The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-09-24
The Picnic aud Major Woodward's Speech,

~ iuoe AiohJ Iuc uin ultlWO, lit
members ofthc Laurens Grange gave
y picnic on the grounds Of tho Fe
college. The picnic WAS decided
success success such rs can bo Sc
cnrcd Tor such Al occasion only b,
the good wives and daurhtcrs Of ,ooI
farmers. Fianda aud s;rbsiantials 0
cvcry kind were in abupdauco and o
the very best kind. ALTHOUGH th,
dny was rather uuproritious, good
ly number assembled 70 rartako o
the cdib!cr, and ';',n TO .hc ccri.
cultural address covered BIZ Majo,
Woodward, Of Winrsboro. Th,
speech was plain and practical, anC
adapted to the day in which We live
The subject WAS such us the J!bli,
would expect to bo selected for sucI,
al occasion by an experienced and
Intelligent planter--Tho Evils Of the
present system ofsAgriculturc, and
their Remedies. Tho first evil 10
which our attention was directed, is
the present system OF corartuorship
Earning now being praoticcd through.
out the country. The Major thinks
no man ought to enter " copartncr-
ship to which lie il aversc, nor ought
hc permit any many or set Of men to
force him into such copar.ncrship.
1t bcGcis Il kind Of equality ; for it
is impossible to deny hat tho interest.
cd party has fright tc control and Iii.
rect to tho extent Of his interest. The
negro being Interested only in tho
Geowing crop, cares nothing for the
preservation Of the plantation and tho
keeping OF it in good repair. Hence,
the dceaying fcnccs and the dcsota~
ton which is generally gathering
about our farms. The truo remedy
to this evil is TO employ labor for
wages. The negro has forced this
evil upon us by means Of his leagues
and his brothcrhoods, AMI it il now
imperativcly the duty Of farmers to
or: anzo in self defence, and to this
crd every man oushtto join The gran
ccs new i'll process of general or;,eui-
G4tiOn.
Another evil is the cxtravagant
use Of fortilizors. They form an
enormous drain upon the country, and
when procured puro aud genuine,
which too often is not the case, ii is
impossible to sec any benefit arising
from their use 10 the Rccond years
crop. Notwithstanding The Immense
outlay they rcall y add no,hiug to the
soil-the supply will We exhausted
i
become Of our farms7 This should
be corrected by the uso OF tho barn
yard manurcs. Thcsn can be pro-
pared in largo quantities At less cx-
pcnse, and they Gro Of rcrma.
ncnt benefit to tho soil. Apply them
10 our best lands, and cultivate not
more than twenty acres TO thc mule.
Our lands should be horizontalizcd.
In coming from Ncwhcrry ~ this
place, the Major said he never eaw
better crops but nowhere did he sec
n single row of corn or cotton that had
been run upon a level If wo wish
TO preserve our lands this must be
done. Without it our hill sides
soon wash into gnllics, and tho soil
ls swept away to enrich the valley Of
'ur ncighbor. hillside ditching is
Good il properly understood, but
,':rNch ignorance moro land has been
,u'ncd by it than has been eavcd.
Wake your ditchcs short and always
let them empty up the valley.
Again We piant too much cotton.
The present policy is suicidal. We
,an get as much for half The quantity
IS we do for our 100000 bales, and
st The Same time grow the grain ne.
'easary for plantation purposes and
enrich our lands by properly rotating
hc crops. Tho idea abroad in tho
and that cotton 10 money is a great
mistake. The Major showed that the
'armcr paid Is cents for every pound
ii cotton that lie growg. The remedy
% this evil is obvious. Always plant
}! cereals enough TO lncct orr wants
I possible, raise our own stock, and
Ct ,he cotton money DO 80 much
Hear gain. If wo can't do all thin,
10 as much Of il as wo can. The
Maj or touclrcd upon other points,
ut these arc tho most important,
nd wo think them worthy of tho
arcful study Of our farmcrs.
We hope Tho graugcs'' will prosper,
nd if they had their meetings often
r, it would bo NIL tho better. The
armcrs constitute tho backbone Of
he country, and yet they Gro the
'nly class Of our people who are with
'ut organization. The prosperity of
ho country is really within their
'ocring ; they arc sure Of succcss eif |
hey will only unto and work in har.
nony.--Laucnsvillc Uerald, 5lh IN
tant.
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