Year: 1877

1t is, perhaps, not inappropriate
to congratulate you, sir, and all
here assembled, on tho changed
auspices under which we hold this
meeting for the promotion of the
I,agricultural and mechanical intor-
ests Of South Carolina. For years.
the State, smothored in fraud and
corruption, was sinking, carrying
with her all the interests, public
and private, within her borders,
into tho slough of despair. Tho
methods that had grown up with
our growth, and were SO admirably
adapted for the conduct of our 30
lltical affairs, in the better days Of
the commonwealth, were utterly
inadequate for such an emergency.
No advocacy Of right, however
eloquent and convincing, had the
slightest effect on the power that
was crushing us.


While til ere was a general sent
ment that organization was neces
sary to even hope of relief, the
education, training and, above all.
the customs Of our people presents
cd almost insuperablc obstacles in
the way Of effectively operating it,
10 lift people out Of their old
habits 'of thought and action, it is
not sufficient to demonstrate the
inadequacy of old methods and
present general views of new; but
1t is necessary to frame q plan, q
definite and intclligiblo plan of
action, that will invite them by it's
promise of efficacy, to abandon the
old and lay hold of the new.


This practical plan for applying
the power of united sentiment and
united effort was most clearly con-
ccived and first put in operation
here in Anderson. The Anderson
constitution, with its celebrated
eighth article, is, as it were, the
keystone of the arch on which our
grand political triumph rests.


To-day, the State, reinstated in
the old homestead, is restoring it's
landmarks and putting it in order
to foster, with grateful care, tho
energies of her impoverished but
hopeful sons.


That we arc assembled under
these circumstances and in this
place, for this purpose-the promo
ton OF that great interest on which
the prosperity of the State, however
tree and untrammellcd, go largely
dcDends-is calculated to inspire
the livcliest hope that some plan
may be evolved that will bring up n
restored agriculture to the support
Of Il restored State.


1he opinion prevails that our old
methods of conducting agricultural
operations cannot meet the demands
of the situation: that they are
wastefully and steadily reducing
our resources; that under them
complete exhaustion is only uucs-
ton of time. The necessity for
change is obvious, to even the
casual observer. What that CHANGE
shall be, and how it is to be accom-
plishcd are questions Of the gravcst
interest, and will doubtless meet
with duo consideration and dis
cussion during this meeting. L pro.
pose to direct your attention to the
position held by live stock in ''gen-
eral agriculture" with the view and
hope of developing it's bearing on
this important question.


The subject assigned to me,
"Cattle," ranks foremost under tho
general head, olive Stock"


L start with the proposition that
the true measure of the real value of
Land is its capacity to support live
stock. Thore may be, and are, OK
traneous circumstances which
modify this valuation; but they arc
local, transient, and, indeed, are but
superficial structures, built up on
the great underlying intrinsic value
which holds good in every country
on tho face of the earth in every
age of the world from the time whcn
"Abcl sacrificed tho firstlings of his
flock to the present; in every
stage of agriculture, from that
which first settled man in q fixed
abode and redeemed him from
savage life to that of the most