The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-06-17
The pendleton Farmers Society.

is an officer of the Pendleton Farmers Society,
for the perusal of an old publication, which
contains much of interest belonging to this
venerable organization, including "the consti-
tuition and bye-laws, together with letters and
papers which have been read before the Society,
at its various meetings" The book or pamph-
let contains one hundred and twelve pages,
and was printed A. d. 1920 at the Office of the
Columbia Telescope. After the constitution
and bye-laws, there follows list of honorary
and resident members, and the latter are desig-
mated by the year of their joining the Society,
beginning with the organization i'll 1915.
Among the honorary members, we note the
names of Hon. William Lowndes, c. G. Pinck-
ney, jr., and Gen. D. E. Huger, of Charleston; ;
Hon. J. G. Calhoun, who is registered from
Washington City, and who was just entering
upon his great career, being member of the
House of Representatives Gen. John Blassin-
game, of Greenville; D. P. Hillhouse, Wash
ington, Ga. Dr. G. NJ. Reese, Philadelphia,
who afterwards removed to.Athens, Ga.
The list of resident members includes nearly
all the familiar names Of this region, and some
which are now extinct. Thomas Pnckney, jr,
was the first President of the Society, and his
name heads the list. Andrew Pickens, John
Miller, sen., Charles Gaillard, ]. T. Lewis, J.
B. Earle, Joseph Grisham, Richard Harrison,
John Maxwell, Warren R. Davis, Elan Sharpe,
Francis Burt, D. Sloan, jr., j. 7. Whiteheld,
F. w. symmes, Joseph Whitner, Thomas Sloan
and David K. Hamilton are among the resident
members whose names are recorded-the total
number during the five years being eighty
two. We are informed that only one of the
resident members is now iving-Mr. George
Reese, of Alabama who was recently on a
visit to relatives and friends near Pendleton.
The "papers' open with an address from the
President, Mr.. Thomas Pinckey, jr., calling
attention to the objects and Importance of the
Society, and urging the pursuit Of agriculture
as one of the chief blessings of the world.
Other documents bear his signature, and in
deed nearly all are signed by Mr.. Pinckney
and his successor, John L.. North, Esq. The
favorite themes were akin to those urged by
agricultural writers of the present day, such as
pea vine hay, the cultivation of the grasses,
the making and application of manures, and
"farm stock"
The valedictory of Mr.. Pinckney, on retiring
from the chair after two years service, is a
model of brevity and good sense. He declared
that "never, in my humble opinion, shall we
truly prosper, until we admit hay fields as a
regular rotation among our grain crops. Sow
clover seed on your wheat before the frost is
over, strew plaster of paris on your young
clover, and the experience of all farming coun-
tries will tell you, you have the secret of abun-
dance, and improvement with the least labor" T"
He descanted exclusively upon this topic of
raising clover and grasses, deeming it "an OBJ
ject so all important that he would not risk
dividing attention by mentioning another SUBJ
iect. Mr.. Pinckney's words written more than
fifty years since are still applicable to this sec
ton.
From the "frst report of the committee on
grasses and grass lands" we make the following
extract:
s'Ten or twelve years ago, gentleman resi-
ding on the waters of Twenty three Mile Creek,
cleared a meadow of four acres at the head of
small branch, great part of which was so
high as to produce only whatwe call the broom
or sedge grass; and on the low and wet parts,
grew coarse grass, very much resembling what
we call the fox tail; but after this meadow had
been moved two or three years, these grasses
became much finer, and yielded better and
more abundant hay. For two or three years,
the product of this meadow was not considera-
BILE, as it had been thickly covered with young
maple, the sprouts of which were very trouble
some for that time; but as soon as they were
entirely subdued, so as to give the grass full
possession of the soil, the quantity of hay was
so much increased as to become an object of
great importance, insomuch that the annual
product for several years past, has been est-
mated at one hundred dollars, and The last
summer seventeen large wagon loads of good
hay was taken from it,"
The report of the committee on farm stock
is largely devoted to discussion of the re!a-
tive merits Of the horse and the OK as "the
beast Of the plough" resulting in decided
preference for the horse. As a great desidera-
tum in agriculture, the committee endeavored
to find ian animal uniting most of the good
qualities of the horse and OK, with few of the
objections applicable to either" and the opin-
ion is ventured that "the mule is better calcu-
lated to answer the general purposes of the
farm than either the horse or the OK" The
committee further declare that "nothing but
ignorance and prejudice could have kept the
value of this useful animal so long from being
known among us" and moreover that "the most
intelligent writers upon farm stock appear and
acknowledge themselves to be ignorant of the
mule as beast of the plough" The commit
tee were better informed, however, and gave q
most convincing argument in favor of the
mule
The concluding naner is 'san address to the