Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-05-31
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURE.

letter. giving Of an experiment 10 draining
made by Major SrARKE Of Savannah Our readers will be
interested not only BY the magnitude and result Of the
rimen ITSELF but in the polished and humorous manner in
which Il is related.
We have been for time that Georgia full OF
activity and enterprise, and that she rapidly outstpPng
in wealth and population every other Southern State. With
such citizens as the writer of this letter. other result
be looked for. Examples like this have wonderful effect
they stimulate enterprise in all the pursuits Of life, and those
who set them public benefsctor The man who drained
"Mobs Pond" has done more for Georgia in that act alone
than accomplished by all the stump orators who
have ever given their services for consideration the
State
We have high respect for the Georgian character and
have sometimes wondered the marked difference between it
and the South Caronian. We believe this difference has
arisen from the fact however, that the leading minds in
Georgia have, like M,o Sae, been practising experiments
for the welfare Of the State, while those South Carolina
in the time have been wholly absorbed In the game Of
politics. BOSTON Journal
The subscriber has plantation Of several thousand acres
fifty miles below Augusta, the Georgia side Of the Sa-
vannah river Nearly in the Of this body Of land is
Moblys Pond large, and in Scrven county cele-
baed sheet OF water miles round and eight feet Deep
heretofore fruitful Of disease the neghborhood and
of the doctors The upper half open plain
Of than thousand acres where hundred steamboats,
be distinctly The lower section 10 covered with cy-
press whose rich foliage and dropping MOSS ntercepng the
suns rays and oyehadowng the waters presented the
view dismal canopy above and horrible landscape beneath.
Here millions Of noxous vermin lived and founced and died
Here the horned owl chanted his melancholy dies Here
the white gathered her food built her nest and reared
her young; and when congregaed by thousands the
branches Of this magnificent tree resmbed vast shrubbery
Of serRgocs in bloom The open parts the resort Of in
Vulnerable wild fowls and covered with countless focks
Of ducks This oquacous bird, during the long winter
nights, kept eternal his carousas and ocation
anscended every thing Of record in the achievements
Of Venus and Bacchus and almost match for the
roaous ocs Of John Bull and Brother Jonathan the
nivesary birthdays Of majesty and independence.
The alligator the king beast Of this pontne marsh
armed with formidable tail and pair Of formidable
be the terror Of the and boys and negroes
Compared to him in bodily appearance, the oang outang
beauty and the ackass oueiy His most interesting
position recumbent posture with his upper jaw ele
waited at right angles and his teeth shining in the
When lying in ambush for his prey, be could flourish eye
that would shame catamount and trunk the like Of which
ounced in the of Phlegethon or Cocytus This
redoubtabe animal frequently be providing upon
the banks with the agily Of the hppopotamus and floating
upon the waters with The stiffness of serpent. strongly
suspect that his reputation for manness had its origin in The
writings Of the biologist who, instead Of manipulating him
gently as aPdog peeped at him through sPygass from
most respectful distance. Although soldier among calves,
and pigs, and lambs his courage and ferocy evidently
overated it is seldom that fugrown hog realizes the
honor Of being digested in his capacous nav. -
1.-The terrspin could be counted by thousands and the
finest trout in Georgia there 10 this horde of yemn
the draining Of Modify Pond epoch. The fish, left
by the recedng in the weeds and grass, fell easy
prey the vultures The teapn, unambiious of dsnc-
ton among men, plunged into the ditch and hurried himself
into the swamps of Savannah The duck, with heavy heart
mounted into the air and like the skinner Of the seas
babe final farewell this memorable Of bis festivities
The alligator with melancholy steps and slow, no doubt
reached land of promise where free from danger and
the worlds malice be could enjoy in summer bis mud hole,
and in winter bis kghtwood knots.
Havng stated somewhat prolixy, and perhaps with too
much eviy what Motys Pond ,cds now proceed to state
what Mobys Pondis seven years ago. solitary and alone,
undertook drain this body Of water, and although out Of
pocket 600, do not regret the result The land
ed estate (pond included $4,000, and vain
enough sometimes think that the spade has doubled it,
value Originally this pond joint property, but, from
want Of concord among the popretor was seemingly des
tined 10 remain nuisance to the end Of time. Eventually
fell into my hands, and now this year of Lord l849
prolific of prodgies, and memorable monarchs with
natural atmosphere full Of poison, and political full
Of yepubicans; with the lower ten thousand dying with
filth, and the upper ten thousand with fright with des-
potsm standing Volcano, aud freedom upon rock,
Moblys Pond (what bahos y is dry ashbank, or
the throat Of loafer in the honeymoon Of his temperance
pledge.
In the first place. caused to be excavated ditch
four miles long and on points from sixteen twenty
feet Deep beginning the Savannah swamp and passing
tey through the pond Secondly, dug spring bitches
Of several miles in length in all suitable places and lastly
parallel bitches leading from the the spring drains
these lateral bitches placed intervals Of l40 yards
The cypress part formerly visited only BY canoe Is now
easily accessible and furnishes abundant and durable timber
for building and fencing. The open uncultvated part is
covered with grass averaging 1000 pounds to the paa
table and nutritious to horses and other stock Last year
sixty yielded sixty heavy bales Of cotton, and the best
Of the corn land seventy-six bushels.
ssThs work accomplished by Irish dches. Negroes,
is said could have done cheaper but governed by the
maxim nesutor ultra epidans," confined the black
the cultivation Of the staple commodities An Irish dtcher
brought up in locality not larger than pig stye, with rot
ten potato for his breakfast yoke upon bis neck and tax
gatherer in his pocket to be excused his relish for liberty
be Keen and his devotion to that goddess profound and sin
cere. When properly schooled in little els
Atlantic adversely, he becomes the finest aborer in the world
The railroads be has bu the canals he has dug the boys
be has Drained the entertainments be has thrown up the pes
thence he has driven forth, bespeak the magnitude and value
Of his services and furnish his adopted country saisfac
tory remuneration for his eccenrces and turbulence If
time should continue 10 roll on, and the bogoter of Erin
be laid low, history in filling up her pages, will be compel.
led to admit that he welded the spade with more adroness
than the sceptr and that his achievements as ser i'm
measuraby uanscend all his efforts as pvlssscias.
SIN the open uncultivaed part Of Nobys Pond there
several hundred Of peat from Twelve to thr inches
Deep resting on bed Of blue clay frs had great mis-
gvngs in regard to this peat land nd thought of using
exclusively for pasture and manure This year PLANTED
seventy Of it n With knife pough similar L
the blade OF coulter cut the Lao both ways every twelve
inches TO the depth Of the gr ss roots followed the SAM
urrow with bull tongue and urted up in every direction
square blocks OF peat After be nr exposed TO the
made dry these fred and bu,nt By this means tn
formidable roots Of the 81 as were esdcaied and
asnes secured In the spr ne ridges were thrown up, IN