The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1870-01-08

ho0r taught but little skill except IN
the cultivation of our staple, cotton is
BY far the most popular and profitable
crop but it is by no means certain that
Others may not rival or eclipse it, once
attention and skill be uuited upon them.
Immense yields per ncre may be realized
from the grape; and even the dcspiscd
and Discarded sorghum under the new
and improved mode of syrup and sugar.
making may supplant cotton in many
fields. Indeed it requires no great
stretch OF fancy to expect that, in few
years, Cinnamon will tend fields of Ten
in this very District, more profitably
than in China: and Frenchmcn aad
Germans press from Carolina grapes us
generous wines AS ever gladdcncd the
hearts OF their couutrymon. These
things are within the scope of reasonable
probability, since each of these products
have already been raised successfully
with little capital or effort and less skill,
and may beyond doubt, under botter
management, be made to swell the value
of our lands and render our State more
attractive than the West, which hereto
fore has secured vast majority of de-
sirable immigrants. God has indicated
the advantages of diversity of occupa.
tion by bcstowing diversity of faculties
and tastes upon us, and capabilities OF
ycilding manifold rewards to labor upon
our soil. To seek the profits yielded by
one only of these products Of the soil, is
to enjoy but the thousanth part of our
advantage. To diversity, is to cn!,aac?
the value of our great staple, while VIC
chcapcn all other products Of which we
do not possess natural monopoly. Let
the warming OF the past be as efficient as
it has been terrible We once embarked
our all iii single vessel to be wrecked
and lost. Again we arc about to resume
our mistaken policy. No people can so
attain independence or prosperity. Let
our fields be us diversified. in cultivated
as they are III spontaneous products.
Particularly would your committee
urge the propriety and advantages of
planting largely of small grain, which
in addition to the small amount of labor
required allow time for second crops the
same season, when the land has been
well manurcd. OF oats, they recommend
the red on account OF its immunity from
rust and its large per ccu'ayc Of grain
OF Barley, they would speak with eau
ton, not having experimental, and bciug
of opinion that it is only suitable ior
stiff and well mauured lands where the
yield exceeds corn several times in value.
The committee having experienced
the difficulty of making sufficient forage
for stock and raving seon the sorghum
planted for that purpose with apparently
very favorable results, invite experiments
with it and reports of the cost OF raising.
the yield and value as forage, green aud
cured, us compared with tod,lcr and pea
hay. They deem it worthy of expert
ment sowed very thickly in well manur-
ed drills, rs corn is sometimes sown for
similar purposes. In this connection too
they desire to recommend the planting
of turnip crops for stock during the win
ter. Where care is taken iu the prcpar-
alton and fertilizing Of the land, aston
ishing crops Of this very valuable food
may be made. Now that stock can not be
allowed to earn their scanty living dur.
ing winter i'll the swamps and branches,
it is of Importance that such cheap food
be provided for wintering in the lots,
and saving their valuable manure and
valuable carcasses to- Raised and fed
on the same ground, turnips furnish cle-
ments of fertility that alone would more
than repay cost of production
Lastly your committee would call ut
tention to the prime poriancc of Sc
lecting seeds which tell not less con
spicuously in the yields of field, than
blood in tho value and beauty and size
of stock 1t were better and wiser in
such matter to make our own careful
selections, rather than incur the risks of
imposition by purchasing from abroad
except were the product not being en-
tirely adapted to our soil or climate the
seed do not attain perfection.
Respectfully submitted,
f. NJ. WANNAMAKER,
For Committee.