Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-11-06
to correct misapprehensions at home, as we'll

surprising advantage in our favor. The cur
rent belief in many other States is, that South
Carolina is not healthy State and yet if the
longevity of her people is any criterion Of the
healthfulness of her climate, the reverse is
true In 1870, of every 100000 Of her popu
lation, she had 236 white persons-101 male
and 1876 females-who had reached the ad'
vanced age of 100 years. She ranks sixth IN
the forty.seven States and Territories OF the
Union in the longevity roll-Georgia, Ala
bama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Car
olina ranking her in the order named. Vir.
ginia and Tennessee follow in order, and all
the States above mentioned are far ahead Of
the Northern and Western States. Of every
one hundred thousand of the colored popula.
ton in South Carolina, there were, in 1870
21O-93 males and III females-who had
reached one hundred years of age ; and with
this class other population, she is fifth on the
longevity roll.
have thus, Mr.. President and ladies and
gentlemen, grouped together, in crude and
inartistic way, perhaps, some practical facts
touching our condition, in preference to an
attempted disquisition upon the science OF
agriculture. The demand upon my time has
been so exacting, Of late, that I have not been
able to formulate them in such logical order
and correct style as to make them so attract
i've and effective as they would otherwise be;
butif I shall be instrumental in inducing one
man to abandon the old ways in agriculture,
and enter upon new career of improved and
progressive systems; if l shall induce one
man to increase his knowledge of our history,
past or present, our capacities and possibili-
ties, shall be content.
had gathered and prepared some data
touching the introduction of machinery for
WOODEN and cotton manufactures in America
their improvement, expansion and present
enormous proportions. Also, some facts and
figures, showing the progress and profits OF
manufactures in this State and the South +;
but find that have extended my remarks
upon other topics too much at length to en-
brace them. | have also prepared table,
with some pains, showing the proportion of
people engaged in all occupations. Also, a
table of the quantity of our farm products
for the three decades, from 1850 to 1870, in
elusive, and of the year 1875; but shall not
detain and fatigue you farther by reading
them at large. A brief recapitulation may,
however, not be uninteresting. We pro-
duced, in the year 1850 .
Cotton, 3O0,9O1 bales wool, 4S7,333
pounds oats, 3,322,l58 bushels; wheat,
l,066, ,277,- bushels; corn, l6,27l ,456 bushels /;
rice, 159, ,930,613 pounds--
In the year 1860 :----.-.
Cotton, 353,412 bales; wool, 427, ,102
pounds; oats, 936,974 bushels; wheat, l.
2S5, ,O31 bushels; rice, 119, 100, ,52S pounds.
And in 1870 we produced
Cotton, 224,5O0 bales; wool, 156,314
pounds; oats, 6l3,593 bushels; wheat, 7S3,:
6l0 bushels; corn, 7,614,207 bushels; rice,
32,3O4,825 pounds
See whata vast falling off in the quantity of
the leading products In the year 1875, we
had advanced from 1870 in cotton, to 354, ,403
bales; in wool to 5,4S6 pounds; in oats to
772,590 bushels and in corn to 9,454,341
bushels.
A word as to live stock. I do not believe
that we have a cattle breeding and raising
country, except under the operations of a
rigidly executed stock law, and by the selec-
ton of the finest breeds. Your exhibition
here to-day establishes the wisdom of your
stock law The numbers are few, but they
are credit to any county and are worth four
times the number Of the common scrub stock
Of former years. Sheep, horses aud mules
may be raised pro6tably. A herd of our
average scrub cattle, roaming on the COM
mons, is more destructive of the vegetation Of
the earth and the fertility of the soil, than a
swarm of locusts..
The value of our farm products, in 1870,
was about S42,000,000, and must be nearly
double that at the present time At least
fifty per cent. of these products are made with
white labor. The annual value of our cotton
crop alone-our chief and best market crop
must be in the neighborhood of SIG 100000.
Suppose this sum should be retained by our
farmers, instead of being sent out of the State
to purchase provisions and farm implements
and fertilizers-which we can make as well
at home-in ten years time we should have
S16O,0O0,000 to add to our material wealth,
to invest in home manufactures and the i'm
provement of our buildings, highways and
lands. / submit, then, that the chief and su-
preme effort Of the future should be to keep
the proceeds of our market crops at home
for investments.
l congratulate you, Mr.. President, and
gentlemen, upon this most creditable exhibit
at your first annual fair. The number and
quality of articles displayed, indicate, in
most commendable manner, the enterprise
OF your farmers, and should encourage you
to put forth the reserved powers of your pop
ulation and lands. And then the ladies are
here, by their presence and specimens Of
their handiwork and industry, helping along
the good cause. 1 beg to do myself the hon
or of presenting my warmest congratulations
to your society upon good fortune in having
these noble woman to aid and encourage It,
A country that can boast of such mothers,
wives and daughters country that con-
tains farmers who can produce such valuable
crops under such adverse circumstances, has
nothing to apprehend in the future. 1t is a
significant fact that the fires of liberty burn
more freshly and constantly in the hearts of
the agricultural population of country than
all others; and this fact will be peculiarly
exempl6ed in the near future Of this coun-
try. Upon your conservatism and love of
liberty, and on men like you, depends the
preservation of Republican institutions. Our
future hope depends largely upon the success
of conservative men and principles.
The late elections are not encouraging !;
nor are they cause for despair. We in South
Carolina must present solid front; mend up
our family differences, and see to it that hon.
est government is at least preserved in our
own State. We shall have no easy contest,
and cannot afford to let dissensions enter into
the discussion of the questions coming before
the people.
KNEW HIS BUSINESS, AND DID IT.-The