The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-05
FT:E;EUiEEa ::iS;' vS. FENCINu .0UT.>


Anderson Cc..niy ai.oh thb proposition
to chaAGe she systeIn of fencing which
has beeh pufsdcd IN South Carolina from
Its early settlement to the present time,
induces us to present few thoughts TO
our readers this week in advocacy of the
change. We do not Expect nor desire
our citizens to support the measure with
out first carefully considering its advisa.
bility, and therefore wc believe there
ought TO be the fullest and most unprcju.
diced discussion or i,s merits : nd dcmcr.
its. A syetem which has prevailed for
more than century ought not to be
lightly overthrown, but if after mature
delsheration better plan of fencing than
our present one can be discovered, every
one ought TO be not only willing, but
anxious TO adopt it. Many of the old
customs Of life have given place to mod
crn progress. A traveller would scarcely
go from mere to New York by stage be-
cause that was the old way Of locomo-
ton; neither would he take passage
across the ocean OIL sail vcssel because
1t is the ancient manner Of navigation.
The same principle is applicable to every
department Of human action. Men are
always willing to do what is best, and
old systems are constantly giving place
to new and improved ones. 1t should
apply TO our fencing as well as to any
other subject, and if it is shown to be
better O fence in stock than to fence
them out, every voter should assist in
adopting the change in the law necessary
to secure the advantage. Assuming
then, that every voter is actuated by the
desire to ascertain what IL best for the
whole County upon this important sub
jcct, we shall cndcayor to address what
ever we may have to say on it to the
reason and not to tie prejudice nor pas
sion of our readers.
The original settlers Of South Carolina
came, as is known by all, from England
where the enclosure of lands to prevent
the trespassing of stock has not been
practiced for very many years, if it ever
was done, and when they reached Amer
ican nsol they would no doubt have enacted
laws requiring the fencing up Of cattle
had they been allowed to frame their
own legislation, but on arriving here they
found themselves under the dominion of
British Lord, who gave such local laws
as suited his interests, and wc may rest
assured that these laws were framed, not
for the interest of The poo. ;nan, bit fo1
the rich and more influential. Only the
wealthy at that time had cattle, and as
they were not engaged in agriculture to
any considerable extent, they were will
ing enough to make their tenants fence
in all crops in order to allow their stock
to run upon the fine pastures the country
then afforded.
At the time when the Revolution set
Carolina free the system Of fencing was
continued rs it was established in colo
nial days, because the cultivated fields
were ready fenced, and there was an
abundance of timber to maintain fences
for long time. and the pasture lands
were at that period in their original per-
fcciion. Thus the tystem arose, and lIas
been continued to the present time. Is
it wise longer to maintain it? We think
not, for several reasons. First, the phys
ical benefits to be derived from change
of system are very valuable. The aboli-
ton of our long strings of useless fenc-
ing would allow our woodlands to grow
up, and the fencing of cattle would give
our old fields luxuriant carpet of grass
within two or three years, the result of
which would, as science teaches lis, in
few years increase the rainfall of our
country, and thereby add to the fertility
and productiveness of our soil, as we'll as
tend to prevent extremes of temperature.
That oil may comprehend this we have
but to illustrate by simple example. If
person blows his breath, which is hot
current Of air, upon a pane Of glass,
which is cold substance, the result is
that moisture is formed and settles upon
its surface. So, if large forests are grow
ing in our country, when the hot currents
of atmosphere are passing over in the
summer thoy will, by coming into con-
tact with the cold surface of forest
leaves, be condensed into al,u~ers; and
when our folds are growing up with
grass much of the rain which falls will
be retained instead of rolling off 70 the
creeks, and the tendency of its retention
and evaporation will be to lessen the ex-
tremes of heat, which we sometimes have
in summer, and which have been noticed
to increase as the clearing mp Of the
country has progressed. This would be
of advantage to all planters by securing
to some extent an increased productive
mesa of the soil planted, Another OF the
physical benefits would be sho increased
healthfulnoss Of ouz climate. Persons
who imagine that malarial fevers arise
entirely from unditched creeks and ponds
make very great mistake, for it is q
matter of experience that these fevers
have been gradually extending as the
country has been cleared. If they were
not caused by the clearing of timber,
why Is It that the mountain creeks,
which frequently accumulate large guam
titles of debris, do not cause fevers /?
The correctness of this position is attcs-
ted by science, which teaches us tho con-
nectiOn Of the animal and veretahIe