The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-08-14
The Extraordinary Drought.

Mr.. EDITOR: The two months drought
through which our section of country has
just passed is likely to result in serious dis
aster to all the agricultural interests and in
directly to all the commercial and indus
trial pursuits of the community. There
are, however, many valuable lessons to be
learned from this affective dispensation of
Providence, which it would be well for the
people wisely to consider. And, first, in
religious point of view. This disastrous
drought should teach the people their en-
tire and absolute dependence upon the
blessings of God for the bread necessary for
the sustenance of man and beast. Perhaps
in no part of our past history, as an agri-
cultural people, was it true that greater
pains had been taken in preparation for the
approaching crop season than in the pres
ent. And from the time of running the
first furrow till the last, probably the pres
ent crops have been as we'll worked as ever
before, And yet Notwithstanding the clean
and thorough preparation and culture, the
drought has well nigh rendered useless and
unproductive all our labors as husbandmen
we mean in reference to hoed crops and
on uplands. Fortunately the wheat and
cat crops were full average, and the corn
on bottom lands is usually promising. 1t
is usually conceded that the farmer can not
hope for more than half crop of cotton.
In other words, where with ordinary sea-
sons it took two acres to make q bale of cot
ton it will now take four. After the neces-
sary expenses have been taken out, especial
ly that huge guano bill, the farmers pile
will become small by degrees and bcauti-
fully less. If, however, the people learn
from this disaster the great moral lesson of
their entire and absolute dependence upon
all all-wise and benefcent Creator for the
bread of life, then may it indeed prove
great blessing. There is species of inf
deity throughout the land-aye, even in
the Church-that the seasons are all ordered
and controlled by certain fixed laws of ma
ture, and that it would be absurd to pray
God for his blessing upon the labors of the
husbandmen by sending the fruitful show
ers of rain. Hence, we claim for ourselves
entire immunity from the controlling power
of God in the production of crops by reason
of the fruitful showers. Such is not the
faith of the gospel. And again, there are
some valuable material and practical les
sons which we should learn from this dis
astrous drought in the direction of our
husbandry, which may prove an incalcula-
BILE blessing to the farmer in tho long run.
The first important lesson that we should
learn is, that we should depend less and
less upon hoed and summer crops for sue
cessful agriculture, and more and more
upon small grains and grasses. These are
for the most part winter and spring crops,
made and gathered by the time the summer
drought sets in. Even clover after it has
been we'll set will produce one good cutting,
if not two, before the summer drought
checks its growth. Such course of hus-
bandry would largely reduce our guano
bills, and curtail the expenses of labor fully
one-half. If this should be the practical
result of the last drought, then indeed will
it prove a great blessing to the farmel.