The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-19
Rainfall.

Winnsboro', S. c., before the Agricultu
raj Congress in ST. Louis on the 9th OF
May, 1872, and pronounced by Prof
Maury to be the best article on the sub.
ject of RAINFALL that he had ever heard
This article appeared in the Rural Caro-
Hnian Of August, 1872. We will publish
in subsequent issue an article on the
opposite side of the same question, which
we think presents the subject most forci-
bly,. Our readers canread, mediate and
draw their own conclusions:
RAINFALL ESSENTIAL TO PLANT LIFE.
To dwell lpon tho Importance of rain
fall before abody of agficultu ri is, would
be like arguing the necessity OF the pres
ence of soil itself in which to plant seed
for the futurp crop. Itt is of no less i'm
portance, fol without sain there would
not even be facilities for artificial irriga-
ton.
Physiologi,ts assert that animal life is
alone begun and developed in water.
presence Of his indispensable element, m mt.
both for terminating the seed and per-
fecting the bdlies of the Vegetable world.
There is, prfbably, not Ia farmef here
who has not Experienced Ia spell O dry
weather, Turing which be wou most
willingly have exchangedhll that lie had
accomplished by deep plo9ghing and ro-
tation of crops or by the SEilful applica-
ton of the mat scientifically manipula-
ted manures, FIR the benefitto be derived
from one rain9li. A rain maker, wheth-
er from the plsins of the West, or from
the jungles oi Africa, whip could have
substantiated lis protensi@ns, even in q
limited way, could last yeaf have exacted
from our people all over Esihe South a
willing tribute eof the milliAns expended
in the purchass and application of ma
nures, whose Eesence in nDst instances
for want of water, was a knrse rather
than "a benefit 10 our crops. EHow vitally
important, thet, the consid9 9ralion of all
causes that aIe calculated 10 diminish
actual rainfalb or to interfsn with its
regular recurrence, or to Gisipate its
effect.
DROUGHTs MOI, T,E FREQUENT EIKAN FOR
MERLY.
In discussing tho subject assSned me,
should be able st the outset establish
the fact that dToushts occur dftsner, and
are severer than ;hey were Eomerly,
shall feel that I have not bhy made
strong presumptite argument that the
actual rainfalls has diminishSd but that
/ have conclusiely provei that the
change is attributable to the obstruction
Of forests, for whih expect te how that
no other material .hange has AGurred in
the physical features of the cdnntry.
I commence thes by sayrgs hat it is
matter of general opinion, admitted by
the most ignorant negro tenaht as we'll
as by the scientific agricultltist, that
drovgbts are more prevalent. Elhe con-
tinual decreasing yield per hre, not
withstanding increased facilitiEs for the
and application OF 1anurcs,
argues the presence sfincreasinGi thoughts,
for defects in laborhn scarcity Of labor.
ers, by causing concentration hpon eur
better lands, w0uldIrather tena'to ahg-
ment thar dssFoas5 comparatizs 'statis-
ties. Tie frequent entire faiI.&sf corn,
- heat ano oats, il sections {ht were
once proverbial for the successful these
crops, is another itan in the cdnt; but
I propose to adduoe some pertmal OBJ
which think estabiihes the
fact beyond possibility of doubt
DISAPPEARANCE oFcERTAIN sEpIEs OF
TREES. 6
Twenty or twenty-five years an in my
own county, were to be found q2Itities
of chestnut trees, constituting in lne Sec
tions the principal gtowth Of thzbrests.
and were plare5 OF resort by psSDns in
search of the nuts.
These trees have disappeared EEirely.
do not recollect OF having seen diving
specimen whiting ten years, aithE hEgh the
ground IS stlli streWn with their ls<Strate
though lndestructible trunks; e3aucnt,
yet silent, witnesses that the awSAgula-
ting natures economy have hos been
tampered with. These trees, Va the
whith has largely shSSii the
same fate of its more stately @sener,
inhabit principally thin, grayelly dges,
whose soil after clearing and cult tsation
is peculiarly sensitive to drought. 'gain.
the Spanish oak (which, like the 5oye.
seems to prefer tin ridges, and se red
oak, where it is 3nfined to the hilIshaye
within the last d5cade shown 80 lSSe an
increase in mort4ity, that many cdict
their disappearance from the catSpgue
of our forest tries, whilst the tsdier
species are not e2nmpt in years of aeerer
drought. In facf tke mortality SAong
oaks OF all kinds during these yeAs Of
drought since thdwar, especially i1s 971,
which was the dkest year ever erftmn.
tered IN my Stde, was fearful, tIbugh
70 ainly confined \ the hills.
a friend, and 8planter of close hser.
vation, informs Pc that he has diring
two different yeFs noted that smaller
sized oaks uponRyhich the leave had
actually been paehed by drought, ,kfter
remaining appardtly dead for some lime,
again renewed tkir foliage with tke re-
appearance oi sEwc1s. Hero, thdl, is
1000 for refiectloFyorthy the most 4tute
philosopher, and BIT, in my opinion not
beyond the ken ogthe INTELLIGENT labnrer
who walks betweH the ploueh r,ondies
There must be Acause for eveA- -.1s:sct
produced, and wfslust look it up 4u this
instance, ana beTr us for q remedy, or
we shall continues rscts ne : i,;nora- a.
sS;;:iEoo. ii the ag55 55uiturists of our Com
try.
q s Ein not serve 3ur purpose to say that
eae os9 1rees, Ike fperannuated and dis
1850 m: members oEthe animal kingdom,
,.;tt. .e m!eo out thsr allotted time; for,
nuts would have SerisAed and yhe de-
I'.b bas o. oal9l been more general,
';aS, =. p 40 mas amfunted to extermina-
aI;,,.i;. =; .Ie one lnstfAnce, whilst the NOR
Snn .y IN the other WAS principally con-
lned to hills, rarely eXSendinr 10 the
more moist valleys. Sof ID tvs oToIoin
!, = oy admitting the fSEt thai trees like
reps upon. thin hilts aIS;.sSssTe Iiahla to
~ lntiuetcc Of Sfrte Nt,,S : 49,, fl,ose