Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-11-11
To TIC Editors Of the Courier:


aishcrs of the Rural Curoltaiun, advertise for
sale, "Thc Rural Accountant work which,
If properly conceived, (we have not secn IT'D
snay have all extended usefulness, and shoald
be in the hands of everyone WHO has the care
of an acre of ground Few Of those engaged
iu agricultural pursuits keep accounts, or orc
competent to do so, but all We I'D be benefit
ted by such aid. The operator, by referring
to his notes, would lcorn at glance just what
he has done, or is doing, his exact pecuniury
position and loss thus buse his pro-
ceedings on mathematical data, which can be
obtained in no other way. Most of our farm
ing operations are prosecuted with yaguencss,
.ifnot in sheer ignorance, Which too frequent.
lycvcntuatc disastrously.
AS commcndablc as is perseverance in right
doing, perseverance in wrong doing is equally
fatal. Thousands through it have been
brought to starvation or poverty, or the other
alternative of hope in emigration, with un-
'ccrtaintics and contingencies, incident to so
nlomcntcus change cs that Of climate new
surroundings Of men, manners and things,
but too fltGucni'y ending in regret, detection
'and ruin. We ,ercat tbs. such a work US the
'onc mentioned above shuu!d bc in the hands
'of every asricnltnralist, aud us one means of
educating the people to their interests, aud
tcaching them to thiuk for themselves in
prosecuting their business. 1t would do
much to stop the sad deterioration ofthc soil,
which, if perseve,cd in, must end in wretch
edness and dcropulation, for so long as any
system of agriculture is exhaustive, the capi
tai of the individual aud the State is dimin
ished. Commercial fertilizers - including,
phosphorus and its combinations, as exhibit.
ed, and however exhibited, (even when all
they pretend to be, will not change the re-.
suit, for oil organisms, dumals and plants,
contain and require many constituents, Cor.
g,nic and inorganic,) and tic absence of one,
causes failure. l must not, however, be un.
derstood as undertaking the use of phos.
pilates or other compounds as adjuncts.
A constant fnllow culture, even with rota.
tion, can scarce be otherwise than exhaustive,
and yet this has been tho almost universal.
necessary to remark that l do not include
those lands naturally or articially fortified,
by irrigation MS the overflow Of rivers,
&c. If such be the conclusion realized by
all experience, the agricultural condition of
the State admits of no doubt A change
must supcrvcuc, or discontinue may be surely
anticipated.
1t has been stated that in the present con.
di,ion Of scientific knowledge, there is no
progressive agriculture without the grasses
Many say that grass culture is impossible in
the South, from the unSutublcncss Of tho
climate and soil but to this statement VIC have
always taken Issue. 1t is as often asserted
thnt if possible the grass crop would not pa, +.
Agnipst ignorant routine and prejudice, argu
mcnt will not prevail, and the experience Of
others is without avail. shall not soon for.
get when stating some years back the asourd.
ing (oCiciaO accounts of grass production by
irrigation the looks aud even wu,us of mere.
dulity expressed. Thozc examples and iiy
'urcs were adduccd from crops obtained IN
the north of Europe. | shall now give au
example Of the production of grass in ati
tudcs approaching the tropics, (about 1927
near Madras in India. In that locality a
swamp most unfavorable for the purpose,
having stiff subsol, was lcveled and pro.
tccted from floods, and the sewage of I:eram.
hose barracks aud the adjacent village, was
Jed to it 10y carthcnwarc conduits. The often.
sive smell was soon lost, and the yield OF
grass and vegetables was wonderful Guinca
grass produced at the rate of eighty eight tons
of fresh grass or twenty niue tons of hay &,
t''> acre. The sanitary condition of the