The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-05-21

produce like e11eclS, we may draw
some conclusions Of profit from
their experience. Did they ap'
ply to Ireland, Germany or China
for Iaborers to supply the defcien.
cy thus produced? 1t seems not
S. Edwards Todd, Of New York
IN an essay on improved farm i'm
plcmcnts, 1866, (see Agricultural
Report, 1865, page 22G,) says
"Our late civil war stimulated in
ventcrs to bring out improved i'm,
plements, to enable farmers to do
almost everything in the field and
in the barn with horses, oxen, or
mules. Had 1t not been for eff.
cient farm implements during that
long and bloody war, our farmers
could not have moved their grass,
gathered their hay, or harvested
and threshed their extensive fields
Of grain. AS thousands upon thou
sands Of our young men were call
ed to the field Of mortal com bat. it
seemed almost like an interposi-
tion Of Divine Providence that in
ventors were endowed with suffi.
cient mechanical skill to construct
implements with which horses
could perform the labor Of the alb
sent son or father who had gone
to defend his county, and TO fight
for his wife and children. Now
the infrm and the invalid, the
lame, the lazy, who could new
er plough the fields, harvest the
grain, or make the hay Of a small
farm, can ride to plough the land;
ride when putting in the seed, ride
when scattering their fertilizers.
ride when cultlvating their crop,
ride when moving or harvesting,
ride when raking, and ride in All
easy seat, and accomplish more
hard work in one hour than could
be done in ten q few years ago,
even by laJoring with all the
might Of q strong man." These
facts afford proof so conclusive OF
the advantages Of labor.saving
machinery compared with the old
method Of human labor with hand
implements that further argument
in this conncxion would be super
fuous. But the question arises,
does the labor-s saving machinery
which has wrought such wonder
ful and happy results in Northern
agriculture, and which so clearly
foreteils the ultimate glorious
triumph Of mind over matter, APP
ply to Southern labor and pro-
ducts Both reason and expert
ence respond that it does, so lar
as those products are concerned
which are common to the South
as we'll as the North, viz: the &C.
reals, grasses, fruits, &C., and even
greater good is destined to grow
out from the general introduction
Of labor-saving machinery adapt
ed to these products iD the South
than has already been realized at
the North. In the first place her
farms and fields are not so con-
tracted, rs is generally the case at
North, affording y broader area
for their operation secondly, they
will enable each farmer to produce
a sutficicncy Of their indispensable
products for home consumption at
less, which, unfortunately for the
general welfare Of the country, is
not the case at present. The
great "mania" for cctton-raislng
which is SO prevalent everywhere
with the scarity oflabor, has caus.
ed them to be neglected.
The leading and far-sceins agri
culturists Of the South have re
urged the people TO adopt the plan
of diversified husbandry as an in
disponsable prerequisite to future
independence and prosperity, but
as yet to little or no avail. La
bor-saving machinery is ncccssari'
ly bound to effect by actual facts
and results that which preccpt has
thus far failed to accomplish. The
modus operandi by which this all
important reformation is to be
brought about We propose now to
consider. We find that the inven
tive genius Of the present day has
not ignored the demands for i'm
proved implements bearing upon
the production Of that most potent
Of Southern staples, cotton, but has
produced labor saving machinery
we'll adapted to every process con
nected with it, from the prepara
tion for and the planting Of the
seed to its shipment into market
except that Of picking or gather
ing from the field. At this point
Nature seems to have sent forth
her cdict "Thus far and no farther
shalt thou co." and although many
attempts have been made to substi
tute mechanical for human labor
in the performance Of this mos
tedious and laborious task. so tal
as we arc able to learn, little OF
nothing has been accomplished to
wards the attainment Of the de
sired end, nor can we conceive
how any machine short of one pos
sessing every known mechanical
movement, with tho addition o
brains and eyes, can be construct