Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-02-09
Of the five States above named have been


injured, would fli a volume.
A residence Of more than two years in
the most southern part Of these States,
connected with its agricultural press, and
dcvoting much time to the study Of soils
and their products, warrants the writer IN
expressing an opinion On the weight Of evil
dence collected from all sources within his
reach. The annual loss on the labor
Of each hand and mule is believed
to be thirty dJllur,. This estimate is too
high for some plantations and too low for
others. The only reason why so many
slaves have been sent south during the
the last twenty-five years land thousands
out Of Georgia. is, that the labor of per
son is worth twice as much to cultivate
rich, fresh land, as poor, old land. 1.-THE
estimate Of a yearly loss Of thirty dollars
on each hand and the domestic animals
which he works be not too high, then the
aggregate exceeds thirty millions Q otoiiars.
This is equivalent to having sunk pro-
ductive capital invested in farming lands
at cheap rate, Of fee hundred millions Of
,i0tlnrs, yielding six per cent. annual inte-
rest. While England aud France have
derived hundreds Of millions in profit and
revenue, from the tobacco and cotton e1-
ported from Georgia, the Carolinas, Fir-
ginia, and Maryland, a large share of all
the proceeds received from these staples,
which have so dcso.a,ed the earth over i'm
mense districts, has lef, these old imPov-
crisLed States, with their emigraiins citi-
ycns, never to return.
THIS rnwise system Of tillage is extend
ing rapidly in the United States. Manu-
facturers, merchants and mechanics often
shif. their settled policy, when they see
profit in making a change. Bat whoever
expects millions OF. isolated farmers 20,
change suddenly their practices ideas, sys-
tens of culture and husbandry, shows that
he has not labored twenty years to subati-
tute an improving for al exhausting sys-
TEN Of field culture. At fair estimate,
there are At this time two million seven
hundred and forty one thousand nine hun
dred and sixtysix persons employed IN
agriculture in the slave holding States
Before the study of rural economy as .
science will become as popular at the stu
dy Of politics, law, and medicine, the South
Eve Eve millions MILL Of operatives. Who does not
see that the wise and skilful employment
of this vas. power Of production is mat
ter of ines;imable consequence 20 all the
planting States and to unborn millions who
must dig their daily bread from impo7er-
ished soils, if the mighty work ofland e1-
haustion il TO increase and extend IS po-
pula,ion spreads over the cotton, tobacco,
and sugar growing portions Of the Union?
Propagated by buds instead of seeds, the
sugar cane will be found, like the potatoe
plant, less able 10 withstand the customary
abuses Of natures laws than tobacco, corn,
wheat, and cotton plants. But all these
are suffering in vital force and constltu-
,ional vigor by reason of their defective
food in partially exhausted soils. Any
living being may hatitually take a very
little poison into its system without des-
troying life. Pursue the practice Of poison
ing only to a very small degree, and 1t will
tell in the course Of few generations in
strange, new, and incomprehensible mala-
dies. An instructive and useful book
might be written on the diseases Of culti-
rated plants to say nothing CT those OF
domestic animals. Mildew, mould in
cheese, rust on wheat and cotton, and the
fungi believed by naturaists and botaniats
to be so injurious to potatoes, are ell IN q
good degree, like other vegetable creations,
srh;ec. to the control Of human industry
and science.
If VIC visit the farmers Of the North
West, we shall find the popular feeling
Developing itself after this fashion: "Let
us construct railroads and canals, improve
our navigable rivers and lake harbors, ,pur-
chase the bes. farm implements, aud then
employ all our capital and energies In
Transforming every atom in the soil which
will make grain, provisions, and wool, into
those marketable commodities, and send
them to distant cities and nations for con-
sumption"
This agricultural and commercial enter
prise is complacently regarded as proper
development of the agricultural resources
of new country! Although the ineri-
table results Of this practice may be seen
in each of tho old thirteen States, as in the
valleys Of the Mohawk and Hudson, yet it
is confidently believed BY sanguine farmers
that the truly rich soils Of the west are in
eshaustible. Whoever will carefully ex-
anime this great national question, oftak-
ing eTcrything out Of the land and putting
nothing back, must be satisfied that nc
other than the most disastrous conseuuen.