The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-01-11

horticultural society IN bis State some weeks ago viii
be read with great pleasure by his many admirers
among all those designated by way Of distinction as
planting States, Alabama Is foremost in the quantity Of
her producing according 10 the report %
per cent Of the entire crop OF the Union In 1919 while
Georgia. which stood next produced 20 per cent Msss-
sippi l6, South Carolina ~, aud Louisiana per cent
The value OF her products evinced in her expectations
eevaes her still higher in the list OF States and discovers
pecunary prosperity not only surprising but quite mar
yellous in young Commonwealth According TO
official for the year ending 30th june 1882 she is
eKceed la the value Of her exports by but two States IN
the Union, New York and Louisiana And when we con-
slider the whence those States derive large por
ton Of their exports Il would not arrogant or exava
giant 10 claim Tor Alabama precedence over them as an ex
porter Ii is quite sufficient 20 prove that she exceeds
Louisiana in her products, 10 state that she has l54o6
more inhabitants larger quantity of cultivated land and
persons engaged In tlage Besides she sends, an
nelly large number OF cotton bales to New Orleans to
swell the exports OF Louisiana Indeed bearing IN mind
that the productions of about one-seyenth OF the State
(he northern parJ so to New Orleans or the Atlantic
ports and part of The cotton crop Of East Alabama 70
Appalaccoa which together exceed what we receive in
Mobile from East Mississippi II may be safely asserted that
the official fall below the real aggregate exports Of
our State On the other hand there are all the States
north of the Ohio and several OF the New England States
annually pouring portion of their treasures into New
York. and helping TO swell the aggregate of her exports
while that great Pactous Of American wealth. the Misss
sppi river watts to New Orleans the annual tributes Of
region from which the world might draw subsistence
Hence repeat Alabama may justly assert her right TO
the first place in the coniederacy exporter and may
truly triumph her compeers most worthy TO bear
the banner oagricnltnre whose peace plenty
and power When, too we reflect that che Is child IN
years but yesterday reclaimed from the Indian, whose
footprints still visible in her virgin forests how
velous her past progress! How incacuabe her future
aainmentsl And yet the pentude OF her riches, the
magnitude of her power and the brightness OF her glory
attributable to single production of her so-he
cotton-pantl The white autumnal mantle spread over
fields by muniicent Nature, exceeds in value the
golden fleece in pursuit Of which the Agonauts incurred
such miraculous pers and achieved such prodiges OF
valor 1t is not only fleece OF gold but serves better
than coat Of mail for defence being stronger proof
against foreign weapons than iron brass. Like the
mysterious cesus of Venus which lent charms to the most
deformed wearer and cnkndled love in all bchoder the
snowy which belts conederacy wins for us the
admiration and friendship of the world. Gold and jewels
the types ignorance and barbaric pomp are useless
compared with this last great material Of national indus
try and commerce. of human comfort and support The
aurrous shores Of Australia California not so in
vtng to enterprise nourshng to trade, or so I'M
palsye 70 human progress as this precious product Of our
soil
We need not 60 for proof, 10 Georgia South Carroll
ma which, for years, almost the only cuvaors
Of cotton and late 1921 grew more than half OF the
entire crop of the Unon but produce only about one
fifth oft ch show you, with sorrow, in the older por
tons Of Alabama, and in my native county OF Madison,
the sad memorials of the aress and exhansng culture OF
cotton. Our small planters after taking the cream OIL
their lands unable to restore them by rest mnnure or
otherwise going further West and South in search Of
other virgin lands which they may and will despol and
impoversh in like Our Weather planters, with
greater means and skill buying out their
poorer neghbors extending their plantations and adding
10 their slave force The wealthy feW, VINO are auie 10 I'VE
smaller profits and to give their blasted fields some re
thus pushing off the many who merely independ-
emit OF the twenty millions of dollars annually realized
from the sales Of the cotton crop of Alabama nearly all not
expended in supporting the producers is reinvested in land
and negroes Thus the white population has decreased
and the slave increased almost assu in several coun-
ties of State. In 1926 Madison county cast about
1900 votes she cannot cast exceeding $500 ntavers-
ing that county will discover numerous farm-honses
the abode Of industrious and intelligent freemen, now
occupied by slaves tenantes deserted and dapdaed
he will observe fields fertile untenced, aDAn-
doned and covered with those evil harbngers fox-ail
and broomsedge; he win see the moss growing on the
mouderpg walls of once thrifty villages and will find
one only master grasps the whole donaiu that once
furnished happy homes for dozen white families. IL
decd country in It's infancy, where fifty years ago,
forest tree had been ielled by the Of the
pioneer is already exhibiting the painful signs OF senility
and decay, apparent in Virginia and the Carolnas the
freshness Of is agricultural glory Is gone the ygor Of its
ing over it, The prospect is calculated 10 fill the patriots
heart with painful emotions and to impress upon the sen
sitive mind the truth Of The poet'srehection:
" III fares the land, to Fastening ills prey, I'll
Where wealth accumulates and men decay"
II the planters Of Alabama would prevent the SHAMEFUL
decadence Of agriculture SO palpable in Virginia and the
Caronas they must haush the wild illusion which holds
them speEbound to the changee ertlcss exhaustng cu-
ture Of the cotton plant They must abandon system
which with nature and condemned by experience
and adopt such improvements In their mode Of age and
such resioratves OF their lands science may
suggest and skin may devise They must learn the physi-
cal fact that all loves change and diversity their
held labor by the intrOuucnon OF DINER pants.
We must develop the great and various bountics which
mundeen nature has provided. Blessed with mild and
genial climate with alternate highland and lowlaud
mountain and plain offertilc and various soils admirably
adapted the growth Of many grains and grasses and the
rearing stock Why should 90 Tennessee Kentucky
or OHIO for -four, our horses and porkf Coal
which continues the chief Of English wealth. and
in developing which within her limits Pennsy vania has
expended than 100000 00--which adds more "a
mans comfort than any other mineral and repays labor
better amy other article Of adeeSists in exhaust
less many parts Of the State but has not beer
developed by the hand Of industry or fully explored by thu
eye of science Iron ore of excellent quality and In aound
ant quantity lies unsmesd In close proximity 10 coal
wood and water while buy Of other States ou
axes and hoes We have timber trees various and vaua
bic any country posseseesthe ash the bushandnan
tree the oak the father Of ships the pine equal 70 ba
OF Norway poplar superior 10 that Of Holland and cedar
as durable that of lebanon and yet Notwithstanding
The great quantity Of timber annually exported from th
United States foreign countries and from southern 4
northern States for manufactures millions ofRcres covered
with these indigenous materials Of wealth. lie unsod n
81 Is per acre. and noble forests destroy BY fire and
the axe merely 10 make way for the ploaghshare w
have marble Of ner grain alabaster whitenos anc
more variegacd beauty, tbap any ~ New England indeed
it seriously contended by some that the block Anbaa
Contributed TO the Washington Monument Italian
vet the marble mantepeee or iable-slab with which
decQralcs the dwellings Of The living, and the column o.
pbelsk which affection in memory OF tile dead arr
brought from Boston or New York, The prodgd vast
and destruction the nsensate neglect and dsuse oil th'
materials OF comfort luxury, and wealth which NE around
us would excite the compensation OF an en-
ligh,ened citizen OF Massachusetts, Could son Of ha
barren land and rigorous cline who ignorant Of thu
Typographical features soil and climate Of State anc
Of the domestic history OF her people be translated on
nspIu - Eand tor