The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1872-01-17

many other oallings in life, butspar
tioularly so, We think, in the eaae d
those who tillttho soil. !
To come 70 oas main point, wessr,
forced TO believe that the system OF
farming, as ut, present practioed, can
never result in any permanent goot
either to those following it,; Or the
agricultural interests of the county
at large. Admitting this much, II
follows that there is, in ordor to cor.
rect the evils existing ID it, Ean urgent
need Of reform, which is demanded on
every side, and by every. oonsidtra
tion affecting our welfare as a people
Under the institution Of slavery, our
mode of cultivatitg the soil was one
peculiar to ourselves, und necessi; ;ated
by the circumstances at that time
surrounding us. Laborers wero abun.
dant, and coot comparatively little,
being most generally self.sustalning
Every inch Of available ground was in
cultivation, and still the CRY was for
"more land," Our large planters
frequently hired their surplus labor
ers to their less opulcnt neighbors, TO
cause of an insufliciency Of tillable
ground, demonstrating thereby that
the supply IF labor was more than
equal to the deuanj, in their indi-
vidual oases. ....
But an unexpected turn of events
has changed all that. Slavery is
abolished, and we have free labor in
its stead, not only FREQ labor, but a
system Of labor that is unreliable, and
in tho main unoontrollablc.
So great charge as this, working,
as it has done, disastrously in the
majority of instances, required in tho
beginning thorough reform in our
mode of farming and planting. 1t
sa matter of great regret th,t this
much needed reform has never vet
1ome. Six years Of severe toiliug and
struggling Gnd us plodding along in
the old benton trnck, substantially
standing where we were at the close
Of the war.
Let us cast our eyes over the face
Of the country, aud what do We see :
Large tracts # lard either unculli.
vated, or cultivated in way that is
daily impoverishing tho owner, and
seriously injuring the soil.
Our farmers must learn something
from their experience during the past
five or Fix years. They ought to per.
ceive by this time that the policy
they formerly pursued is false one,
and is proving fatal to thoir interests.
Instead of wholesale cutting down
of forests, lot them contract theft
area, and by adopting an improved
system Of cultivation, they will real.
ize more at less cost thln under the
old style. The experience of those
who have tried this plan justifies this
statement, and besides tho idea is
practical, and comments itself to the
intelligent farmer. ......
One more suggestion ia this, that
the quantity Ct land heretofore devo
ted to "king Cation" be reduced one
hdV, and that onc.half set apart for
tho cultivation Of cereals. AS has
been remarked, it ia reproach to US,
who are essentially an agricultural
people, that our granariss arc estab-
lished hundreds of miles away from
us.
There is another subject of vital
Importance to our farmers. They
should use every effort to have all
equitable "fenco law" passed by the
General Assembly, and when this is
done, turn their attention more to
stock'raising, and cover their ancuE
tivsted lands with hogs, sheep, COVE
and domestic animals of eyory do
scription.
When the reform, that we bave
mentioned takes place, we look for ,
return of prosperity, but not until
then.
| ------..--<>s . e;1:------
General Aanncsty.