, 1879-05-10
HEALTH AND COTTON.
A Tribune Commissioner
Visits Aiken, S, G.
Reflections Regarding Its Climate
and Accommodations.
Likewise n Mass of Information
on Cotton Raising.
Some Conclusions Valuable to n rthern.
ers Seeking Homes In tho South.

Special Correspondence ~ Ths Tribune.
AIKEN. s. c., May 2.-A!kcn, In South Caro-
linn, Is perhaps oiu OF tile best points to study
tile most favorable conditions under which
Northern men tnust carry on agriculture In the
South.
Aiken has long been n nhealth.resort. 1t is
situated Oh the high lands Of South Caroltnn,
ard Is said to be 700 feet above tile level Of the
sea. The soil Is the monotopous red clay nnl
sand, Which, when uncn'tlvascd, commonly pro-
duceR forests Of yellow pine. In placcs the
hills rise boldly, hut there nro broad, leyc1
lnn1s. Tho latter arc preferred for tilluge, md
the best farms nrc where there ID sandy loan,
with clay subsoil.
The peoplo Of Charleston, and other neigh.
boring cities, used to como hero In summer on
account Of the dry, clear atr, md tho freedom
from malaria. For the anmo reason tho North
cru people now como hero in winter.
AIKEN noAsrs or ITS CLIMATE.
II considers iteelf OIL the divide between the
Vnlicys OF tho Edtsto and thu Savannah, md
sure to catch oil the brcezca ttut blow. TIC
people hero claim tint the mercury rarcly falls
below 45 deg. iu the winter, IND rarely rises
above 90 deg. IN the Aummcr. Northern men
Gun ard do live here the year round, without ft,-
jury to health.
Hero there Is \ lnrga hotel,-thc Highland
Park,-bullt by Northern capital, and woil kept
BY a Northern man III Northern fashion. 1t is
like the great caravansarics ono Is accustomed
10 at Northern watering -plaees,-can aceosnmo-
date 800 guests. It closes the 1st Of May nna
opens tic lat Of November. On Its broad vcran-
tlas weak, rheumatic, or merely idle people alt
MI day long and praise the weather, or express
feeble intercst In tho thrce-t1ay's-oll news
from New York, or gossip about tlictr fellow
boardcrs. For nlf Que sees Of Southern lile In
this hotcI one might Us we'll be In the White
Mountains. Southern people do not patron
ixe 1t.
Besides the Highland Park, there nro many
toardng-ouses In Aiken ut which Northern
visitors arc accommodated. This colony Of
Northern people, although they arc only So
iourpefs for a season, has had All influence on
The residents In the surrounding country, and
hns doubtless somewhat suftenrl the nreiudlc0
With which permanent settlers from tho North
would otherwise llave been received. The Ecu-
cra trading at this point. too, is mostly In the
farmers In the region round about, These arc
without exception, as fur rs / could learn. max
Ing NJ least living. They have come here since
Tic War, and layo accumulated visibty vailta-
bio property. Considerable pains, too, las been
taken here by
NORTHERN rHrLANTnRorIsTs
~ odrcot. the nrrrons. 1hosc have nccu;red
sor,e nrnnorty. roai md parsonai. and nrc. M
compared With thrfr former condition, or the
the nld siayo States frospcrolls. r. ~ -
These circumstances cotnb!ucd woutd seem 10
render living IN this neiQhborhood acceptable,
or at least cndnrable, to Northern man. We
might, therefore, expect that the Intelligent and
skllltul Northern farmer would bc ablo to de-.
retop here, to tlle best advantage the capabIli-
ties of this soil.
With the Intention Of learning how we'll this
experiment had ltcon tried, VIC sought out the
vicinity OF Aiken. We found him on Ills placo,
| md ilo was, na VIC expected, a practical North
crn fnrH,or. lie lla1 been brought lip on farm
IN Nov Jersey. md Ind acquired tint tnst!ncsivn
which nuycI falls to inlnEle thcm for the best
results He. was very ciyil, mud bis answers to
al our questions wuFo lutellt.tbc and to tho
point.
acres The land WIS said to be worn out. Cot
ton would not lnnturu upon 1t. Now he raises
NIL nyurngU 0l bale to each acre plantC.l In cot
ton. IIo has @,0G0 peach trees, and soils
n buslel.e lie raisca oats, barley, md
corn, ul.l DOES something IN stock
farming. liz 1lns brought from tho North full
bluodcd Aldcrnnys, and hns improved breeds Of
hogs. lie also has iaucy chickens ind ducks,
and Romo tlne sllcen. Ilo told Us tliat he 6eut
twcRty-three exhibits to the last State Fair In
Columbia, md took nineteen premiums. Al
Together, bis far,l looks !tku Nurttlern one,
well kept n,M cnrcd for. Ills buildings are #,
fa.r condition, and his tools aro III good order
unl Ut i,nproYrtl pattcrns.
or COURSE he USES YsnTt1,znns.
1o,htn,, w., u, ,uno,,,r,,.h.I ~. .,,Is s,, ,.,
out them. mn, Il ID in thcIr usa thnt thc s,3vant.
n9u Of judgment md knowledge Is especially
realized, Large quantities OF bone phosphate
aud guanoar consumed III the South. Atcy
railway station the traveller Is lnplcusat,t(v ap-
prisrl Of tils tnct, for tlu freight platforms urc
alwnys piled with bugs OF these otlurous n,ate-
rfals. ihe secret Of profitable farulng hero
must largely co,lstst In using these exoensy
articles with tr1o economy, In thts rc.
spect thu. pcgrocs are ignorant and i'm
sue!, returns from their FIRMS Us woult, satisfy
wa!te MIN. inexperienced wllitc men suffer
penses exceed their receipts. Mauy Northern
iuMtgrant l.as bron gl,isrl hero Ir0ln this cause
IEc Impression prevails IN lilo North TINT uuy
n,nn willing to work can turn furtnpr at any
time. We think ouly OF Western farms, nhtc!
ono has but tu plpw. u,pl plant, mud weed. and
earn hts reward, Nut cucl, Of these Southern
farms srcl,,s to have its pec,1tnr Characterization
,,,d .1iraa .,,,c t.n.nt ,,,I