Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-07-27
PlCKENS COURT HOUSE, s. c, SATURDAY, JULY 81, 1867.
South Carolina---Report of her Agricultu.
raj Condition and Prospects

\
Agricultural Department, has made report
to tha Commissioner ON the agricultural con.
ditioY of the South. The following is the
sectioss!S the report which treats of this
State3.{ & 3 s Il. y
licslg well Situated for the cultivation Of
rice aud cotton and having surplus of labor,
this state has devoted its agriculture to the
cultivation OF these two mcrchantable products
| to the neglect OF all her other agricultural re-
sources. In proportion to area she has but
| little more poor soil than North Carolina.
while III her rice lands and sea islands she has
much that is superior
| C0tf0n.-1he census shows that there was
grown, as reported, 353 4l2 bales; how much
of this was sea island and how much upland
does not appear, while the quantity planted
is in excess Of last year 1t is safe to esti
mate that not over one half of the land plan
tedyih 1859 and 1860 is now being worked,
| while through the region known as Sher.
mans track" the same causes which con,pellcd
he abandonment of fields after they had been
planted and partially worked in North Caro-.
lima has produced like results, only to larger
extcht here Some have been compelled to
abaHdon entirely and at once, while others
have. discharged their hands and teams, and
worked with their families in order to make
somg corn and little cotton to save them from
future starvation
While much relief has come to many of
these people, but a small portion have been
relieved from impossibility Of getting con
vcyupce to find the suffering or to send relief
when found. II the history of the past and
present suffering of these people in the Caro-
lnaf; Georgia, PORTIONS of Alabama, aud Mis-
SlsslpPl is ever fully written an amount of
suffering will be disclosed that has had no
paralt III the Union. Even if the season
be most propitous, there will yet bc. until
another planting and another harvest, uutold
misery and starvation.
1t will hardly be credited that whole fami.
lies have bad no meat for weeks that thew
have lad but one meal duy, and that Of
POUNDED corn. Often they have denied them.
ave Ss'S SsE3t oAs aa afG e cHaa u hH l
the fields and woods. In one instance hus-
band had travelled some sixty miles to rcla-
tive, who had loaned him COW then in milk.
and there was. JOY i'll that family when the
COW came. They had tasted no food for weeks
but roots and herbs, and were weak and ema-
ciated, but the milk restored their vigor. The
man also brought small parcel of seed corn,
and the COW was harncssnd to the plough and
small patel, Of land was prepared for a fu-
ture crop. This family consisted of father
+" Why don't you work 7" 80, sir, tell us
pound Of pork, and We will most gladly work,
the condition of thousands.
Corn.-Alorc has been planted this year
than last In many instances ha: little cot
ton is planted, and the energies of tho 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 census the corn crop
is put down at 15065,60G bushels. II will
fall far below that this year. ! doubt if it
reaches half. TO furnish any permanent re-
lief it should be double The plant is well
cultivated and looks promising.
IVhrat.-Only 1885, ,63l bushels are re-
ported By the census for this State. For the
lack Of seed and labor but a small breadth
was sown last year; it is being harvested in
good condition and yields well, but so press
ing arc the wants OF the people that buta lit
tie will be left for seed. In many instances
the green wheat and rye have been cut up
and tca'totho mules to enable tho farmers to
work their growing Cotton and corn crops
Oats.--But small crop, only 936, ,974 bush
els, were made, as reported by the census; it
is, therefore, Of small consequence, though
an effirt has been made this Year to SOW con-
siderable, but the scarcity of the seed and the
poyeify of the people have prevented any
thing like the usual breadth being put in
Rtce..-Thc census reported 1l9, 100,528
pounds Of hulled or merchantuble rioc. The
great destruction of the expensive fixtures on
the rice plantations by the war has nearly
broken up the cultivation added to this is
want Of capital and Of labor, and the cuItiva-
tion Of n plantation is the exception rather
than the rule, nor viii the vast rice fields be,
again cultivated till new systems of labor is
established; resort must be had to the Chi
nesc. If proper efforts are made. have no
doubt abundant labor of that kind could be
procured at San Francisco. And the China
man once domicilcd on these plantations, there
will be no further want for labor, aud cheap
labor, too, for there is scarcely any place on
this continent where Chnaman oan live so
cheap as on the rico plantations Of the South.
T1bdcco-AThe crop hos been considered of
small consequence in this State the census
only reporting .104,9l2 pounds. Whether
there be really difficulties of soil or climate,
or both, in the way OF successful and pro6ta,
bic, cultivation, / did not learn. Az part Of
tho State is on tho same range Of tho Blue
Ridge with Virginia and North Carolina,
there seems no good reason why it cannot be
grown as wol as in those States.
Wa know Tint MI !. true that Mr Peters