The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-08-26
OUR FARMERS, PAST AND FUTURE.
An Essay by Mr.. d. P. Duncan, of Union
Read at the Joint Summer Meeting OF
tho State Grange and State Agricultural
Society at Darlington, August 8, 1880.

In referring to the past farmer I pre-
sume as useless to refer to the antiquity
of agriculture. 1t began, so TO speak,
with the beginning. 'Tis true our first
parents began life rather as horticultu..
rists; but then they we're precipitated
into agriculture proper with about as
little ceremony as some OF us were at the
close of our late unpleasantness.
Agricultural pursuits have ever been
held in high estimation, and we are al
ways told by our public orators and
modest candidates when they come out
to address the dear "bone and sinew" of
the country, how honorable and inde-
pendent it is to be farmer, and how
they would love to live. In the country.
sEAll of which sounds very we'll; yet we
need q. vast deal of educated faculties
and live energies to fill the bill. Never
.theless, since the day that plain old far
mer Cincinnatus was called from his
plough to lead the Roman legions to VIC
s tory. it has been;demonstrated that even
a farmer may be found equal to greater
! things than simply cultirating the soil:
Though the past farmer can boast OF
rreat antiquity and of some honors, bis
improYefnents have been. slow and
tedious-aiwayss behind the other arts
and Sciences.
You may turn your attention to that
part of mankind that interested them
selves in mechanics, and you find them
in the beginning with a yoke of oxen
and a simple slide. New they think
S nothing of boring through the Alps, cut.
ting ono sea i,,to another, making a tour
5 of the worlds hills, dells and valleys in
hours where it once took months and
years, and as our plain old farmer goes
to mill, with his corn in one end OF the
sack. and the rock in the other, he is as
tonished by the whistle of the locomo-
tive on the summit of the Rocky Noun
taiDs. -
engaged in navigation we find
first with silSple canoe. Yet they have
utilized every improvement in art or
science that could assist them,, until to-
day they are majestically riding the
OCEANS wave, almost fearless of wind or
storm. aboard Che "Great Eastern" e
dozen or more times larger than this
helse, and carrying miiilous VI poutius
ofyfreight A.,
world will whisper to the telegraph wire
what your cotton is worth, and in a few
minutes the offer is knocking at your
door. Yet our past jolly old farmer en-
Joyea Sely lnueu .as N - tha I t;me when
rounas olssne se1n.y nnaysss az .ay ostad I for an
some mem9el VI 0ons.t aI .Sonsand % dollars AL m
appropriat1ons Vi !sI tuoaI" .IIa - ~ Jam
that Prof: morse mlgas oe aIls ~ o,oa.ro u.
onstrate tne teas!Diilsy " . uao 49, lo.
magnetlc T!fe' an9 s9Me ~ I.ue. annranr;e msIe.'
sald 9e couio noI y9se iot sue app1vp, apnt NO.
. lion saaiess one nan w LEaS;aa .ns ' y tho ~
gwen % PaElles snsA estag.'I.i ~ I;1sa ~
science OF mesmerlsm, WHICH, AsnIu .S sno
bll: Inc: ag,lcnitsurasl hts.o:y ~ sas au
: c!ents, :extermHsg over . pelHu - aae;:, n,aay
centuries, may, nllterary saiue VI social ,:I
estimation, Tor they hao writers IKE ms
Homer and vlrgll,t nave "a. eAcglleu
our owps Sc y g hna somet9!ng aoSus
twelve YOKE o. Oxen 70 onel Nvusi' M. nas
We seekan Van lot any s'eu u feai p'o-
gress. o.of,,
we nnd practlee tna' ,1: .S. - son.n v. 90, 90
acs aoo saving, ~. s.s .she ona.n 1ano 3saa a
alter yeas; W mat asa = nv ~, nent;en pi;e
10! seyetal ases, ous su..o s,sto,,, 20 h ~ ad-
OF any .mProselle"t :: sen y. .a,, az
vance OF any Emu. II Is luz sa,ue tou-
tine year by year, no>neW implements
advocated, no old customs aoanconeo,
Go to china, tne oioestf country in Tue
world, and there agriculture Is the same
for centuries, except saey lmProye sne:f ne:
land by manurlng. Lou nna :3. thg tna, Jul
naman VINO wars over DliusIs is;ua5 ua.as t%o .ho
thousanus yea1s ago, WY euis.'a.tu a's;i. IIe hs
silksworm,oeiore klng solomon DuilI nls
throne VINO cnlayateo me eos.on pa P,ans ~
centuries before inns country was neaia :Iol
aof, and ne mas nisY tnousano square 1l'.ies .I
AROUND Snalgnaa wnlcn are caile1 .ne
garden 81 Vhlna, ano WINCH nase 1eeu
titled sby countess generatlons, & a.iu ale az.
as productive now IS ever. es '.e5
shaye no lmpro;eG lmPlelnenI y. Luz. Luz
proved culture. mere 's no. eouos 'naS
the Chief reason why the past !arpief nas
been so slow OF Improvement Is because
ne has used very i!ttle Drains ~ connel -
ton with ma MA business. lt VIII nos w
for; US occasionally 70 nave a German
Llebig, or French Yilie, OF an american
Dickson to devote much OF their time 70
scientific agricultural experiments, oot
farmers generally must cultivate IN 1nelr
brains as we'll as their muscles mus inas oia
man can iaIla suesesslIls va e ~, ha,. ~ ~
lands without some snowieage Oh now 10 %
improve them IS as ialiacious as INA taa' , any
business OF ire Gan oe pursued WIN sae, o
cess without capisai. ~ .ne5e ; Is Que as
amongst US wne' Is wtnouS a,, oaa,ns aad for or
money, what we generally can gooo !or
nothing, many people seem 10 imagine
that goedma..eslai 10! a larelel IS iyiug
round ioose:3pss, spolnug' ,er oan.so ~ nha ha
can 90 nosn'ng Sise why ~ vTen 'oase tenant mt
can iafm. II rnsaIu Nv VIZ io a,,'st 'eM 1ot
taxes h. ., ha .nSv nmst I be % able to
only ne caPaDle, ou' ooh us' 90 sS0 S nor @ ecrs w
show snaI ne mas as niuoa as sov ~, on "L b;s