Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-11-18
AMERICAN AGRICULTURE IN
1776.

1776 ai
In the course of century within
their narrow fringe Of country the colo
nists had transformed the wilderness
into fertile and productive territory.
Agriculture was their favorite pursuit.
Travellers from Europe we're struck
with the skill with which they cult
vated the rich and abundant soil, the
fine iarm-houscs that filed the land
scapc, the barns ovcrfowing with har-
vests the cattle, the sheep The north
crn and middle colonies were famous
for wheat and corn. Pennsylvania was
the granary Of the nation, In New
Jersey the fine farms that spread from
Trenton TO Eizabethtown excited the
admiration of the scietiiic Kahn. Long
Island was the garden OF America, and
all along the valleys opening upon the
Hudson the Dutch and liugucnot col
onists had acquired ease and opulencc
by a careful agriculture. The farm.
houses usually built Of stone, with tall
roofs and narrow windows, were scenes
Of intelligent industry. While the
young men labored in the fields, the
mothers and daughters spun wool and
fax, and prepared q large part Of the
clothing Of the family. The farm
house was II manuiactory OF all the
articles Of daily use. Even nails were
l. n o,,,,,,o,o1 nnt In tho 1vinfa,. and fhr
farmer was his own mechanic. A
school and n church were provided for
almost every village. Few children
were left untaught by the Dutch do
mimic, who was sometimes paid IN
wampum, or the New England student
who lived among his patrons, was not
always fed upon the daintiest fare
On Sunday labor ceased, the church
bell tolled in the distance, a happy calm
settled upon the rural region, and tho
farmer and his family, in their neatest
dress, rode or walked to the village
church. The farmer class usually in
telligent and rational, formed in the
northern colonies the sure reliance of
freedom and whom the invasion came
the Hessians were driven out Of New
Jersey by the general rising Of its la
boring farmers, and Burgoyne was
captured by the resolution of the poo
pie rather than by the timid general
ship of Gates.
The progress of agriculture at the
south was even more rapid and re-
markable than at the North. The
wilderness was swiftly converted into
n productive region. The coast from
81. Marys to the Delaware, with its
inland country became within cen
tury the most valuable portion of the
earth. It's products were eagerly
souent for in all of the capitals OF Eu-
rome and one noxious plant of Virginia
had supplied mankind with new vice
and a new pleasure. II would be use
less to relate again the story Of the
growth of tho tobacco trade. Its cul-
tivation in Virginia was an epoch in
the history of man. Tobacco was to
Virginia the life of trade and inter
course prices were estimated init; the
salaries of the clergy were fixed at so
many pounds of tobacco. All other
products of the soil were neglected in
order to raise the savage plant. Ships
from England came over annually TO
gather in the great crops Of tse large
planters, and Washington, one oil the
most successful of the Virginia land
owners and agriculturists, was accus-
toned to watch keenly over the vessels
and their captains who sailed up the
Potomac to his very dock. Inc Eng
lish traders have been often anxious 10
depreciate his cargocs and lower ms
prices. Virginia grew enormously rich
from the sudden rise oil an artiiiciai
taste. From 1914, when the produc,
ton OF tobacco was frst made a royal
monopoly, until the close Oh thc COLO
mai period the production ans the con,
sumption rose win equal rapidity, ana
in l77o, 80, ,o0O hogsheads were exported
annually and the sale oitopacco Drought
in nearly sl,0oo,ooo to the southern
colonies. ms was equai 10 ABOUT one
third Of the whole export Oh tne COLO
mes. Happily since that peiioa the
proportion has rapidly decreased, and
more useful articles have formed the
larger part OF the export from the New
World to the Old.
One OF these was rice. A Governor
of South Carolina had been in NADIA
gascar and seen the plant cultivated
in its hot swamps Helived IN Charles
ton, on the bay, and il struck him that
marshy spot in his garden might well
serve for plantation of rice. Just
then (l69D vessel put in from NADIA
gascar in distress, whose commander
the Governor had formerly known
her wants were literally relieved. In
gratitude for the kindness he received,
the master gave the Governor bag
of rice. 1t was sown, and produced
abundantly. The soil proved singu-
larly favorable for its culture. The
marshes ofGeorgia and South Carolina
were soon covered with rice planta-
tions: A largo part of the crop was
exported to England. In 1724, 1O0-
900 barrels were sent out from South
Carolina alone. In 176l, the value of
its rice crop was more than $1,000, 900.
Its white pOmlatiOn could not then
have been more than $4,000, and Il is
easy to conceive the tide of wealth