The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-10-18
sar the farmlrss.
~ F'.om the C.im}estym -N2cuy.
A%ricu!sslrai Scieace.

Svstcm OF education, Tor lnnparuT Instruction
in arrculinrr4to our youth VII" are grad
-uate at College II the educated noh arc
rot 5" tliSht, it is hardly NECESSARY Ia say
that orr less cultivated class is in 10 better
coud;t,o,G--that the ucn whose peculiar bust.
ness it is to supervise the agricultural opera
,ionS ofstle State never learn the first prnci
pies Of ofag1irnu:c. ,---
These nI,n, the Ovcrseers OF the country,
constitute very important part otaour people
: The prosperity of the State, lis safety indeed
: lis TO a lurgc extent III their hands. During
: the summer especially the NEST valuable estates
are entrusted exclusively 10 their Judgement
and skiE. 4 wide extent OF country, cmbra-
cing dense rcgro population, depends Ter
, months Oh the conduct and character OF lew
oversvcrs. Is not OF the highest Importance
TO the State to elevate that character! Should
! it not be made to appear that the country duly
values their important Services? Oaght not
the State to make some effort to increase their
uselulncss-bv giv,ng them higher views Of the
J. .i,nportance Of their calling, and by instrEc,ias
them in its first tprinciples? They should be
J. educated as farmers aud managers Of slaves
1t is the last importance to the welfare "ithe
: State that its overserrs should he regular and
Systematically taught every thing liet c>sary to
nm upright and enlightened performance OF
theifdnies There is no doubt indeed, that
tits the part of the Republic to educate all its
citizens, and each one with Il view to the rrlr
suit in which he, is about to engage. This
adatiioa of education to the end proposed,
whatever that end may be, is essential TO every
emily shtcncd system o(sinstruction., But above
all is it nccc ,sary tor those who Are to super
Intend the farming Of the country. Ignorance
in their ca>eis prtjiidicia not to the individual
only, but to the hundreds whom he directs, to
the parties 6y whom be is employed, TO the Ic-
sources of the StateitscH. III
It's common enough to hear men speak dis
paragyiH.!y Of ovcrsecrs. Certainly there arc
'Efnaayof them to whom serious objections may
,,Be.made ;~but, considering them us a class, the
s;o:lly wonder is that they discharge their duties
as faithfully as they do, i'll the absence OF every
particle of instruction in any one oi. the impur.
tant offices they necessarily ill.
But iftheyarede deficient aud incapable, will the
compl.int ordeFision of the employer provide
a remedy? Employed theyrmust be. What
then remains f3f tlle=Flanter but to urge the
application of the proper means for rendering
them more intelligent aud useful? These
mcatls,are adeqnateinstructon i. his busi:lcss.
There, as Observation-Disclosures power. And
this, ike every other branch or. department. Of
know!edgo, nGst he acquired, and does not
como by nature.
And yet, to Judge from the course pursued
sly our'peoplc, IN reference to agricultural in.
Ilfoveme;its, one might fairly conclude that our
conviclion5is quite Ierererse. We scem=to
thinkthat .pEntcrsacquires,4 with his p!anta.
ton. sufficient knowledge of the mode by
whchstsmay be efficiently managed, without
AN efost to learn it, The consequence isatItat
,;he is unable, ,in IA proper manner, to conduct
the simplest farming Operations. lie rs uli,ble
to cut Il dtchsiutelligcnlly,o or with a"certanty
thath is about &to accomplish the faad pro.
posed. He knows nothing about ascertainiug
the level of the land over which his work is
:. about to be carried. 1t is quite possible that
after great deal OF labor is thrown away, he
asccftains that The proposed outlet Of his ditch
IS higher than the beginning. 1t is-all guess,
work. Ills only preparation for his lite's occu
patton is learingto c6nstrGr Horace to deliv-
'er a defamation, aud acquire sufficient f;lmi-
: iaity with the gods, goddesses and heroes Of
ancient times. The preparation Of the over,
seer is5equaHy left to nature. He has seen or
hand ed a shovel plough on sand hill pine
wood farm or patch ofcorn and potatoes. He
can write an ineligible letter: With this
amount OF preparatory training, he takes charge
of the health and comfort Of a hundred slaves
andcoaducts the complicated concerns Ola large
plantation. The: proprietor knows nothing
practically or theoretically, the overseer is no
better prepared for the business Is il all sur
prisllg tAat The agriculture of the country is in
SO dtplorabie state! Can we wonder tina,
within 10 miles Of the large city of Charleston,
theQnecn City ofthe South, as some are pleased
to call her, land of excellent quality bears a
nominal value that large bodies Of it lie un.
cultivated that plantations Of great fertility, al
ter haring been cleared with great labor and
cultivated after our imperfect mudes stand un-
occupied and abandoned And yet this, as
laiucltable as 1t is eNci,cs no surprise and
commands no attention. Iris the nltlira! re-
suits of our Ignorance in our business.
have mlde an imperfect statement Of the
evil under which we labor. The more it
is examined, the more apparent and ntolera
tfon OF it must rest IN some attempt on the part
: of the State to apply an adequate remedy. |
earnestly request, MeSsrs. Editors, that YOU
will press this consideration of the evil, and
ca,lyfor the adeqi:tt remedy. You cannot
give Your labors to a subject more vtaly ia-
portant to The welfare of South Carona.
will not presume t. sappose that can point
out the fit mode of removing this monstrous
grievance and deficiency in our State economy.
With 4 view only to invite attention, and the
hope of drawing more competent minds to the
consideration OF the subject, will merc y sug