The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-08-25
FLOCKS AND HERDS.
IliEIR INPORTI NCE TO THE
FlR.NER
An Essay Read Before thetSummor
Meeting of the State Grange by Gen.
oral John Bratton.

lCoNTINUED FROM OUR LAST IssUE]
Agriculture, whose birth and
growth in tho countries of it's
nativity, by slow and uncertain,
gradual and tedious stops, achieved
the destruction of barbarism and
nourished the devolopcmcnt of civil
iZation, here moved with the vigor,
Gus stride of conquest, accomplish
ing more by conquest in decades
than by growth and development in
centuries. What you would have
to traverse ages to find in England,
for instance, you can see with your
own eyes i'll this country by travors-
ing space. Tho traveller, starting
from our frontier, tho border line
between barbarism and civilization,
and moving on any line of latitude
to the Atlantic coast, can trace all OF
the stages Of agriculture, from that
Of ''hcrds and focks" to that of
fields worn and exhausted by tillagc.
TO trace them III The mother coun
try, it would be necessary to make
tho passage Of centuries, at least
from tho time Of the Roman con
quest, when the principal food OF
the natives was milk and beef, to
littlc more than Il century ago.
There, where agriculture was born
and absorbed barbarism by growth
and development, it's stages arc
marked by periods Of ages. Here,
where it spread by conquest, it's
stages are marked by territory.
Our country presents, us it wore, Il
grand panoramic view of the
progress Of ages i'll England. But
IN all cases, whether the advance is
effected by ais orption or conquest,
and measured by ages Or by terrific
ry, we find "herds and focks" evcl
on the frontier, on the border line
between barbarism and civilization,
and can Justly claim for them that
position in agriculture which agri-
culture itself occupies in civilization
THAT of tho pioneer force
Herds and tlocl1s arc, therefore,
the pioneers of civilization itself,
whether moving with tho stride of
conquest on its '''grand march west
ward," or slowly progressing in
development from its very birth.
Indeed, it may be claimed that
civilization was born in the crude
home Of The herdsman's hut and
nurscd i'll its infancy by ''hcrds and
tioclIs,'
Thus, in ull countries, the last
stage of agriculture as yot con-
sidcrcd, which wo will call the stage
of ''cxhaustion," has been reached
hy substantially the same process
Their natural agricultural resources
were relied upon, and drawn upon,
not only for the maintenance Of all
Of their interests and institutions,
of commerce and manufactures, Of
science and art and general cduca
ton, of government, but, to great
extent, for tho means to build these
grand structures, these impregnable
fortresses of civilization. f.,
Indeed, it seems that the nccossi-
ties of this contest with barbarism
have ever required, and will over
require, the sacrifice of the natural
resources Of land; and hence it is,
that the complete success and firm
establishment of civilization is
always attended with this "stage of
exhaustion" and thus it is, that
civilization is compelled, at almost
tho threshold of her umdisputed
reign, to meet tho all important
question Of the restoration of an
enfeebled agriculture.
All of her resources, material and
moral, Gn the normal course and
progress of agriculturc,) arc
brought to bear upon it. Science
III all Of it's branches is employed to
Investigate causes and find rene
dies Commerce, with all its facil-
tiles, cagcrly proouros material.
Manufacture taxes her skill to pro
vide appliances and convcnicnces
And tho highest science and art Of
government fostor and encourage
every effort. The Investigations of
scientific men resulted in tho dis
covcry not only Of tho clcments ex~
lao L Il II 4