Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-10-08
We find that our Northern. French, and Eng

glsh nelgllbors are annually producing new fruits
vegetables and flowers, by hybridization; upon
the same principle may you improve your native
fruits, your cotton, and yourcorn You have all
seen the principle carried out in nature by the
mixture Of white and yellow corn, even across
large ields-This was effected through the flower.
What may you not accomplish by scientific
knowledge of Botany? Your live stock are
daily fed under your direction. You know that
corn, oats and fodder sustain them, but your
large stock of vegetable productions, the cotton,
corn, oats, wheat, rye, turnips, DC, require to be
fed as we'll as your live stock. Have you learned
their specific food9 You would not have given
your horse fresh beef, because you knew be did
not need it, either to make his bones, muscles,
flesh, hide or hair; but without a knowledge of
the specific food Of plants, you are liable to com
init as great an error in feeding them as you
would to have given your horse the beef. And
where so proper place to impart and receive in
formation upon the specific food of plants as
through your Society! You purchase lands :;
what test have you of their quality? Your
whole prospects in life depend upon their pro-
ductiveness; have you no tests butyour own un-
aided senses to detect and point its fertilizers
You may pile high as mountains the compost
heap and yet spoil the whole as fertilizer by
one misplaced ingredient. Here, then, in your
councils, talk over your compost heaps, compare
your soils and their productions and Information
may be elected which years of patient toiling la
Dor may fail to accomplish. As agriculturists,
do you so vary your productions that you are in
dependent of New England or Kentucky or do
you feed your stock on Northern hay, and your
negroes on Western bacon? The past season
has taug hit us lessons of wisdom in these mat
tiers, if we will but profit by them.
When l look upon your beautiful county, and
behold its fine grain and grass growing qualities
and witness its beautiful fruit and vegetable pro-
ductivns, I am constrained to exclaim, What a
rich heritage is yours! even without the culture
of cotton. But when I take into consideration
your genial cline, and the fact that you may
raise everything that can be raised at the North
and West, with the addition of the great sta
ple---cotton- sweet potatoes, and many fruits
that; they cannot raise, I feel that you are truly
favored people, and Of all others on Gods
bounteous globe should GREATLY INDEPENDENT
| LIVE"
Let me urge upon you the importance of adop-
ting and adapting the improved implements of
husbandry to your culture. Of what avail ishu-
man skill aid ingenuity, if we bring it not to
bear in saving human labor? The sub-soil plow,
the srraper the cuttivator, the roller, the seed
planter, the root puller, and many other improved
implements, are destined to work wonders in
Southern culture. As men enquire, and read,
and think, and practice, they will conclude that
mutilated roots do not add to the product of a
crop any more than mutilated tops, and that
! variety of tool will be selected which best pre-
serves the roots and cultivates the crop. The
great obi .ction to the adoption Of improved i'm
plements has been in the prejudices of our ser
wants but this should not be allowed to weigh
feather; for assert, without fear of contradic-
ton, that were the most improved implements
adopted on our farms, every tenth hand might
he dispensed with, and the work be better, chea-
per and easier done.
And what are you doing for your cattle?-
Are you taking steps to improve the breeds?
Remember, that it costs no more to raise good
animal than poor one. The mule having so
far taken the place of the patient OK, as to al
most drive beef from our tables, l urge upon
you the propriety of using the OK for larger
portion of the plantation work; for after his
usefulness for labor is over, the nourishmcnt and
sustenance which his flesh affords US, is more
than compensation for the slowness of his mo-
tlons But the cow-the most indispensable Of
all animals i would plead in her behalf Milk
and butter being so essential to all good living,
and the faes that we are not able to import our
milk from abroaad, it behooves you to go to the
fountain head at once, and select the best breed
eIs for milkers-and when obtained, to so feed
them as if you expected them to feed you.
The root crops are entirely too much neglected
here; the sweet potatoe, carrot, parsnip, mangIe,
wurzel, rutabaga, and common turnip are raised
here easier than in any other country under the
heavens; they require no housing, Except the
sweet potatoc,) and are easily turned into milk
and butter through the labratory Of the cow
Your natural pastures are good, and no country
can surpass your artificial grazing or green soil
ing, and why shall not your milk and butter DO
as rich and abundant as in any other section OF
the country Ask yourselves this question; gel.-
tlemen, and resolve in your Intercourse with
each other to discuss ttine matter until you have
learned the ~ny and wherefore; and Chambers
! ! County milk and butter will be as celebrated as
that Of Orange County, New York,
But gentlemen, you who I'LL the soil and live
by its tillage would not have you, in the weigh
tier concerns of the farm, neglect the thousand
luxprics, beauties and comforts of horticulture
Yours is beyond question, fruit.,growlng coun-
trv. hero NAV Won hayo the melting pear, the