No. 85.] 341 



China breeds of pigs introduced into this country from the northern 

 and western Slates, and in some instances, directly from Europe, are 

 producing this desirable change throughout the land. Few sheep are 

 raised in South Carolina, and those chiefly for their meat. In the 

 lower districts, the Syrian or broad tailed sheep are most esteemed, 

 being well adapted to the climate, and yielding the best mutton. Few 

 horses or mules are raised in the State, the demand for them being 

 annually supplied from Kentucky. So too, the best, I may say the 

 only good cattle for the supply of our meat markets, are driven from 

 over the mountains, chiefly from the same State. With very few ex- 

 ceptions, the woodlands furnish the only pasturage, and the cattle for 

 the most part are diminutive and unproductive. It will be in vain to 

 expect any general amelioration of the races by importations from 

 abroad, until more attention is paid to pasturage lands. Fortunately, 

 this is compatible with the best system of husbandry, with one-third 

 of our farms under the profitable fallow of turneps, sweet potatoes, 

 and peas, the latter cultivated partly for forage ; one-third in well set 

 pastures, and the remaining third in grain or cotton, the land would 

 rather improve than deteriorate, while it would be much more pro- 

 ductive than under the present wasteful and destructive system. 



The convertible husbandry of Great Britain, that is, a regular 

 change from aration to pasturage, is better suited for the thin soils 

 of this portion of the south, which become too incohesive under con- 

 stant tillage, than the alternate husbandry which can only be success- 

 fully practiced on the richest soils, and on such as have access to 

 abundance of putrescent manure. This system requires one-half of 

 the farm to be cultivated in some of the cereal grains, while the other 

 half is under pulse, roots, cultivated herbage, or simple fallow. A 

 great obstacle to a proper division of our farming land is to be found 

 in our defective method of enclosing our fields. Almost the only 

 fences in use in South Carolina are the Virginia or worm fence, made 

 of rails laid zigzag, and the post and rail fence, both of which begin 

 to decay from the day they are erected ; requiring not only great care 

 and labor to keep them in order, but extensive woodlands to furnish 

 materials both for their structure and repair. This is the more sur- 

 prising, as in this country live fences are easily made, and require 

 only a very few years to come to perfection, after which they maybe 

 maintained for ages with little trouble and scarcely any expense. I 

 will mention a few of the most common plants which might be em- 

 ployed for the purpose, and give the best method of cultivating them 

 in order to rear a hedge in the shortest time. The Nondescript^ a 

 native rose of rapid growth and singularly strong and thorny, consti- 

 tutes, if properly cultivated, an impenetrable hedge in three years. 

 The cuttings should be set out two feet and a half apart, in three rows 

 two feet and a half from each other, for the two-fold purpose of 

 working the ground between the rows, and giving a broad base to the 

 hedge. The plants ought to be kept free from grass and weeds the 

 first two years, after which they will only require to be trimmed to 

 form an enduring and impervious fence. 



The Macartney rose, although of not quite so rapid a growth, if 



