The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1881-05-11
GFon The News AND HERALD.
TIOUGnTS ron FARMERS,

THOUGnTS tOR EdRMERs.
Horace Greeley in tho Country to Horace
Greeley In Town--Sone Capital Ideas and
Suggestions.
Geo. II. McJiustcr, Esq.,:
DEAR SIR: During hours of illcncss
have addressed you several letters on
agricultural subjects-appropriately l
think addressed to You as the city
counterpart Of my nom de plMme,
Horace Greeley, for, my friend, l
Opine we both are better farmers in
theory than in practice, and perhaps
we eau, when in the mood, rival
Greeley IN thcorizing. Yet, hoping
some practical farmers may take Il
hint occasionally, and profit by the
same, write again; and the burden
of my song is
IRRIGATION.
The very limited rainfall for several
years past, and the increased aridness
of our acreage soils, should admonish
us that we must look to some source
of supply other than descending rain
water for all, and especially summer
crops, to Increase the productivcncss
of our soils.
Such a supply can come only from
reserve reservoirs or running streams
by means of irrigutions, or in plain
English, watering crops. With Il suf-
iicicnt water supply all crops can DC
doubled and even triplcd on the same
soil.
.. This is no new humbug, no patent
idea Of tho present day, and we may
be excused in referring to what is and
has been done by irrigation in other
countries. The average rainfall Of
Japan is greater than it is in our own
State, and yet in this highly civilized
and best Of cultivated countries, irri-
cation has been practiscd for q thou
sand or two years past.
In that country the land is the PROP
eftv Of the Crown, SO also is the right
to all water; and while all of the
Japanese farmers are tenants at will of
the Crown, yet they arc not the scrfs,
rag-tag-and-bob-ta and to-Uc-lookcd-
ttown-on, as in our own enlightened
land, but rank high in caste, and COM
prise one of the three castles which can,
in English language, DC styled gen
tecl. What Il commentary on our own
civilization. where scarcely anyone
will farm that can help it. The gov
crnmcnt of Japan sees that the farmer
does his whole duty and makes the
most of'his lands. If energetic and
skilled, lc is speedily promoted to bet
ter lands. If sloth!u! and unskilIcd, )
his promotion down hill to poorer
farm. In this Kingdom all water is
utilized for the general bcuctit. Not
depending alone OH the daily supply
from running streams, immense rcscr-
voirs arc constructed in higher places
to supply the deficiency in times of
OF every available stream is utilized
and while these streams generally
reach the sea by their natural outlets,
yet they travel the greater portion OF
the way in artificial channels cut for
the purpose OF irrigation. The Japan
csc produce two and even three crops
III the same year on the same land,
and an estimate Of the amount Of these
crops is fabulous. Their rice lands Of
summer produce wheat as Il winter
crop; and so expert arc they as farm
crs that they have succeeded in dwarf
ing the wheat stalk to slch an extent
that it never once reaches eight to
fourteen inches in height. They plant
Tor grain and not for straw. Some
what of the same system is in vogue in
China. So much for the progress of
agriculture by means of rr;gation in
the East, the cradle of nations. and
we might add the origin Of many Of
the arts and sciences and Of improved
agriculture.
IRRIGATION IN OTHER LANDS.
The rich valley or alIuvial bottom
Of the Nile has been irrigated since the
days Of Joseph and his brethren, and
but for such application of water to
tho soil it could not support its in-
habitants. Irrigation is practiscd in
Italy, France, Germany, and even iii
indolcnt Spain.
On our Western continent. if We
credit the historian, the Pcruvians, at
the time Of the conquest. had made
great progress in irrigation. Indeed
II we take all accounts as true (Ui0e
Prcsc0tcs conquest Of Peru and McXi-
COY they had Il more advanced system
Of agriculture in many respects than
was to be seen on our continent at the
beginning Of the present century.
Like Japan the soil was the property
of the Crown, but was annually livid-
cd md allottcd-thc one part for the
use Of the gods and their officiating
priests; tnc second part for the use Of
tho Inca ard his noble kindred, and
the other part for tho working-bccs.
the people, by whom all three parts
were cultivatedAi The Inca race claim
cd to be children Of tho sun, a distinct
and separate race, and doubtless they
were distinct race, most likely the
descendants from some Japanese ad-
vcnturer who had crossed The Pacific
and brought with him the polity of his
own government and introduced the
system Of agriculture from tho East
with such notifications as adapted it
to the different cline and face of tho
country. Water in Peru was tho
property of the Grown, and was con-
veycd in conduits Of stone under
ground. Thus large areas of land, on
which rain never fell, were made
iIl fr,>x