Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-05-28
HOW THE WORLD DIGS.

In northern Mexico a crooked stick drawn
by an oxen or mule, scratches the ground
little as preparatory move before plant
ing or sowing. Hoes are heavy, awkward
tools. Reaping is done with sickles, and
threshing by treading out
In Manzanillo, not single farmer man,
ures his fields. With a simple iron pointed
stick they bore the holes in the ground and
the seed corn is cast in. In few days the
young seed shoots up, and with it innumer-
able weeds, which are removed by hand.
Farmers complain that American plows are
too heavy to lift. They prefer oxen, be-
cause horses make them walk too fast.
The axe, the hoe and the plow constitute
the agricultural implements in Central
America, and especially in Honduras.
These are mostly of English or German
make, being cheaper than those manufac-
tured in America.
The most of the cultivation on farms in
Brazil, and especially where there is slave
labor, is with the hoe, an implement weigh
ing from two to five pounds each ; and most
ly imported from England in barrels, ten
dozen to barrel. One firm in Rio de
Janeiro imports 800 barrels year from
England, and the same firm estimate that
100000 hoes are imported and disposed OF
annually in Brazil.
An American merchant in Japan says he
has tried to sell nearly every description OF
American implements, but without success.
Now ne has stock in his warehouse which
has been on hand for fifteen years. Farm
labor is so cheap that it is practically inn
possible to underbid it with labor-saving
machinery. Male field hands work twelve
hours day, hav, olidays in each month
and receive their 4ood, lodging and wages
ranging from $500 to $3.50 per year. Fe-
male labOrers work the same hours, are
not entitled to holidays, and receive, beside
their food and lodging, about So per an
mum.
In China even an apology for shovel is
seldom to be met with, while the hoe IS
long, narrow and heavy blade, used for
almost all purposes. The plow is rough
and clumsy affair, with only one ''stilt"
and ONLY the point shod with iron. Thresh-
ing is performed as in the time of Moses, by
spreading the sheaves on an earthen thresh-
ing floor, and driving unmuzzled cattle over
the grain to tread it out.
The African farmers are Dutchmen or
descendants of Dutchmen. They still ad-
here to the old style farm wagon of twenty
five wears ago, the motive power of which
is furnished by teams Of fourteen oxen or
ten mules. These vehicles are capable Of
carrying a dead weight of not less than
eight tons.
Throughout nearly all of Europe, the
consuls say, modern machines are Delng
used.-PhiHadelphio Press.
WE CAN WHIP THE EARTH.--The retro
spect presented in yesterdays 'S1e OF some
of the chief events Of the civil war, and the
size, the number, the losses and great achlev-
ments of the armies pitted against each
other in that titanic and long protracted
struggle, illustrates in most striking man.
ner the vastness of the resources at the
command of the United States and Confed-
crate governments. Out of population
numbering in 1860, for the whole country,
81 443,321 souls, and with total wealth of
SIG, ,159, ,O6S, the two sections raised and
maintained armies aggregating the tremen-
dous total of over 5000, 900 men. The adju-
tant general of the United States army re-
ports 2,772, ,40S as sent forward for service
from the Northern States, which number,
reduced to three years standard, makes
the total available for action 1920, ,272. The
adiutant general of the Confederate array
estimates the entire available Confederate
force capable of active service at GO0,-
600 men, not more than 900 of whom
were enrolled at any one time, while the
number in the field at once never exceeded
2OO. 900. With these 10000 or less effected
in 1876 in the way of resistance to the
032O.272 opposed to them, and the persls-
tency with which both sides continued the
struggle, constitute q valuable demonstration
of what the combined forces of the two Sec
tions, with the increment of men and mate
rial gained in the last score of years, would
in 1855 be able to effect against any foreign
power that could undertake to invade the
United States. Since 1860 our population
has increased from 81 ,443,32l to 5O,l55,7 ,7S3 IN