The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-10-31
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6IFrooa the South Carolia;da.e1
sFencing Stock vs.. Fencing creps.n q
,j Ep1roR There is is perhaps no 9sddbjec
makers of this State, than that of our system
of fencing-the fence laws. Itis we'll worthy
also, of the earnest attention of our agricgltp
-Sists. For the FIRST time in the history eof 1.-The
State, there is likely. to be an effective organi
zation of this interest, through TIE Patrons Of
Husbandry; the county and States societies
and neighborhood ciabs, and there is pros
pect, ,also,5o our taking step forward in this
vastly important department of industry.
II. has always been a matter of surprise tc
enc that planters and farmers could never be
induced to act harmoniously. Agriculture has
been, and is still, the very foundation stone Of
our prosperity or poverty in prop ortion as it is
inteAigeAay or otherwise conducted And yet
it has been impossible, heretofore, to secure
stEabeo- -easiqstve acton among agficnlturists SC
IfJLawryers and doctors have their "associa'
tions" for the advancement of scientific knowl
-edge.. ,andt the regulation of fee bills, and 8
ptoper standard of ethics in their professions
The mechanics have their unions fof the
mutual pgotectien' of their individual and col
lective interests Manufacturers, brokers, bank
aeis,, factors and merchants have their boards OF
trade, chambers of commerce and exchanges
fSr the effective execution of whatever will
best promote their respective wants. Railroads
Operate through corporations and cooperate
with each other, in the regulations of tariffs,
schedules, and other things which conduce- to
tile protection of the whole. - 80 .
Whereas, agriculturists,. the backbone OF
them ait Struggle individually against these
strong combinations, and consequently have
been little more than "hewers Of wood and
drawers of water" for them all. This is all
prominently developed the individuality of the
master. He was strong and Independent, and
could act effectively alone, but with the de-
struction Of this institution, this isolated
strength of individuals was partially paralyzed
for separate action.
It has, nevertheless, endeavored to maintain
itself against the consolidating combination,
cooperative tendency Of the age, and by no
set of men more than the farmers and planters.
Accustomed to perfect independence, not only
of each other, but of the rest of the world ;
they acknowledge the pressure of the new
regime" with difficulty; they find it hard to
get their consent to act with anybody, to con-
suit or defer to anybody, in the matter of pro-
noting the general welfare and progress of ag-
gculture as a whole. -eia
Nothing is more natural. Every man, who
has owned slaves and worked them feels it;
but he who attempts to pursue the policy IN
agriculture which belonged to the regime OF
slavery is beating the air with idle strokes. He
must now unite with his neighbors, and there
must be a pulling together Of the agricultural
interests, 80 that when the cotton spectators
of Wall street combine to "bear" the price OF
their product below its table value, he must be
prepared with his neighbors to combine to keep
IL Of the market, until its proper market value
Ii recognized And when the railroad combi
nation proceeds to charge him two dollars @
bale. when one would be fair rate, for the
transportation of his cotton, he must be in
ez,ndition to combine against this injustice, and
either withhold the freight, or provide Other
means of ransportation-and so on. 81
In other words, if the brain, capital, tact
and energy of the State are ever to be made
progressive and effective it must be united and
harmonized, as well in agriculture as anything
else. Do the Oranges, organized under the
auspices of the Patrons of Husbandry, propose
to- accomplish this? Can they do SO? If yes;
then q great work has been accomplished by
them. Among other important subjects which
should occupy their attention, none there is,
perhaps, as | have remarked, which is more
worthy of earnest consideration than our sys-
tenn of fencing. When we come to calculate
the expenses of "these unproductive monu-
ments of art" we become startled at their ex-
travagant proportions.
In this connection beg to submit an extract
from a pamphlet prepared by committee OF
the "Beach Island Farmers Club" appointed
to make report ON Fencing Stock vs.. Fencing
Crops" -. ..
ESTIMATING the improved lands Of the State
at this time as of the same extent as IN 10oO
we would have the following result from these
calculations: 1900, 900 acres of improved lands,
worth 100000 enclosed by 100000 miles Of
outside fencing, the fencing costing for its
original construction, SIG, 100000, besides en-
cumberingf and rendering valueless 100000
of such fences vary from four to fifteen years
according to timber and other circumstances
apart from the casualties Of floods and fires
but the annual cost of repairs cannot be less
than ten per cent, or s., 100000, equivalent to
a tax of forty cents an acre on all improved
Lands in the State, or eight per cent. of its
value, being just eight times the rated tax,
State and County, we will have to pay on the
same property next year. To this should be
added at least seven per cent interest on the
original cost, making the tax fifteen per cent,
CIR seventy-fve cents per acre. Experience has
established that this tax is lighter than the
damages that would result from insufficient
fencing for protection. Yet it is probable that
all the stock permitted to run at large in the
State, for whose benefit this burdensome ex.
penditure is exacted, if taken direct from their
several ranges and sold in market would scarce
" realize the expenses Of our fences, or even
the half of il"
Taking these figures as approximately accu-
rate. the question which presents itself to the
mind of the political economist is may not