The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-07-24
South Carolina.
REPORT ON HER AGRICULTURAL CONDITION
AND PROSPECTS.


States Agricultural Department, has made
report to the Commissioner on the Ag-
ricuItural condition of the South. The
following is the section of the report
which treats of this State
Being we'll situated for the cultivation
of rice and cotton, and having a surplus
of labor, this State has devoted its agri-
culture to the cultivation of these two
merchantable products, to the neglect of
all her other agricultural resources. In.
proportion TO area she has but little more
poor soil than North Carolina, while in
her rice lands and sea islands she has
much that is superior.
CoTToN.--The census shows that there
was grown, as reported, 353,412 bales (;
how much of this was sea island and how
much upland does not appear, while the
quantity planted isin excess of last year.
1t is safe to estimate that not over one
half of the land planted in 1853 and 1860
is now being worked, while through the
region known as "Sherman's track" the
same causes which compelled the aban-
donment of fields after they had been.
planted and partially worked in North
Carolina has produced like results, only
to larger extent here Some have been
compelled to abandon entirely and at
once, while others have discharged their
hands and teams, and worked with their
families in order to make some corn and
a little cotton to save them from future
starvation.
While much relief has come to many
of these people, but small portion have
been relieved, from the impossibility OF
getting conveyance to find the suffering,
or to send relief when found If the his
tory of the past and present suffering OF
these people in the Carolinas, Georgia,
portions of Alabama and Mississippi, is.
ever fully written, an amount OF human
suffering will be disclosed that has had no
parallel in the Union. Even if the sea-
son be most propitious, there will yet be,
until another planting and another hur-
vest, untold misery and starvation.
1t will hardly be credited that whole
families have had no meat for weeks
that they have had but one meal day,
and that of pounded corn. Often they
have denied themselves corn, that the
sick could be fed, and have substituted
roots and herbs gathered from the fields
and woods. In one instance a husband
had travelled some sixty miles to rela-
tive, who had loaned him cow then in
milk, and there was joy in that family
when the COW came. They had tasted
no food for weeks but roots and herbs.
and were weak and emaciated, but the
milk restored their vigor. The man also:
brought a small parcel of seed corn, and
the COW was harnessed to the plough and
asmaI patch of land was prepared for
future crop. This family consisted of IA
ther, mother, and five children. TO the
question, "Why don't you work r. so,
sir, tell us where we can get even peck
of corn or q pound of pork, and we will
most gladly work, but everybody-is like
we are" And this is the condition OF
..s -
CoRN-More has been. planted this year
than last. In many instances but little.
cotton is planted, and the energies Of the
farm. devoted to corn. Yet they are all
so badly in debt that an effort is made to
grow all the cotton possible. In the cen
sus the corn crop is put down at 1900,
COG bushels. 1t will fall far below that
this year. I doubt if it reaches half. TO
furnish any permanent relief it should be
double. The plant is we'll cultivated and
looks promising.
WHEAr.--Only 1,2S5,6al bushels are
reported by the census for this State;
For the lack of seed and labor but q small
breadth was sown last year; it is being
harvested in good condition and yields
veil, but so pressing are the wants of the
people that but little will be left for
seed. In many instances. the green,wh heat
and rye have been cut up and fed to the
mules to enable the farmers to work
their growing cotton and corn crops.
OATs.-But small crop, only 936,974
bushels were made, as reported by the
census; it is, therefore, of small conse-
quence, though an effort has been made
this year to sow considerable, but the
scarcity of the seed and the poverty of
the people have prevented anything like
the usual breadth being put in.
R1cE.-The census reported ll9, 100, ,52S
pounds of hulled or merchantable rice.
The great destruction of the expensive
fixtures on the rice plantations by the
war has nearly broken up the cultivation;
added to this is the want of capital and
of labor, and the cultivation of .planta-
ton is the exception rather than the rule,
nor will the vast rice fields be again cnl-
tivated till new system of labor is estab-
lished resort must be had to the Chinese.
If proper efforts are made, | have no
doubt abundant labor of that kind couio
be procured at San Francisco Ana Inc
ChInaman once domiciled on these plan
tations, there will be no further want 1cr
iabor and cheap labor, too, for there is
scarcely any place on this continent.where
q Ch;noman can live so cheap as on the
rice plantations of the South. -
TopAcoo-This crop has been consid-
orad of small consequence in this State,