The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-12-04

pie, and is OF great advantage to strangers de-.
string TO become Informed or the wealth OF our
fields, fruits and mines, or our industrial pro-
gress.
The work Of this department Is especially
commendablc in the immense correspondence
conducted and In the great number (lI2,0OOl OF
nation. statistical md general. upon every
variety OF subject calculated to encourage I'M
migration and capital and To foster and nd
vance the AGRICULTURAL interests of the State.
Its management has been able, faithful and
laboriouS.
THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS.
The work Of the experiment stations has
been greatly systematlZed and deveIoped
within the last ear. Atthe three farms nu.
mer0uS well.nrranged series of experiments
are now under way. hearing upon such ques-
lions as the value OF fertilizers, new varieties
of our staple crops. new plants, methods oi
culture, rotations, FEEDING of flrm stock. etc.
The careful duplication Of these tests calls for
more than zoo plntS.
At the laboratories In Columbia investiga.
tions are in progress relating to the physicn
properties Of Soils, the diseases Of farm AM.
mails and plants, noXlous and henettciai IN
secis. the life history Of the cotton plant. in
Guiding the study OF its root development,
growth. composition, fertilization. varieties
etc.
Several bulletins have been published. and
an annual report of :B) pages, giving the re-
suits Of the work for the past year. Many OF
tho most important invt stgntlUnS are as yet
incomplete. Definite results cannot be en-
pected for some years to come. In scientific
work time is an element of great Importance
To insure thoroughDess and accuracy u must
be subjected to numerous and repeated checks
anu verflcations. This Is everywhere recog,
nized in the older communities. Speedy de-
examinations OF important questions are mel
ther looked for nor desired. The amount o
work undertaken by our stations compares
most favornbiy with that OF the stations ~
other States, and promises in due time to give
abundant returns tending to the development
of our agricultural interests
PENITENTIARY.
take pleasure in commencing toyour care
ful perusal the reports of the board of direc'
tors and the superintendent OF the South Car
Olina Penitentiary.
There are now in confinement SS4 PERSONS
50 white and n25 colored. or this number lao
are employed In shoe and hosiery contracts
inside the prison; 265 are at work on the Col
umbia Canal, and there has been daily aver.
ngc of 2S5 employed on the agricultural con-
tracts during the year. The remainder com.
prise the sick and convalescent and such as
are uti lied In various offices about the prison.
The condition of the institution, though ell
tirely satisfactory TO its direction at the com
mencement of the fiscal year, has steadily i'm
proved under many diSadvantngeous circum-
stances, and Is now. IN my Judgment; most
creditabe to the energy, wisdom and fidelity
OF It's management. The year was commenced
with an Indebtedness of $l4 lG2. 40, and the nrc-
eSSnry disbursements amounted To S329S ~.
making p total Of SIT ,460.Sl. The earnings OF
the year have amounted to $SS,56j.3S3 In cash,
leaving n balance after the payment OF out
standing claims OF 81, ,lO4.59. Besides this cash
balance there must he placed to The credit OF
the Institution Sa,,T760S In good assets, togeth-
er with a quantity OF corn. oats, wheat and
other farm products which at but a moderate e
estimate should he valued at about Sl50Ou.
The operations Of the year just past, and con.
sidered apart from those of any other year,
show cash earnings OF over $4,000 more than
the necessary expenditures for the support OF
the prison. 1t Is surely a source Of gratifica-
ton that so satisfactory an exhibit has been
the outcome of year marked by unpropi-
tiouS seasons for the successful conduct or It's
agricultural contrnctS.
This very favorable condition has induced
the board Of directors TO endeuvor To return
25,OUO advanced some three years ago for the
maintenance Of the institution, and they eS-
pect With the next ninety days 10 replace
S15OOO or more Of that amount.
The board again ask your honorable bodies
that they be allowed to purchase. solely from
the earnings OF the institution. such planta-
ton, or tract of lund As may be adequate in
size, convenient In location and otherwise
adapted to the needs of the institution; and
cunnot too heartily recommend the ndOp
tion OF this wise and prudential measure to-
your favorable consideration. The success OF
the farming operations undertaken heretO-
has concluslvely demonstrated the wisdom OF
such course, which presents itself at this
time with additional force from the fact that
all Of the agricultural contracts expire on the
3lst OF December. 1870, with the exception
only of that with Mr.. Seegers on his Green
Hill place, whre about sixty hands are EN-.
ployed, and which has two years yet to run.
The management have given this matter
the most careful consideration for some years
past, and it presents itself with greater force
each recurring year. There are always n
large number OF con victs on hand who cam
not be leused out for hard labor on account of
sex or physical disability, but who could be
made serviceable and profitable on farm in
doing such wholesome work as might be
adapted to their strength and health. There
is, besides, this further, reason: the exper-
ience of the institution has not unfrequent-
ly demonstrated the fact that there are times
when the demand for convict labor slacks or
fails almost alt osether, and Its profitable en-
plovment becomes u matter of the greatest
difficulty. With a plantation of sufficient
size however the State need not fear these
temporary lulls in the demand for labor, as
the farm could very readily be made to pro.
duce. to q very .arge extent. all that was ab-
solntely needed for the support of the instItu.
tiOn, with such additional money crops as
would realize a handsome and safe cash reve-
nue..
lance demands.
It is contemplated by the management to
build during the coming year a new hospital.
which in the opinion OF the physician Is
greatly needed. and also to put IN an electric
light plant, II these essential and most de-
sirable Improvements can he accomplished
out OF the earnings Of the institution.
The board recommends That the amount
heretofore appropriated from the earnings oi
the prison Tor their per diem and mileage be
Increased TO at least S20UO. rs in their judg-
nent the present appropriation Is not sufli-
Client. They state thnt al though the appro-
priution for the past year has not been entire
ly exhausted, they feel that they have not
been aule to discharge their duty to the full
measure of their responsibility OH account OF
the meagreness of the amount set aside for
their use.
The board also recommend an increase in
the pay OF the physiciun to the Penlenliary,
a Recommendation in which l heartily con-
cur. There is not, l am sure, reputable
physician III the public service anywhere
who performs anything like the labor he
performs for the compensation he receives.
His Invaluable services to the institution,
and its unfortunate, though criminal, In.
mates, richly entitle him To this considerh-
ton.
LUSATIC ASYLUM.
The annual report of the Lunatic Asylum
presents a most satisfactory exhibit OF the
transactions and operations of that lnstitu-