Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-02-19
FOR THE ABBEvILLE PRESS.
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FOR THE ABBEvILLE PRESS.
STONY POINT, February II, 1869.
Dear Lee IF success will result
from repeated appeals, I propose again
urging upon the planters of the Dis
trict thespolicy, indeed the necessity,
of reviving Our Agricultural Societies.
The provcrbial wisdom of a multitude
of counscllors is applicable to no voca-
ton in life more truly than to the
science OF agriculture. A Crusoe may
constructa q "dug out" and his man
Friday build saares for wild game, but
no isolatcd individual ever fully de-
vclopcd the agricultural resources Of
his own farm. Association of ideas
and Of men, concert of action, and
practical knowledge, are all necessary
to secure the farmer success ;; and
never before in the history of our
State has the lack Of these incentives
been SO sorely felt by our planters as
at the present. If emancipation has
imposed multiplied responsibilities
upon the negro, 80 has the transition
from master to employer exacted Of
the planter radical changes in his
theory and practice Of plantation
economy. The idle time Of slave
was an imperceptible loss to his master;
the increasing number and value of
slaves compensated for ragged farm
ing; the corn crib, smoke house and
hand loom secured to the planter of
old an independence no where else to
be found +; indeed, the owner Of slaves
was his own insurer, and cared nought
for the outside world.
Not SO now. Labor is scarce be-
cause confined principally to males
and is best ontrolled where best re-
munerated; to supply this deficiency
a demand arises for improved imple-
ments; experience teaches us it does
not pay to raise "razor backs" and
hence the demand for improved breeds
of porkers; from the same lesson we
learn, that to grow corn to feed mules
and hogs doesn't pay, and hence the
necessity Of devoting larger area to
small grain tho high price of cotton
urges the planter to cultivate more
land, and instead Of reclaiming worn
land stimulates him to fell our virgin
forests, thus impoverishing instead OF
enriching the country.
Now, the vital question to my mind
is, how are all these changes to be
met, and successfully practiced without
detriment to the country? Only,
think, by an interchange Of ideas, and
this interchange can only be effected
by the revival Of our agricultural
societies.
There arc men in our District WHO
still adhere to the ante bellum system
Of fapming, who are going behind
every day; whilst there are others
who taking advantage Of the pro.
gressive tendency of things, keep up
to every advancement in the science oi
agriculture, and are rapidly rebuilding
their lost fortunes. During the past
six months I have seen men, who
harvested barley at the rate of twenty
ive bushels per acre, sell the grair
readily at two dollars per bushel
while others were enquiring, "what il
barley good for?" TWAS good TO sel
to say the least of it, then why moi
grow it extensively? I have, too
seen men sell their wheat for tive
dollars per ybushel, while others a
easily sold for three dollars, because
their grain was superior. Again,
have seen men hunting purchasers fol
their milch cows at &15 and $40 PEI
head, while I've known others to sci
easily and readily at $50 and SO pc,
head. Again, Isaw o farmer not loni
since with thirty.one pigs fortnigh
old offering the lot for $50, whilst
knew another to sell ten pigs Of tn,
same age for 800 cash. Now, thes
are but single instances zof what i
occurring in our vicinity almost daily
and yet the remunerative side Of thes
sales is confined to but a few Of on
planters. Why cannot leach an'
every planter and; farmers sn the Dt
triet command such prices for hi
stock and grain2 Its simply beoaas
Ae hasnat the eright kind, and IN man
i instances does not know that sSs;
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