The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-05-31

have fought grass. They have, through
long and bloodleSS wars, armed with the
hoe and the plow, almost totally destroy
ed all that luNuriant growth of succulent
herbage which once carpetcd this c0un-
try. Right here occurs a thought Is 1t
ever realized that our timber growth only
came in with the settlement of the white
man in this section of the country and
the driving out of the aboriginal inhabl-
tants: Go into L virgin forest anywhere
in the low country and cut down the big
gest and most lusty pine tree that you
can find. Examine those cOncentric
rings around its heart which marks its
age You'll never be able to count more
than one hundred and fifty of them, and
the long-leafed pine is regular Methu-
salah when it comes to longevity. When
the red man roamed through Bamberg
county, years before the advent of the
white man, this low country was broad,
grass grown prairie, with groves of hard
wood trees scattered here and there, and
the immense herds of buffalo and deer,
which furnished food and raiment to the
aboriginees, had grazing from January to
January. But we have driven out the
grass, and it has only been of late years
that the low country farmer has begun to
understand the value of hay, and fully
appreciate this God-given and heaven
blessed country as Il stock growing re-
gion. Therefore, if his crop of hay is
unsaleable, or Improbable to sell because
of low prices, let him lay the foundation
of herd of cattle, feed his hay to these,
save his manure and thus enrich his land,
and find, when he totals up his years
profits, that his cattle, fattened for beef,
have been more remunerative than his
cotton crop. Right here l must briefly
indulge in my OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Suppose, prior to the final report of
Col. Pearce's census enumerators, that
the population of South Carolina is 1,200,-
600. This means about 100000 families.
Each family will consume on an average
four barrels of flour year. At the pres
ent cost that would be $4,00O.00O spent
for fiour-two-thirds of the amount Of
the State debt. These same 100000 fami-
lies will use on an average nine pounds
of meat per week, which at present prices
would be worth $1.0S, total cost to them
per week of $s16,000-in year of $11,
2232 600. The cotton production in South
Carolina for the year 1898 was III round
numbers 100000 bales. At an average
price of $22 per bale its value was $2s,-
100000 Add the value of these three
products and we have a total of 81, 1882, S332 =
600. Now, the entire value of taXables
of all kinds in South Carolina is STA,
00O, 900. So it will be seen that if we
produce our own meat and flour and
make no increase in our cotton acreage
that every year the farmers will produce
one-quarter of the aggregate taxable
wealth in the State. Every four years
this wealth will be doubled and in de-
cade of years the farmer will be the plu-
tocrat-as he deserves to be-and the
poor manufacturer, broker, storekeeper,
railroad owner, and members of all the
other avocations and professions will be
trying to buy up this land which can be
made so productive and so profitable.
Formerly the low country farmer raised
only cotton or rice, and bought all of his
supplies. Ten. years ago reaction set
in, and the thinking farmer began to go
in for corn and hogs and other things.
The old fogy who stuck to cotton and
used the West as his smokehouse and
corncrib was sold out by the sheriff, and
the hog and corn raising farmer bought
his land. He has steadily progressed,
and there are men in this county who
have stuck to farming through bad times
/ and good times who have accumulated
fortunes in value all the way from $685.
600 to $150,OOO, and they have lived all
this time on the fat of the land, educated
their children at the best schools and col
leges, and had a few dollars yearly to
spend on those luxuries which increase
our intelligence and help raise the stand
ard of our civilization.
Now, in conclusion let me say, that If
these men, in what may fifty be termed
the infancy of intensive and intelligent
husbandry, have made this good financial
showing, what can be predicted OF the
possibilities which await the new farmer
who raises cotton as a surplus crop
grazes herds of fat beeyes On what is now
waste land in the summer and feeds them
in winter on his surplus hay crop, cotton
seed hulls and cotton seed meal; makes a
full supply of fat hogs on peas, plndars
| rye, turnips, sorgum, ETC.; rears his own
mules and horses and keeps thewin good
condition, because his cribs are full OF
corn and his barns bursting with oats
hay and other foods; makes bread from
home raised wheat, and in addition never
buys pound of rice or pint of syrup
whose bees produce him honey-whose
poultry supply him with eggs and a
change of meat diet-whose Jersey cows
give him abundant quantities of milk, and
cream, and butter-whose orchards are
laden with the choicest fruits-whose
garden produces plentiful crops of all
needful vegetables-what indeed can be
said of the state of this man? Just what
that shrewd Yankee soldier said to good
Mrs. Mcmillan, thirty odd years ago:
That he lives in the greasiest country
in the worldp
GEORGE WOLSEY SYMONDs.