The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-12-04
tcoNcLrDED.
Address Of Hon. J. Foster MarshalI.


,Socicty,im tie State House, on, Wetlucs
"ay Erens"g, November IL, 1851.
Gentlemen Of the State Agricultura
Society,":
In order to carry on the works of i'm.
provement upon your farms, would have
you adopt the only system by which YOU
can keep your fertile lands in good heart
reclaim your exhausted soil, and that is
the rotation system. Let your farms b.
devided into three grand divisions, if prac.
ticablc, aud plant one-third in cotton, one.
third i'll corn and peas, and SOW down one
third in wheat, barley and oats. Follow
cotton. with corn, and corn with your
small grain crops. If you have land to
spare, let your stubblc land lie in faIow the
/ fourth year. In this way, onc-third Of
your land will lie rested every third year in
winter crops, which natures carlyf in the
E'spring, and gives away TO a fine coat of
weed and grass. Pursuing this system of
manuring and rotation for a series of six
years, you will have more surplus capital
at the end of that time, than YOU will have
, at the end Of ten years under the present
system. One farm will have improved in
productivencss Of soil ten per cent. per an
! NUN, while the other farm will have be-
come exhausted in the same ratio. In
.fact, no man ought to 7'iunt one foot of
(ond more Man he can Moroughiy pre-
pare for am satisfied that six acres of
land, well manurcd and thoroughly pre-
pared, will yield more cotton or corn than
ten acres nndcr:the present system. Our
motto should be, not how Tnany acres we
can plant to the hand, but how many
pounds or bushels we can make per acre.
5 In vain shall the true friends of agricul-
ture calculate on arrcsting the tide OF emi-
grafton that is constantly carrying off num-
bers of our most useful citizcns from the
homeso Of their birth and the tomLs of their
ancestors, seeking homes in the cnchant-
ing southwest, and draining the State Of
the source of her true wealth, the slaves :;
until reform has taken place in our econ
omy and mode of culture. 1t cannot be
expected that our children will be content
cd to sit down and cultivate our exlIaus-
ted fields, when they hear such glowing
accounts Of the fertile lands Of tic south
west. If we expect 10 see them settle a.
round US rs farmers, manufacturers, or lne-
chanics, we mus. point them to our fertile
lands, to our great waer-powers, and to
our lDeSbaustiple mineral resources, When
that is done, then we will see them settling
down in their native State, around the
graves Of their sires, determining to stand
ty their State through veal or woe, or per-
isI'ng beneath the folds of the Palmetto
tree.
In connection with the improvement of
your farms, | would have YOU adorn your
homes with neat flower garden, orchard,
and vineyard. A rose bush here and there,
with evergrecns to fill up the intermediate
spaces, and an orchard with wcll-sclcctcl
fruit, and n vineyard Of few choice vines,
will give Il cheering and comfortable pros
pect to the hu'nbIest cottage. These cost
but litlic, in comparison with the pleasure
in stroll among flowers, or thc luxury to
Ie derlvcd"from ea'ing good fruit, or the
cententmen. Of mind that is enjoyed under
our own vine and fig tree. II will enlarge
and expand the minds Of our children,
when in their gamhols around our roses, or
tl,rcugl, the orchard or vineyard. These
things around our homes, speak to the
heart, enlist the best sentiments Of our ma
turc, and enable us to realize That ..happi-
ness which home alo, can give. The as.
sociations that spring up around home, as
tue birthplace, rs the scene Of tife's holiest
emotions, rise. in after life, when we arc far
awap from The scenes of childhood, and
bring back to fading memory some of its
freshest and purest leaves. Nature speaks
to the heart iustle lonely vale. in the sand
hills, on the mountain top, in langnage sub
lime and beautiful. Then follows the cx-
ample set befoiey you by the great Archi-
tect of.the universe. DO for yourselves and
children what nature has done for YOU
rbeautifg and adorn your homes.
.,s.While we are upon the subject of the
improvement of our lands, would invite
votr serious,attention to the rcclaiming of
some Of Our richest alIdviat lands, which
now lie ,Tb a state Of nature. II aIlude to
our river swamps and the inland 'swamps Of
the low country. The river swamps
commence, generally, at the foot 'of the fails
ofvur large rivers and continue almost un-
btoken to the Atlantic, and are subject to
ainundatiops of the rivers and the excessive
raips,from the surrounding hills. They en-
brace an area estimated at not less 9hsH six
hundred thousand acres, and are valued
now only for tue prsoafious pasturage lhey
afford y - =! -,.5, f:sNES -
Some Of our planters, j with al, energy
ito cultivate portions sof lhe sb6t ins. Con con
|sequepcet afthe ffeqnelt 'ayera owing Of sstke
tsiiyes, bays been compelled ito abandon
Ethsm. This partial cultivation; = ho@zyer,
Eestablished The fact, thet they atas tfebsgal