The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-09-16
THE SOUTH-cARoLINA FAIR.

We hope there will be a general turnout
amongst our farmers, to visit the Agricul
| tural Fair to come off at Columbia, in our
sister State of South Carolina, on the 18th
! of November and several days following
Preparations are in progress for one of the
most interesting exhibitions of the kind
ever held in the Southern country. Large
premiums are offered for articles in every
branch of agricultural, mechanical, manu-
featuring, and industrial science. We are
convinced, that great good results to the
farming interest, and to the general inte
rests of the country, by these Fairs. All
the improvements in agriculture, the best
breeds of stock, and the most improved
and labor saving implements, are to be
seen, and every farmer thus enabled to avail
himself of knowledge of the improvements
of the whole country IN all the departments
of farming affairs. 4 spirit OF Improvement
is spread through the country, and lessons
of profit derived, not to be compared to the
cost and loss of time in attending. In no
branch of science, is there so large a field
daily are the happiest results arrived at by
those who have turned their attention to the
subject. Unfortunately, there appears to
be many who think we have nothing more
to learn on the subj ect. For own part, we
expect soon to see the steam horse in our
fields, as it is now in our roads, performing
the work of fifty or more machines of flesh
and blood. Formerly we could not believe
our types could be set by machinery, but
our skepticism was recently put to flight by
witnessing the performance in an Office in
Now-York, Half q dozen young ladies,
each seated on a stool in front of a machine
about the size of piano, and with ivory
keys precisely like those of that instrument,
with a letter on each key, were operating
the machines, by running their fingers over
the keys, precisely as the young lady per-
forms on her musical piano. Every time
key was touched, type was taken from its
place of deposit and carried to general
receiver, where the words and sentences
were formed, as handsomely as any human
machine could perform the work. Ben
Franklin's printing press, which threw off
a hundred sheets an hour, was regarded by
many as perfection in that line-and now
there ere presses i'll his city (Philadelphia(
which will each throw off twenty thousand
papers an hour-and Hoe, the celebrated
manufacturer, is now engaged in construct
ing press for the Philadelphia Ledger,
with capacities to print Slrty thousand an
hour! Let no farmer, therefore, content
himself with the idea that he has nothing
more to learn in regard to the science OF
farming. England formerly obtained, as
we do now, but from Is to 20 bushels of
wheat per acre. She now reaps from Az to
so bushels an acre, on land originally no
better than ours for its propagation. Look
too, at the perfection and value OF her
stock, acquired by turning her attention to
Improvement. The time was when the
plough had not been discovered, and when
the spade and the hoe had to do its work.
and we have a tradition that q century or
two ago the grist was carried to the miller
with the grain in one end OF the bag and a
large stone in the other end, to obtain bal
lance Although we have made many strides
towards improvement, yet we have many
more to make-and more, we venture to say,
in the agricultural line, than in any other
And what so we'll calculated to speed this
great and important branch of learning as
Agricultural Fairs, like that proposed to be
held at Columbia, where will be concentra-
ted all the eminent agriculturists of the
State, with fund of information concern
inc their modes of cultivation, the results
of their experience, and where can be seen
the best kinds of stock, agricultural imple-
ments, and specimens of the products of
the different systems of farming from all
parts of the country. Let no farmer fail to
avail himself of the benefits of such an oc-