Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-19
The Agricultural Status of South


The Agricultural Status of South
Carolina.
We find in the Netgs and Courier of yes
terday an editorial headed Georgia and
South Carolina Compared in the Agricul-
tural Work of 1882 the basis of COM
parisOn being the recent report OF the
Georgia Commissioner Of Agriculture for
the year 1882, a summary of which was
compiled in the s1GeOrgia" column of
the MORNING News few days
since. Taking the figures of the report
given BY Commissioner Henderson, the
Ne,cs and Courier compares them seriatim
with the report Of work accomplished in
the agricultural line during the year 1882
i'm our sister State South Carolina. show
ing a result which must not only be graft
fying to the people Of the Palmetto State,
but to the people of the South at large,
and especially to the people OF Georgia.
The following are the results as indicated
by the compilation aforesaid, which
will be interesting reading to the agricul-
turist of Georgia:
In South Carolina in 1882 there were
planted in corn $50, 800 acres, an increase
over 1881 of AZ per cent. The yield was
17,045,1 35 bushels, or II 30 bushels per
acre. The increase in yield over that of
1881 was 10 per cent.
The area in oats was 362, 3l3 acres,
against 25S.343 acres in 1881, an increase
in acreage of 40 per cent. The yield was
1929, $40 bushels, or an average of nearly
- bushels per acre. The increase in the
Weld over 1881 was 40 per cent.
The yield of wheat increased 81 per cent.
over that of 1891. The product averaged
81 bushels per acre. The increase in
acreage was 30 per cent, or "a, 246 acres.
The yield of sugar-cane increased l46
per cent. The average product was 121
gallons of syrup per acre.
The increase in the yield OF sweet pOta-
toes over 1881 was 80 per cent. The aver
age product per acre was % bushels.
The acreage in cotton decreased 3 per
cent vet the yield increased 800 bales
of 800 pounds each. The yield, as COM
pared with that of 1881, showed an ill.,
crease of % per cent. The average pro-
duct was 1913 pounds of lint cotton per
acre. The number Of bales produced per
pillow is not known.
The only statistics relating to the pro-
duct of pork show a decrease of IL per
cent. in the number of stock hogs, caused
by the adoption of the law compelling the
fencing in of stock. The numbers of
cattle and sheep also decreased slightly
for the same reason.
ssNO statistics in relation to the tinan-
cial condition of the farmers were COM
piled, but that the condition OF the farmers
of this State is as progressive as that OF
the GeOrgians is shown by the fact that
the money value of the crops of South
| Carolina in 1882 exceeded that Of 1881 by
SIS. 572,525. In addition to the increase
| i'm other farm products South Carolina re-
cords an increase in the crops of 1882
! over those of 1881 of q, 1927 pounds of
rice. 1857 gallons of sorghum mOlasses,
Isl, 1873 bushels of Irish potatoes. 81, 243
in sales of garden produce, 49, 1oI pounds
| of honey, 324, 056 pounds of butter, 5S,522
head of poultry and 1885 dozen eggs.
| TWENTY-FIVE per cent. of the great crops
| of 1889 We're fertiliZed with homemade
| cOmpOsts. and 10 per cent. less commercial
| fertilizers were purchased than III 1881.
| The value of the excess of last years pro-
/ ducts over those of 1881 amounted to more
than the whole value of farm supplies
| purchased in 1881. The farmers exported
| large quantities of grain and reserved an
/ abundance for home consumption.
OF late wears it has been the fashion,
| within as well as without this State, to
saw that in agriculture South Carolina
| Lays behind her sister States, and particu-
| laTlv behind Georgia. There have been
many plying phrases used about Poor
| old South Carolina" and even her citizens
| have often deplOred with a sorroWful
/ shrug of the shoulders the decadence
/ of their State. This foolish and
| injurious talk is being gradually drowned
| by the hum of new factories, the whirr OF
new railways and the CHATTER of new
reapers. We hope that the comparison
which we make to-day of the official re-
| ports of the Commissioners of Agricul-
| ture for Georgia and South Carolina, each
! based upon the returns of hundreds OF
reliable correspondents, will finally end
! the twaddle about South Cardinals pow
erty and tOrpor. Georgia is the best adj
vertised State in the South because her
! people advertise her in all they say. We
/ reduce the facts which have before ap-
peared in the Ne,rS and Courier tOtigures,
| which will compare squarely with those
| given by the report of the Georgia Agri-
| cultural Commissioner.
We take great pleasure in repro
ducing the above, showing for the grand
| old State her progress towards agricul-
tural and commercial greatness, and con-
! graduate her people on her general pros
perity, politically, socially and materi-
/ ally