Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-08-19
AgricuIturaI.-An Invitation TO Farmers.

We feel like saying few words Oh this subject be-
cause we feel interest in it, while we are not vain
enough to claim any practical knowledge OF its ope
rations We know that it is the interest Of our State
and feel that the true and lasting prosperity Of our
section must be based upon it.
In our immediate section the cultivation Of the soil
the raising of crOpshas not generally received that at
tention that must ultimately be paid to it, if would
retain population and that population would retain
its prosperity. Turpentne saves shingles, timber and
lumber have absorbed amount of attention and labor
that has retarded the regular and scientific pursuit OF
agriculture properly called This to certain extent
at least has been right and proper. Say what you will
and preach you may will get the largest recon-
pense for their labor and the best profit their capital
But this must come to an end 1t is but the introduce
tory process. The forests will give out. The falling
off in the amount of our exports of lumber shows that
so far as timber is concerned the supply convenient to
warehouses; on the lower Cape Fear at least is fail
ing The best timber now comes from the upper river
and its prongs especially that prong branch known
the Deep River But the history of the lower coun
try is but foreshadowing Of what will happen the
upper. 1t is only question Of time.
This exhaustive process has been less rapid, Or its
Effects at least have been less apparent in the article
naval stores, but yet reflection must convince any intel
igent person that for permanent prosperity in the
future that must to be relied upon staple tc
anything like the extent that it has heretofore been
the example of Edgecombe county, and Of isolated
farmers even in the Cape Fear counties, shows that
wben from necessity it has to be abandoned, the change
may be of highly beneficial character.
Our brethren of Sampson County, for instance, tak
great interest in agriculture. Our brethren of Dupn
perhaps make less show, and upon the whole have
perhaps made rapid advances but they too haze mad
advances so in Cumberland and other counties O
the district and far can understand pros
perity has always followed the substitution of stateC
cultivation for an exclusive even large reliance upol
the products of the forest.
Well, now, what we want to say is this Every sec
ton of country has its own character of SOIL and ever
character Of soil requires to some extent at least it
character of treatment Say that it is deficient in
element of fery-perhaps it has some other in excess
No one farmer try all the experiments necessary
full appreciation of his tract, would it
profitable if he did, But if A tries one thing and
tries another and another and on each recording hi
own observations giving the process and results in tn
shortest and painest language large amount of knowl
edge, aQ Teaknowledge might be gathered up and diff
fused. A spirit of audabe emulation might be awak
ened and incalculable amount of good might be thu
result Agricultural societies are doing and have don
much good-agricultural publications have also dom
good and might do more, if they could be sustained
this State, but such publications have unfortunately fa
through and it has struck us that such magazines
published hundreds of miles north or south of us hard
possess that immediate interest that would stimulate fr
mers to follow their suggestions.
IT. say A, in Sampson were to send to paper circr