The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-09-24
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sAo9t tA4t2Tmaklounu, reSaTu 70 tue aSrl-
cultural IesourcesIof this State, with the
request that I shall furnish you with q
eopE----=;r.,,
regret to say that heretofore we have
been compelled to rely entirely upon the
census reports Of the United States, rs
no provision was ever made by the State
governmental procure such information,
nor has private enterprise, as far as am
apprissd, ever exerted itself in that di-
recSion fhepresent General Assembly,
however,owithI q lively appreciation of
the advantages derived by other States
from 1.-The possession of full reports of
their agricultural resources and produc-
tions. created Bureau of Statistics,
which is now being organized, and will
hereafter supply Q deficiency that has
lately become more and more manifest,
as under the operation Of the free labor
system we advance steadily to q condition
Of permanent prosperity. A few weeks
official experience as Commissioner of
that Bureau has already acquainted me
with q multitude of facts which would
long since have largely contributed to
attract thelabor and capital which have
recently gfavitated hitherward, had they
been opportunely and properly brought
to public attention.
Scarcely one.fourth of the land in this
State has ever been titled, and the resi-
due now lies in original forests. Such of
it as has, been improved, even by the
almost primitive system of agriculture
heretofore prevailing i'll South Carolina,
has yielded harvests which, in general,
compare favorably with the most prolific
lands OF the West, and in many cases
Tar surpass. them in variety and abund-
ance of their productions. Over 100
bushels of corn and go bushels of wheat
have, with ordinary cultivation, fire.
quently been made to an acre in this
State, and there are instances, since the
close OF the war, where. by good plough
ing and moderate use of manure, 300
bushels of corn have been gathered in
the same area. Under my personal
observation 212 bushels were made on
one acre, within the corporate limits of
this city last season, on land that can
hardly be classed ordinary, and yet it is
confidently expected that the same soil
will, with the employment of little
more care, yield a third larger crop.
Prior to 1860, our average harvest per
acre, according to the official reports of
the United States, was 600 pounds of
cotton, % bushels of wheat, 40 bushels
OF barley, 40 bushels of rice, 100 bushels
of Irish, ana 400 bushels. of sweet pota-
toes; and this despite the carelessness of
slave labor; the lack of improved agri-
cultural implements. the parsimonious
use of manures, and many other disad-
vantages of a similar character. Since
the. close Of the war, this average has
been largely increased, under the opera
tion of the free labor system, and will,
beyond question, be greatly augmented
by liberal use of modern fertilizing
agencies. jag:
Our climate and soil are adapted to
the growth of the most of the grain and
fruits of a. more Northerly latitude; al
most as much so as to that of those which
are naturally found to prosper here; and
it has been said with truth, that there is
scarcely foot in the whole domain of
South Carolina where plant would not
flourish. In the distribution of the sea-
sons, weare peculiarly blessed, it being
neither too warm nor too cold here, as
The planter loses but few laboring days
in the year, and enjoys the inestimable
advantages Of o Succession Of crops.
Thus, he is enabled to produce cotton of
long and Short staple, rice, upland and
swamp corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley,
tobacco, peas, hemp, fax, hops. &C., and
every variety of garden vegetable. In
all parts of the State grapes grow abun-
dainty, whilst peaches, apples, pears,
apricots, Rgs, and other fruits of almost
every description. are raised in immense
quantities. OF peaches alone, q single
Cot&y sends to the city of New York
hundreds of thousands of bushels. In
brief, South Carolina presents, in her
peculiar location and advantages, induce
ments to farmers such as cannot be sur
passed by those OF any other State in the
Union. These she holds out with open
hands, and cordially invites the children
OF every section and CLINE to draw their