The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-09-15

virgin soil of the Gulf States is watesed
by many streams, whose proportions
would be majestic to eyes not used TO-
consider the immensity Of "The Father
OF Watere." These natural water COURSES
pleted railroads, and thousands of miles
large facilities for inland commerce. The
upper waters of those rivers afford q
power waiting to be utilized, sufficient
to turn the spindIes and work the looms
OF the world. In tho mountain districts
Of Virginia, tho Carolinas, Tennessee
and Georgia, the rivers literally leap to
the sea- and furnish O wator power
which it makes an engineer sigh to sec
run to waste.
2. The soil is fertile, aud capable of
producing almost every variety of crop
which can be produced in the Northern
aud Middle States, and many others for
which the climate of the colder States is
unpropitious. While the cotton Of the
South has come to be it's great staple,
and will doubtless, long hold very high
place among its products, it is neverthe-
less true that it's soil and climate are ad-
mirably adapted to the 'successful cnl-
ture OF other agricultural products. Its
mountain regions are unsurpassed in fit
ness for grazing farms. There is no good
reason why East Tennessee, Western
North Carolina aud Virginia, Northern
Georgia and South Carolina, should not
rival the best Northern aud Western
dairy products. And there is no better
field for wool raising in the world than
can be found in these States. Fruits of
all kinds flourish. The luscious peach.
the succulent melon, the juicy pear, the
crisp apple, the orange, the lemon, the
Zig and the apricot find here genial soils
and favoring climates; while the grape in
every variety may be cultivated to
rival its fellow in Spain, France or Ger
many. An opinion has gained currency
that the soil of the Southern Atlantic
States is "worn OUT" that only small
crops repay the hard labors of him who
tills; and that the searcher for good
farming or planting lands must seek
them elsewhere. This is undoubtct.-
ly an error. For generations the cul-
ture OF these lands has been in the hands
OF slaves. The overseers, who directed
and scourged the slaves, were but too
often little superior in agricultural
knowledge to tho field hands" and the
''feld hand" had only intellect enough
to use the rudest implements in the
clumsicst possible way. The top of the
ground was scratched, not ploughed-
what the planter called plough was no
whit better than that described by Virgil
twenty centuries since. The scores of
agricultural implements invented by the
uctive brains of educated farmers and
mechanics of the last thirty years were
unknown in the South, except very rare
y. No attempt was made to use the
means existing on every we'll. ordered
farm or plantation for saving or making
manures. Everything was taken from
the soil; nothing was returned to it; and
its natural capacities were absolutely un-
known, because of the rude and imper-
feet culture. Plnce on tho soil of the
Cnrolinas, Virginia or Georgia, intelli-
gent labor under intelligent dirco-
ton; carry there the implements
which have so lightened the labors
and increased the hnrvests Of the North
ern and Western farmer; apply the same
sagacious foresight, thrift and Ienergy,
which enablc tho New England farmer
to raise premium crops" ont of tho nat
urally infertile lands of that section, and
you shall see the land groan under the
burden OF the crops that shall grow
there. Besides the ordinary and early
procurable fertilizers in abundance on
any plantation, tho recent discovery of
phosphate of lime in South Carolina has
opened up source of supply sufficient
to renovate not merely the "worD ont"
lands of the South, but of continent
This deposit can hardly BE- oSer-estimat-
ed in value. 10 the large population
now engaged i'll mining and manipula-
ting it, and destined to be much larger,
it is the source of great wealth; to the
agricultural interests of the country, it
is II source of much greater wealth.
g. The mineral wealth Of the South,
thoughgnndeveloped, is vast, and waits
only the reaching forth of the hand of
enterprise to pour its treasures into the
lap Of commerce. Iron, gold, copper
and coal exist in abundance In South
Carolina large deposits of very fine
clay exist, Of which pottery meet to
compare with the best of Worcestershire
can be made. Ochres of great value are
also found. Granite and marble in in
finite variety are at hand.
4. The forests yield the choicest woods
in great variety. The pines Of the Caro-
linus and Georgia are we'll known in oil
our mnrts; the live oak of Florida is
- Il.