The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-06-30

without returning anything thereto
we exhausted the soil; and the heavy
rains descended, and not being able
to penetrate the hard uubroken sub
soil, betook themselves down the hills,
along the furrcHs, carrying off all
vegetable NJ atter and the scanty loose
dirt, and ribbed the hill.sides with
many ayawning gully, and impover-
ished or utterly ruined the land. -
Why didst thou not give us an inheri-
tance that could withstand our des-
truotive axes, and consuming fires, and
deplorable mismanagemeuts." Aud
to add insult to injury, the Yankees
came along and freed our Lille Back
Gods.
Now fathers, havu't you fixed this
country beautifully for your children
Instead of us inheritipg fields richer
than tho forest land, with improve
ments Of every kind, with brick and
stone mausions or cottages, and plenty
of timber, we have thousands of piuy
old fields, with many deep and rug
gcd cash in their sides; few fresh
fields in very little better condition, a
patch of original woods here and
there, aud a few temporary buildings.
We undoubtedly should feel very
grateful. In order that we may not
be censurcd by future generations, let
US 60 to work to build up our country,
and let us start ut the very founda-
tion, tho ground. l do not like to
censure the plan adopted by our faith
ers, but must do it to support the one
[ think we should adopt. Their plan,
to say the least of it, had very seri-
GUS and disastrous termination.
am no chemist, and will not un-
dertake to enter into learned dis
course upon the construction of the
soil, and the change produced upon it
by different chemical agents. A few
common sense remarks is all that will
be attempted; and not because they
will be now to you, but that it is ne.
cessary for human nature to be kept
pushed up.
Some wise sages contend that the soil
of the Southern States is hostile to
any permanent improvement. They
are right. 1t was not intended by
Providence that one coat of manure
should last always no more than that
one rain should last for one year. But
when we adopt the right plan and 90
about it in earnest, nearly every acre
Of land can bo brought to as high
state Of fertility as our gardens, and
kept at it. Not by having one thous.
and acres to be kept up by two hands :;
nor by working eighteen or twenty
acres to each hand. Ouo hand ought
to make six bales of cotton. Then let
him make it on three acres of ground.
And two hundred bushels of corn.
Then let him make it on four or six
acres, according to whether it is bot
tom or hill land. "Fool notion" you
soy. "ell, Soo tr;sd your notion and
came to grief, and it is time now to
try something else. GLOW will you
do it then 7" BY beginning at the
bottom, that is on the bottom lands,
and fix them so that they will not
only not wash away, but will improve
every year. 'Can it be done :" Yes
and intend getting out patent for
the plan. You will then make plcn.
ty of corn to subsist on while YOU arc
working to improve the hill sides.-
BY this plan Of improving tho bottom
lands, wo will be able to raise rice
very profitably in the up-oountry.
"Another fool notion" Yes, and
doubtless the same was said when it
was first introduced into the lower
part of this State by lady.
We export very little Of the fat of
the land, consequently ought to bo
able to keep our lands in better fix
than the Yankees keep theirs. We
don't do it though. They mako their
naturally poor. land rich we make
our naturally rich land poor. They
build large cities and have splendid
improvements Of every kind. We
have few scattering houses in each
District and call them town. They
have white mans government. We
negro government. They are wrong
we are right. Then want to DO
wrong.
shall not be tyrannioal about any
particular plan for improving tho
land. Let each one study the nature
of the soil of his own land, and adopt
the plan best suited to the land and
his ability of carrying it out. If one
thinks best to broadcast the manure
and plow it in, let him adopt it. If
another thinks best to plant peas or
some small grain and plow the crop
under, let him do it. If we 20 to
Nature we will learn from one of Her
insects when to put the manure. It
might not be a bad plan to put some
deep and some shallow. Why not
run deep furrow in the cotton mid
dies in early winter and frail down the
cotton stalks in it and lap on them,
and let them decay by the time the
next crop will need the same sub.
stances7 TO be able to do that, the
crop must be gathered early, and to