The southern press., 1851-08-06
THE SOUTHERN PRESS
Northern Agriculture.

the great perfection OF Northern agriculture US
resslt Of free labor, commerce, large cities,
manufactures, railroads, and canals
The following from the New York Tribune,
does not appear 70 oopfirm the impression that
has been so necessarily made:
.There is another test of growth not less GER
tain in its Indications and that is the improve,
ment Of agriculture in those parts OF the State,
where the soil 10 naturally richest and most fer.
tile In the beginning il is necessary to cult,
vate specifically the poorer soil, because il can
be done easier, requires less capital and does not,
like the culture OF rich lands, endanger, by its.
exhalations and the corruption Of decaying yege-,
tation, the health Of those engaged In clearing II
and rendering it productive. But, AZ capital is
accumulated, as population becomes concen-.
trated, as the artisan takes his place beside the
farmer, and steady home market is created. .cul-
tivation lays its hand upon the fat soils Of the
meadows and low lands, clearing them Of tim
Der, draining them, ploughing them, and cover
them with blooming gardens. F
Bot such is not the process we now behold
going on in the heart Of the Empire State.
From Utica to Buffalo the richest lands are
everywhere uncIeared and undraiued. In all
that stretch Of country, whose latent power OF
fruitfulness is not surpassed in the world, the
traveller scarcely meets with here and there. a
new farmhouse, but sees many old ones bear
ing the signs of neglect and decay, The NUM-
Der Of farms, instead Of increasing is Diminishing,
and that infallible indication ,of impoyerish-
ment, the copcentrations Of lands IN fewer and
fewer hands, may quite generally be witnessed.
Emigrants pass by this region, with its ex-
haustless fertility, its canals and railroads,
while even the natives Of the country may be
seen selling their homesteads: and leaving for the
distant and less productive West. Sucn is the
course of things, and although the process is a
slow one, no careful observer can dispute that
we describe it correctly" s.s
This is quite different story from thesac-
counts we have generally received. n ~
The State of New York has about as many
people engaged in agriculture as Virginia. But
New York has much the finest land, and the
most of it. Her farms are surrounded with
cities and factories, and intersected with rail
roads and canals. Yet agriculture is is!declining.
The small farmers are emigrating, and, as for
wealthy ones, we do not believe she has tenth
as many as Virginia. @
Why is this? The owners of small farms,
naturally and wisely prefer to become the own
ers of large ones, and move off to the West,
where land is cheap. So far as the consump-
ton Of family is concerned, ii is produced from
land worth, in the West two dollars an acre, as
well as from land, in New York, worth twenty.
And as for the surplus production, it comes to
market from afar, at cost not so much greater
as the difference of interest in the value of lands
remote and near as to the principal markets In
this state Of things it would be well for New
York, If the taste for agriculture were sufficient
to induce her weather citizens to live in the
country. But that is not the case. The. love
ofcity liEs-its pleasures, parties. tbsstres, con-
certs, dinners. and luxuries -preynils. And in
stead efef.,gsrence for country over city life,
a partially for the latter prevails SO much that
whenever man acquires wealth in theeountry,
he removss-ae the city Besidss,starsre is diff.
Guilty, uncertainty, and vexationi in obtaining the
free labor to cultivate large farm.
Nor is it common for the poorer classes to
prefer country lfe They can enjoy the shows,
the parades, the tipling. and all the coarser and
cheaper kinda Of dissipation in town. They
can receive their wages daily, or weekly, and can
enjoy promptly the proceeds of their labor.
Why, we forget that there is no instance in
history Of great, wealthy, refined, pral'popu-
lation IN the country, except in the South. And
slavery is the cause Of that. Abolish slavery,
and forthwith the taste, enterprize, talent, and
wealth of the South will forsake The country,
and crowd into cities, and be wasted, degraded,
and consumed.
Prior to the Institution of African slavery in
this country, the feudal system, which compelled
the barons TO occupy their castles and estates
was the first great movement towards the crea
ton Of a wealthy rural population. But as the
fendal system gradually gave way before CON-
merce and manufactures, towns and cities drew
from the country it's riches, talent, and power
so that now the last and most feudal OF coun-
tries in Europe, which was England, has a sin
gle city containing about one-ffth Of her popu.
lation
Well, republican government cannot be
maintained over large population resident
chiefly in cities, unless each becomes a separate
State. Nor can the mass Of people remain
free even in a single city and State. When
population is crowded so densely together, the
greatest inequality of property and condition
ensue; and IL suffrage is universal, division Of
property must ensue.
1t was evidently the design of the Hebrew
system TO prevent this concentration Of people
in cities, by aoting TO each tribe It's own lands,
and prohibiting their alienation TO other tribes,
and even preventing intermarriage between the
tribes. For all the neighboring nations of Asia
were partial TO city life, and many Of them con.
sisted Of cities chiefly.
The tendency Of the present commercial and
abolition policy, is TO convert ours into city
population, with all it's vices, slavery, want dis
ease, and decay.