The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-02-27
tApaetsoa Jntelligenter,
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT
For The Mtelligcncer.
Letter from DR.. o. R, Broyles.

menu 1mpneQ IN your Iequeou, un@b L
would furnish you, and through you, the
Agricultural Society at Pendleton, with
the results of my experience, and obser-
vations, in reference to the cultivation of
Rice in upper-Carolina. I regret to have
to say to you in advance, that L can
scarcely hope to meet tho expectations
of either, especially if 1T is supposed, that
my experience has been sufficient to
found a reliable policy, orevcn to impress
ma o,on mind with an undoubting conf
tonce in all the views L may communicate.
1 concur fully with your Society, that
the Rice crop, in the present PROSTATE
condition of our affairs, is very well en-
titled to serious consideration, For if
it can be made appear, that the soil and
climate of the upper Districts are emf
nently congenial to the growth, develop
ment and maturation of the Rice plant,
there can be no question, when consider
ed in connection with the vast amount of
River, Creek and Branch low-grounds at
command, and their unsurpassed produc-
tiveness, as to our own ability to raise
not only an ample supply for domestic
consumption, but many thousands of
bushels for expectation annually.
1t has always been matter of aston
ishment to me, that crop SO highly re-
munerating, should have been go long
overlooked by our farmers and planters.
There is scarcely farm ON which there
is not enough low-grounds to produce an
amount of Rice, more valuable than the
ordinary cotton crop. Yet, the cultiva;
ton of Rice for the last half century, has
been confined to negroes, whose patches,
with very rude and insufficient prepara-
ton, have generally exhibited vigorous
growth and an abundant yield.
In the fall of 1s43, the Agricultural
Society at Pendleton, for the first time,
took the subject into serious considera-
tion. And, for the purpose Of testing the
capacity of our soil fully, they offered a
small premium for the best acre of Rice
grown in the District. You, doubtless,
remember the result. There were three
eompetitors-Wm. Steele, Dobson Reese
and o. R. Broyles. The first named
planted his acre on the alluvian OF an old
mill-pond, and its growth was so rapid
and luxuriant, that it fell by its own
weight, on attaining height of about
three feet The crops of the other two
competitors, which were planted the last
week in April, were fully matured and
harvested on the End of October The
Committee, appointed to measure and
weigh the Rice and award the premium,
reported O. r. Broyles had made one
hundred and ten and half bushels on
one acre, of land; and that Reese had
made one hundred and five. That the
first named had beaten his competitor by
five and half bushels by measurement,
and fifteen by weight. This last differ
ence resulted doubtless from the DANA
ging effects of the shade Of a few partially
deadened trees in Mr.. Reese's field.
The report of the Committee was pub
tshed over the signature of its Chair
man, Rev. Mr., Potter, of the Episcopal
Church, and became generally known.
The following year, as was expected,
very many of our citizens embarked I'M
its cultivation, and various kinds Of ma
ehinery were constructed for the purpose
of pounding and preparing the article
for market. The result of all which was,
that the supply SO far exceeded the de-
mand, that prices became so much reduc-
ed in the upper Districts, that the article
prepared for market in the best manner,
was sold at from one dollar and half to
two dollars per bushel by retail.
This put sudden check to the cultiva-
tion of Rice in the upper country, as an
article for expectation and sale. I have
continued to plant an acre or more at
Intervals of two and three years, for do
mestic use, up to the present time; nor
has the yield ever fallen short of my ex-
pectations, when properly managed.
1 have reproduced these facts, with
which you were once familiar, and which
form part of the records of the Far
mers' Society at Pendleton, for the pur-
pose of refreshing your recollection of
them, and for the still moro important
object of presenting proof that cannot
be controverted, that the soil and climate
$1,000, n;s+r;o+c of South Carolino