
The impression pervades this entire country, that
lands in the South do not require draining. They
may not to the extent, does land in the moist
climate Of Great Britain, but do not think there is
any plantation of few hundred acres but what a
part of needs draining and many plantations would
be benefited if every few acres had good drains.
will even 90 farther do not know a solitary field
of forty acres, but what requires drain In
some portion thereof.
very dry and hard, another portion is heavy and wet
every portion thereof high, above second bot
TOMS and much of it is level land If we consider
that land with clay subsoil cannot of necessity per
init water to percolate through 1t: and then remem
Der that water falls in the of twelve months
to the depth of some twenty thirty inches some
5000 900 to 100000 gallons per acre, we certainly
cannot be at loss to account for lands retaining
too much moisture
Every planter knows the advantage to cotton tina
a dry year is, and why in the name of common sense
should we hesitate to drain our lands There car
be no excuse for land being too dry But again, WI
know that lands, when first settled, produce better
than afterwards. Why is this? Why should thu
east half Of southwest quarter of section fourteen
produce betterin 1849 than did the west half in 1880
f the first cleared in say Al, the other in say 80!
Will not the consolidation of land by the stock o
cattle and horses that have been running On it TO
| twenty years, affect the drainage of land
, | am yours with respect, HENRY.
, Nav 1850