Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1877-12-13
[From the Columbia Rcgister.l
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TO t:c Go," j.. oad lhmoc.$ of :he
Ley ;sioia.c of ,So:h Cuia,au:
The object Of government is not to accu-
muatc wealth, but to retain its natural re-
sources intact, to be handed to future gene
ratioEs, without detrimcnt further than use
without abusc-t1 furnisl, i.,.rn within its
borders the requirements f,r support If its
populations, which, in tho course of time,
must become more and more dense. 1t is,
then, subject of the highest importance
that government should be so cousti-
tutcd that the citizens be prntcr'c.. from
sroliation or waste. South Carolina cm-
phatically claiins to be an agricultural State.
yet, when compared with other civilized
nations she is far fcom being peer. O;hcr
natiors consider it essential and have cs-
tablishcd institutions where experts arc
formed 10 each speciality TO protect its citi-
zens.
No branch Of human industry is more
important than that of agriculture, yet now
ignorant arc those WHO practice the compre.
hcnslvc art. and none stand more in need
of guidance and protection from imposition.
The most Cf those who farm arc utterly
ignorant If tho laws which govern their
| operations-it is matter of routine and
frequently fashion. They are hard work.
cts and timid to invest their labor in that
which tley do not understood, the natural
consequence of ignorance.
"Their souls proud science never taught to
stray,
Far as the solar walk or milky way"
1t is ptoverbial that the lands of South
Carolina have been much impoverished, by
tue wearing out system as it is callcd-lhat
is, the taEing from the soii certain sub
stances which arc essential to organic life
without replacing them. TO most of those
who till, the earth is regarded as hctcro-
scneous mixture Of on indefinite number of
suhst 'Dces, the nature of which they know
nothing and care less about.
Now, among the twelve simple substances,
eight are mineral and form the ash after
incineration of the organic matter. The
greater number of the eight exist in oil
cultivated soils, but two or three are more
rare and 10 limited quantities, and if taken
from the soil, and not replaced, the soil
becomes more and more exhausted and oeascs
to produce. Of these, the substance ,,nos-
ph"rus is the most Gin amount) limited
although found universally disseminated in
various proportions, and no organic entity
is capable of reproducing itself, if it bo
absent
Phosphorus is seldom found pure OF un-
combincd-the exceptions, as far as known,
are the brain and also in the melt of fish.
1t is peculiar substance, and appears to
have an occult influence on vitality. When
pure 1t is of yellow color, cu's like wax,
and takes fire at moderate ten pcralurc,
and by combining with tho oxygen of the
atmosphere forms rhosphorc acid, which,
when combined with lime, constitutes the
phosphate Of lime, the chief component of
bones, teeth, 10. its presence 10 the older
or igneous rocks, would appear to Indicate
the presence of organic matter previous to
the time when fused or altered by heat. It's
dissemination in almost apprcciablo quant--
ties, except in organic matter, gives it IN
Importance in the future history OF man aud
nations beyond tho rcnch of MUD.
TO keep pace with the increase Of popu-,
lation, and tho exhaustion of that substance
in the production of food, distant lands arc
visited by ships, which whiten every sen
with their canvas, in search for bones
guano, eto. Lands where battles wore
fought and tho slain buriod, have enhanced