CAROLINA. 



487 







wa transferred from it to indigo. The culture of 

 however, continued to advance, though slowly, 

 till the commencement of the American revolution, 

 wlien the .jtiantity annually exported was a- 



huut 110,000 barn-Is. In 17:5, the first year after 

 the evacuation of Charlestowu, the crop of rice a- 

 mounted to only 61,97-1 barrels. From that time its 

 cultivation was resumed with vigour, and the annual 

 ex rotation of it continued to increase till the year 

 - "i-i-ii the quantity exported amounted to 

 H) >,ll!) barrels. 'Hie culture of cotton now began 

 to employ so much of O, c . agricultural force of the 

 state, that the crops of rice o'mce that period have 

 rarely exceeded what they were about the middle of 

 the 18th century. 



Next to rice, the most important article of agri- 

 cultural produce in South Carolina, for a long time 

 at least, was indigo, which was first introduced about 

 the year 171-2. The cultivation of this plant went 

 on with such spirit and success, that, in the year 

 174-7, a considerable quantity of it was sent to Eng- 

 land ; and, in the following year, a bounty was ob- 

 tained from parliament of sixpence per pound on in- 

 digo, raised in the British American plantations, and 

 imported directly into Britain from the place of its 

 growth. Thus encouraged, the planters of Carolina 

 proceeded in the cultivation of indigo with such spi 

 rit and success, that the export of this article amount- 

 ed, in 1754-, to 216,924- Ibs. ; and before the revolu- 

 tion, it had risen to 1,107,660 Ibs. Though neglect- 

 ed during the war, the cultivation of it was eagerly 

 resumed after the restoration of peace ; and it conti- 

 nued for some years to form a valuable export, till its 

 price was greatly lowered, by large importations of 

 the same commodity from the East Indies into Eng- 

 land. The attention of the planters was, towards 

 the close of the 18th century, directed to cotton ; 

 and as the same soil was adapted to the cultivation 

 of both it and indigo, the latter was in a great mea- 

 sure neglected for the new staple. 



Though the climate of Carolina was known to be 

 similar to that of the East Indies, where cotton had 

 grown abundantly for many centuries ; though Dr 

 Hewat, in his valuable history of South Carolina, 

 had declared, so early as 1719, that the climate and soil 

 of the province were favourable to the culture of cot- 

 ton ; and though the first provincial congress, held in 

 January 1775, had recommended to the inhabitants the 

 raising of that useful plant ; yet a very trifling quantity 

 only was raised for domestic manufactures, previous 

 to the year 1795. In that year, however, cotton was 

 exported to the amount of L. 1,109,653. Since that 

 time the quantity of cotton raised has been annually 

 increasing ; and, in the first year of the present cen- 

 tury, eight millions of pounds of it were exported 

 from South Carolina. Two kinds of cotton are raised 

 in South Carolina. On the level lands of the low coun- 

 try, the kind chiefly cultivated is the black seed, or 

 long staple cotton, which is admirably adapted to the 

 finest manufactures. The wool is easily separated from 

 the seed by roller-gins, which do not injure the staple. 

 In the middle and upper country, the cotton univer- 

 sally cultivated is the green seed kind, which is less 

 silky, and adheres so tenaciously to the seed, that it 

 cannot be separated without the action of a saw-gin. 

 This cuts the cotton exceedingly ; but as this kind is 

 unfit for the finer fabrics, the cuuingaa sc.arc.ely const- 



dcred injurious. 



Though the wool t,f the gteen eed Seui 

 cotton oe cheaper than the other, it grow* likewise c * 

 more luxuriantly. An acre, which will produce 

 loOlbs. of black seed cotton, will generally yield 

 200 Ibs. of the green seed kind. 



These staple articles have so engrossed the attention 

 of the planters, that the culture of wheat, barley, 

 oats, and other crops, equally useful but less profit- 

 able, has been almost wholly neglected. So little 

 wheat is raised throughout the state, that considerable 

 quantities of it are annually imported. Barley has 

 occasionally been cultivated with such success on the 

 low grounds that seventy bushels have been procured 

 from an acre; and as it ripens there early in May, 

 another crop might easily be raised on the same 

 ground in the course of the year. Notwithstanding 

 these advantages, however, the culture of this grain 

 has not been pursued with any degree of spirit. Hops 

 are annually raised in small quantities, and the cul- 

 tivation of them might easily be carried so far as to 

 answer any probable demand. As mulberry trees grow 

 in Carolina spontaneously, and native silk-worms, 

 producing well-formed coroons, are often found in 

 its woods, there can be no doubt that the country 

 is naturally adapted to the raising of silk. For a 

 considerable time the culture of silk was carried on 

 by the Swiss colonists near Purysburgh, and occa- 

 sionally by private persons as late as the year 1?S7. 

 At present it is successfully continued at New Bour- 

 deaux in Abbeville; but the conviction that greater 

 profits may be obtained more easily by other means, 

 has prevented the culture of this commodity from 

 being carried to any great extent. 



The soil is well adapted to the cultivation of the Soil, 

 vine and olive trees ; for the woods abound with na- 

 tive grapes, from which, as well as from the fruit of 

 imported vines, wine has been occasionally made ; and 

 from the olive trees which have been naturalised in Ca- 

 rolina, olives are prepared and preserved equal to any 

 that can be imported. The culture of these excellent 

 fruits, however, has been almost entirely neglected, 

 in the general eagerness of the planters to have ex- 

 tensive crops of the more profitable articles, rice and 

 cotton. Hemp and flax have been raised in consider- 

 able quantities, and in the year 1784? were noted as 

 articles of export, though only to the trifling amount 

 of three tons of the former, and 171 casks of the 

 latter. Tobacco, which is an indigenous plant of 

 America, thrives remarkably well in Carolina. The 

 exportation of it amounted in 1799, to 9646 hogs- 

 heads, and it might be raised to any extent; but 

 the superior value of cotton has left the culture of 

 tobacco comparatively neglected. The soil both of 

 the swamps, when completely drained, and of the 

 highlands, is admirably adapted to the growth of 

 maize or Indian corn. But the culture of that graiu, - 

 which is considered as a more nutritious aliment for 

 labouring people than even rice, has given place to 

 that of cotton, and it is even imported in great quan- 

 tities on the sea-coast for domestic use. 



Such are the articles of agricultural produce in Ca- 

 rolina, with the relative importance assigned to them 

 by the planters. The genial soil of that country is 

 equal to almost any production, and with proper cul- 

 ture might be made to yield at least ten times its pre- 

 sent value. A society was incorporated in 1785, for 

 the purpwt; of promoting the improvement of agricul- 



