The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-10-18
Largo Farms and Few Hands.


whose mode of tillage, with varied
crops, is SO po,pleXing to our planters
here, and yet, is carried on there
where the seasons are so short that
the utmost diligence and the care
fullest tillage is required, engaging as
those farmers also do in the raising
of many things requiring the most
minute horticultural care.
We then said that there were in the
| West, farms of 10000 acres in such
cultivation. We did not correctly
state the amount of land thus in one
body submitted annually to the treat
ment of the plow, the scythe, the hoe
and the rake, welded not so much
by the hand of the workman, as
directed by him and multitudinorsly
impelled OF drawn by the horse OF by
steam. A plantation with us of three
thousand acres, actually submitted
yearly to the implements of the hus-
bandman, would be regarded as a
very large one, and very few such are
now to be found under the restricted
culture by mere hand power and
single or double horse -plows, since
labor was ''emancipated" in the South
and turned out to return, if it see fit,
to original incidence and bush life.
In stating, therefore, that there
were such Western farms of 10000
acres, we were i'll error; for we have
below description of one which
exceeds that number by 5000 acres,
which of itself would constitute a
larger plantation than almost any
now under treatment with u.s. Can
We not learn from this a lesson how
to cultivate large tracts with few
hands? Will we not strive to acquire
the skill necessary to direct these
improved implements and encourage
those who can now use them to come
among us? Their mind may supply
our decreased muscle, and the
strength of iron and steam. of horse
and mule, not yet subjected to pro-
lection against industry and faith
fulness, may till our fields, not only
rs we'll as they were formerly, but
better and better.
We take the following from the
Scientific american, to which a cor
respondent writes thus:
The farm, which is no doubt the
largest cultivated farm in the world,
and believe the best, is owned and
cultivated by NJ. L. Sullevant, ESQ.
formerly from the vicinity of Colum-
bus, Ohio, now of Champaign Coun-
ty, Illinois. He owns and presides
over 70, 200 acres of the best land of
this hemisphere-23, 600 acres of
which ere under fence, and in actual
improvement and cultivation. The
balance is used for herding.
will venture that there cannot be
1 found five acres Of unscrviceable land
on Mr.. SIS entire 10000 acres.
Their productlveness is unsurpassed
Almost all of Mr.. SIS farming is
conducted by labor saving machine
ry, SO Shat it is estimated that.
throughout, one man will perform the
average labor OF four or five, as con
Quoted on small farms He drives
his posts by horsepower; breaks his
ground by Comstock's spadcrs; mows,
rakes, loads, unloads and stacks his
hay by horsepower; cultivates his
corn by improved machinery; bitches
any low ground by machinery; sows
and plants by machinery; so that all.
his laborers can ride and perform
their tasks as easy as riding in a
buggy.
had the pleasure of being present
when he harvested 1000 acres of his
wheat; this was done with -'s
Headers about eight or ten men
and twenty horses cutting and safely
stacking away about 200 acres day,
and performed the work better than
[ ever saw it by old modes. To give
all the improved modes employed by
this kind Of agriculture would re-
quire more space than you would like
to spare. Notwithstanding all this
laborsaving machinery, N1r. S. en-
ploys from 100 to 200 laborers, some
200 horses and mules, and a large
herd Of working oxen.
The great advantage we can espe-
clally gain by the employment of i'm
proved and multiplying tools, is, that
while we can have all the hands in
our employ ready to pick outas much
cotton as we would be able to pick
at any time now, We will have been
able, in the meantime, to use them in
cultivating an immense area in other
crops, and in taking as much care of
our present breadth of cotton cult
vation us we have ever done, if not
more, and that if we must pay moro
wages to portion Of such hands as
we employ, we will have more faith
fu1 caryica from, ,,,ora ro1;ol,1o ..,o.>