The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-27
A SEA ISLANDER AMONG TIE HILLS
tl.4
Cheering signs-Wonlerful Improve
ment An Aiken-Changes I'm Agracul-
: sure-Tho Freeumcn ,GISnpared with
CominE. e:ts y. fE
AIKEN, 8. c., July "a.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
desire to witness the effects of the late
revolution n our political and social condition,
upon the industria ind agricultural interests
OF this section OF our State, together with o
wish for short respite from the tolls and IA
tigues OF sea island ieid, led me here for q
Few days. My acquaintance with this place,
both before and during the wal, places me in
position to judge Of any changes might
soc. had not travelled far from Charleston
before began to discover in the neatly white.
washed cabins and well cultivated patches OF
corn and cotton, signs OF marked improvement.
All along the line Of railroad there was an ap-
pearance Of neatness and thrift which vas
unusual in former days. The crops of cot
ton, corn and potatoes, although in want lot
rain, which they have had since, looked wen,
clean and we'll worked. In this. .peighborhood
(Aiken) the change is wonderful Churches,
hotels and fine private mansions are sprinpinn.
up in various directions. An infusion Of North
ern capital, brought hlther by inyalids who
come during the winter for the benefit Of the
health-giving climate, has wrought this change
in the aspect Of the town.. The abolition OF
slavery which has caused more equal and
general division Of labor, and the liberal use
OF Fertilizers, are the causes of the very great
improvement in agriculture. In my expert:
ence in farming here. in former years, Idis-
covered that the sands here were capable Of
being soon enriched by manures, bv their en-.
pacity Of Fetasnina whatever was placed in the
soil. This has been fully verified in the beam
tiful and promising crops see around Tho
peach crop. alwayaso uncertain, has ID q ,,rea,
mAAanPa IN
was once thought could not4be grown here by
reason OF As being 80 soono visited by frost.
But by deep ploughing- bringing up the clay
which ,underlies the upper soil, to the surface~-
and then applying to the acre from 800 to 500
pounds OF commercial manures, the plants are
pushed forward sooner to fruitful maturity
and now ore to be seen luxuriant fields or COZ.
ton where few yeaEs ago the impress Of ste-
rility was 80 strongly marked that few were
found bold enough to attempt aay cultivation.
Labor here is as cheap again as 10 Ia ON the
seabosrd. andthe laborers do twice as u,unh.
Ihis ls caused by tho want OF those resources
OF food which our rivers and bays supply be-
low, and uponAwhich the more idle freedmen
subslst. Here the Freedmen's Bureauss,avar
lent It's uneparlng hand to teed the iasy negro
acrns rrs snsy were oeyer LED TO believe that .lorty
right. The poor white islander, keot FOR awo
years out OF his Land after the war Haa over
M Msxlausted every cent ne hud ito keen his fam.
ay ss H9m starvnR; and when he q dsdrag HIM
ser tnere. weary and almost Of breath. ID was
TO find thai there was scaIce q house led ia
cover his head. Reared hs he nai3 been in EehIfl,
and renne -nent, he FeIapsed into dssponi iency.
Su he SsnS nn s tba erss..l
Hing all he was worth ION the chances OF 8
single CROP Bat It 1s q long lane that has NOT