The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1884-07-24

'hc Statc CoClctyl ana SnOulQ not
each and every one of them belong to
some county agricultural organization?
Our roll has the names of 26O odd
members. Is this not n meagrc show
ing? When VIC have people four
htths OF whom are engaged in one oc-
cupation, can it be anything less than
a serious mistake for them to fail to
have any organization, association or
concert of action rs to their social or
business interests and advancement
You ma the other OnC-ffth thoroughly
organized, with their unions, clubs
and associations, to which thcv arc in
a great degree indebted for much of
their progress and prosperity. The
attendance at our State Fair mectinus.
as for as numbers is concerned, is ali
that one most sanguinc friends could
wish, and yet at such Il time Of crowd
and rush it is impossible to discuss
many questions Of vital interest and
Importance to the farmers at large.
The State Society should be of such
number and influence as to be able to
discuss and settle definitely such issues
as arc of unqucstionablc use and i'm
portancc to its business interest and
calling. Don't do as we have done for
ycarS-pass resolutions that the lien
law must be repealed and then return
home and vote for men we know will
vote Just the other way. l simply
mention this as an example, but | real
ly and truly hope never to hear this
subject mentioned in the Society again,
q where it has been SO thoroughly worn
thrcadbarc. But there is the cduca-
tlonal question now so much aVitalcd
: that could be ventilated, as well as
many others of equal or less impor-
tancc, which, after 4 free discussion
: by representative men from all parts
i OF the state, would enable q decision
| to be reached rs the one most suitable
G to all sections and all classes, and one
Z which would have much weight i'm
n shaping the future termination of
4 these events.
I The farmer has no war to WAGE. no
= fight to make against any person or
Il class. 1t Is true that from time inmc-
= mortal he has entertained an idea that
nc was IN some mysterious way Opprcs-
y cd by every being dcvourcd bv all
: Kinds of corporations and monopoIics &.
5 but the truth is, he has no greater cnc-
o my than himself. If whilst i'm one
G sense he lies supinely by, fighting his
Il game of his imaginary indcpcndcncc,
Z slnglc-handcd and alone, this onc-firth
:, 10y It's greater intelligence, its thorough
)organiZation.and its business tact shall
make the four-iitlhs the "hcwers of
wood and the drawers of water" who
l., l say, has he to blame buthimsclf? Let
1t the farmer organize, seek to have the
l. same Intelligence, the same capabilities
: IN MS business that other people have in
= theirs, formulate his opinions and de-
l. cisions for the good and progress of his
). calling and he will have tho satisfaction
S Of seeing himself and the whole coun-
: try prospcring, and there will be no
IS man to make himself afraid.
l. There Is not time or place to sneak
II OF the many advantages that agricul.
i turnl associations have beon TO tho
It farming interest in all ages and coun-
c trlcs. The agriculture of all Europc
II Is one OF the leading witnesses of tho
C TACT. a volume might be filled with
!" the progress of agricultural art and
Il science here ut home during tho present
S century, and that, too, under the slim
n ulation of these very organizations.
i South Carolina makes about Is bushels
!. OF grain to each inhabitant. She has
c SIX county agricultural societies, with
: a very limited membership. Illinois
: makes about $50 bushels of grain to
= each inhabitant and she has 90 county
D agricultural societies. one Of which has
l,519 members and several others moro
= than thousand. The history of these
I societies is that they have been the
,, chief exponent in introducing all the
| improved sccdsand implements. Fur
| thCr comparisons are needless, Com
petition, union, associations and COM
. DinatiOn, the principles so universally
, acknowledged and effectively used by
: all other classes, can and should be used
l with equal efficiency by the farmer.
In conclusion allow me to say that
! 1T would seem That our farmers would
l regard with feelings of becoming pride
their State society. 1t is part of the
f history Of the State and Of tho c)un-
try. Gen. Walker, in his article on
the "Ilistory of American Agricul-
turc," tells us son the 24th of August,
, 1885, the Society for tho Promotion of
Agriculture, was founded in Charles
T. ton, South Carolina, and was incorpo-
rated December 10Th, 1885. The OBJ
o jccts Of this society, rs announced in
G the Act OF incorporation, were to pro-
8 mote tho interests Of agriculture, to
q institute a farm for experiments, to
@ import and circulate foreign articles
O that arc suitable to the climate of Car
l.. ollna, and to direct the attention of
s agricuItnrists of the State to useful
n objects. This was the beginning of
G the present State Agricultural Society
Of South Carolina. which still holds
that old charter. so far as I have
learned this was the first real agricul-
= tnral society founded in this country.
n The records Of tho Society were lost
Is during the late war, and its history,
y so far rs | know, has never been writ
1T ten" Thus we see that the South
n Carolina Agricultural Society will cell
1t citrate its one hundrcdth birthday next
10 year. shall propose at the Green
f. vile meeting that our next summer
le meeting be held at Columbia on the
d 24th August, 1885, in our new Fair
'Duilding, which will then be complete