Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-08-20
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apaituoHiHS the IleIHS 1Or RADICAL mass
meetings, may | be pardoned for an
! effort to call the attention away from
theses Genes to asubject more tangible
and of equal Importance, perhaps, to the
prosperity Of the country. 1 propose
to give you one or two articles touch
ing the farming interest, and to state
some facts deduced from the expert.
ence of a few practical and successful
men.
It was my good fortune last week to
accompany the crop committee of
Washington Grange on their visits to
the farrns of Mr.. Thomas Collier, DIR.
j. w. Summers Mr.. j. M. Moss and
DIR. j. A. Keller, and never was the
time more proftably or pleasantly
spent. Being the "fat man. of the par
ty, your correspondent had his doubts
and fears as to his ability of doing
full justice each day to walk of from
two to five miles over cotton and corn
fields under o July sun; but, whether
it was the. watermelons- best he
ever saw, or the grapes,--the most de-
licious, or the cotton and corn-good
in every instance, or the conversation
instructive and often full of wit and
pleasant, or the anticipated Grang-
er's dinner, he knows not; but the '.fat
man." coat off and sweating profusely,
found himself out ahead in the journey
every time, which proves conclusivcly
the fallacy of the old proverb, "a lean
dog for q long chase" Should you
ever feel disposed, Mr.. Editor, to leave
the Sanctum for q short recreation in
the country, let me commend you to
these planters for instruction, to their
wives for good dinners and to this
committee for exercise. This last does
its work well, and especially SO to its
satisfaction at the dinner table. This
advice will not be appreciated until
you take it. Permit me here, before
passing on, to suggest to the other
Changers of our county the propriety
ofappointing similar committee. The
advantages are immense not only for
gathering statistics and imparting in
formation, but for giving an impetus
to the social feature of the order.
Listening to the conversation of these
gentlemen with the committee, learn
ed fact which the world, hitherto and
justly, has been loath to admit, that's
the subject of agriculture is rapidly
assuming the proportions of a science.
Success, renuncrative success, On the
part of the farmer, requires as much
knowledge of speculative principles as
a chemist does to resolve his com.
pounds into their simple elements, or
the philosopher in dealing with his
abstract truths, or the jurist in law.
Indeed 30 numerous and fixed are the
principlesin this science that eminence
should be as promptly accorded in the
one case as in the other; and the man
who makes a discovery which estab-
fishes q law in this department of learn
ing, should be considered as much
public benefactor and friend to science
as Franklin i'll fixing the laws of elec-
tricity, or Newton, the laws of gravi-
tation. The experience of these and
other successful planters teaches that
no man need expect distinction in
agriculture unless he is willing to COM
bat and explode the preconcieyed
notions and preiudices which have
based the judgment of men for ages.
Like Mr.. Dickson, he must by natural
force of mind wiring from the public
verdict that will establish his reputa-
tion as one of :hc most eminent plant
ers of the South.
Formerly agriculture was purely an
art and men were content to SOW, hoo
and plow with little or no aim beyond
the actual supply of the necessary
food and clothing of life, advancing
only q degree beyond the rudeness of
savage life. Thcle may have been,
and suppose are, few laudable ex-
ceptions yet we are obliged to admit
that success was due more to chance