The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-06-25
Senator 1iIIn1an Reviews
Clemson College History
WASHINGTON, D. c.. June IS.

Carolina Agricultural Society and
State Grange at Bennettsville, S. c..
in Marlboro county, as delegate
from the Edgefeld agricultural socie-
ty. The depressed condition Of agri-
culture in South Carolina at the time,
with the we'll nigh bankrupt condition
Of a large majority Of the farmers,
including myself, had caused me to
think very deeply on the subject Of
farming as it was then conducted in
our State.
I had begun the active practice and
study Of agriculture in 1869 and had
made money up to 1881, but the
bands which I was cultivating were
hilly and easily washed, and it be-
came very evident to me that our
whole scheme Of agriculture was
wrong. The lack Of rotation and the
constant plowing of the soil, leaving
it bare to the winter rains, could
only result in final and complete i'm
poyerishment on hilly lands, with re-
sulting pauperism to the land own
ers.
Knowing that I had devoted my
best thought and energy to agricul-
ture as a pursuit, realized there was
a lack Of proper training in my own
education, which had been cut short
by the war, and while I was far bet
ter advanced than many college grad
uates I was woefully ignorant in
many essentials relating to stock
raising and the cultivation Of the soil
as a means of a livelihood. I arrived
at the conclusion that We needed in
South Carolina a different system to
that in vogue and above all the young
men and women Of the State should
be trained industrially, keeping the
fact in view that the head alone
could not supply the body, but that
the hands and eyes as we'll as the in
tellect must be trained together for
the best results. I believed the false
system of farming which our people
mad been following must be changed
If there was TO be any improvement
in the financial condition Of the agri-
cultural masses. I offered resolutions
in the meeting advocating the estab-
lishment Of a department Of the
South Carolina University for this
purpose. I made a speech in support
of the resolution which attracted,
widespread attention at the time and
which met the enthusiastic approval
of a great majority of the farmers
present. Marlboro at that time, as it
is now was in the very forefront of
progressive agriculture in the State.
The resolutions were voted down by
the delegates and [ returned home
very angry and much disgusted.
Having failed to obtain the sup
port Of the then leading farmers Of
the State who were at the head of
the Grange, the State agricultural de-
partment, and the State agricultural
society, | set to work to map out
scheme for consummating the pur-;
poses I had been advocating, to wit:
the establishment Of a technical and
industrial school in South Carolina,
and began the discussion Of the ques-
tion in the columns Of the News and
Courier in a series Of letter advocat-
ing a separate agricultural and me-
chanical college. Fuller investigation
and study had taught me that the
Joining of an agricultural annex to an
older literary university had proven
a failure in almost every case where
tried in the United States. The Mich
iean Agricultural college at Lansing,
and the Mississippi Agricultural COL
leee at Starkeville were so far IN ad-
vance Of any Of the other hybrid in
sti1utions, that I appealed with all
The power I possessed for the found
ing of a similar institution IN South
Carolina.
Nv letters in the News and Cour-
Ter, written in November and Decem-
Der, 1885, received the endorsement
of many hundreds Of men from all ov-
er the State whom I had never seen,
who wrote me to encourage me; and
the result was calling farmers con-
.ven1ion to assemble in Columbia to
take into consideration the whole
question of the management of the ag-
ricultural department and the better
ment of the farming interests. This
convention met in April, 1886, and
was attended by over two hundred
DELEGATES. A State organization was