1S38] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



93 



diiFerent, in color aiul flavor, (and often too in in- 

 gredients,) from what is sold under the nameof Scup- 

 pernong wine; and it would be judged of very erro- 

 neously, if considered as merely a superior kind of the 

 liquor generally sold as Scuppernong, or other com- 

 mon home-made wine, whether the latter be really 

 principally a product of tire grape, or merely a facti- 

 tious compound. 



KEMARKS 0\ SOME PARTS OF BIR. GARNETT S 

 ADDRESS. 



Communicated for publication in the Fanners' Register. 



Coluvibia, S. C, Feb. I7ih, 1S38. 

 J. M. Garnett, Esq. 



My dear Sir — I have read with much plea- 

 sure, approbation and benefit, your "Address to 

 the Agricultural Society ot" Fredericksburg," pub- 

 lished in the last "Farmers' Register," and take 

 advantage of a very cold morning, when I cannot 

 go out, to make a few observations on some part 

 of'it. (I cali this a cold morning; my thermome- 

 ter was yesterday at 66° and it is now 32'', 9 

 o'clock A. M.; and now, when I finished writing, 3 

 P. M., it is 34°, although the sun has been shin- 

 ing ever since morning. 



The account of your experiments on corn are 

 very interesting, and it is very desirable that far- 

 mers and planters generally would do the same. 

 Besides the advantages expected from experi- 

 ment, such as the obtaining better and more pro- 

 ductive varieties of the articles experimented upon, 

 there is another great one, which is, that it has a 

 tendency of producing a habit of careful culture 

 and of observation; tor the experimentor naturally 

 wishes to succeed in what he undertakes, and will 

 pay, in the conducting of his experiments, more 

 care and attention than he would do in the ordi- 

 nary course of his pursuits. He may do this un- 

 consciously; and even in this he is benefited by 

 the habits acquired by it. Agriculture being the 

 real business of this country, particularly of the 

 southern states, every effort should be made that has 

 a tendency to produce a state as nearly approaching 

 perfection as is practicable, by every means in our 

 power. The aim of a shoemaker should be to 

 become as great at his trade as he can; thai of a 

 lawyer to gain, by fair and honest means, as ma- 

 ny causes lor his clients as he can, that he may 

 have an opportunity of reaching the first rank in 

 his profession, and finally, to be at the very head 

 of it. It is so with every pursuit, and we ought 

 to keep the old adage in remembrance, "that what 

 is worth doing at all, is worth being done well." 

 Now, sir, as v/ithout agriculture, we can have 

 nothing to eat, except what nature spontaneously 

 affords, nor any clothing to keep us warm such 

 cold weather as this, it ibilows that, if every man 

 is not an agricultor, he is interested in the success 

 of agriculture, as much so as he who pursues it as 

 his profession. The natural and fair conclusion of 

 this indi-sputable mode of reasoning is, that every 

 , indi\idual in the country is interested in having 

 I agriculture carried up to as high a degree of perfect 

 tion as it is possible. This renders the thought- 

 llees folly of our legislatures in relusing any and 



every sort of encouragement and assistance to eo 

 useful and essentially beneficial a profession as 

 agriculture, unaccountable, and I hesitate not to 

 say, criminal. AVe may, it is true, find some ex- 

 cuse lor such members of our legislatures us are 

 not agriculturists, and that is that they do not 

 know the wants of those that are, nor in what 

 manner due encouragement and assistance are to 

 be afforded. This excuse, however, does not 

 reach the agriculturists themselves, who have 

 much in their power to promote the great interest 

 of the country and neglect doing so. The princi- 

 ple of ^^laissez-nous faire,^^ which is by some in- 

 sisted upon, does not apply here to its tlill extent, 

 because, before we can carry on any business pro- 

 perly, there must be capital and stock in trade pro- 

 videil, and the doctrine of "/a/ssez-no«s/aire" (let 

 us alone) will not go far in procuring these; for 

 they are chiefly knowledge promoted by a judi- 

 cious application of pecuniary means and judicial 

 enactments. The elements of agriculture should 

 be taught in every school, and a professorship es- 

 tablished in every college, that this most essential 

 science in this country should be understood in 

 some degree by every person in it; for there is no 

 useless knowledge, and the professional man and 

 mechanic who reside in cities can be but benefit- 

 ed by any extent of knowledge in a business like 

 this, although ii does not apply directly or imme- 

 diately to the objects of their pursuits. This 

 brings me to notice this most shameful fact for the 

 United States, a country which is able to furnish 

 bread to a great portion of the civilized world, that 

 they have received, within a year or two, grain 

 from Europe to the enormous amount of $5,333,- 

 962, as stated by you in your address. But, sir, 

 you may not be aware that there is a considerable 

 and shamellil great addition to the amount of 

 agricultural product imported from Europe into 

 this country, to be added to your statement: That 

 is, that a considerable quantity of hay has been 

 lor a couple of years imported to Charleston, not 

 merely from the northern States, but from Europe. 

 I believe, that notwithstanding this strange article 

 of importation, there are few countries in the 

 world better calculated for the production of the 

 grasses and the making of hay, than South Caro- 

 lina, and yet we import it and pay lor it sometimes 

 as high as .§2 50, or even $3 per hundred weight. 

 Wealthy as this state may be in its other agricul- 

 tural productions, can the dilTiculties of the pre- 

 sent times be a matter of surprise? It is only to 

 be wondered at, thiit we have not suffered much 

 more. It will probably be thought that I am of a 

 querulous disposition, which may be true; at any 

 rate, 1 hope you will not accuse me of this your- 

 seli; lor if you did, I would say you have awaken- 

 ed the fit in me. Our excuse, is a very natural 

 and aged one, that we have for many years made 

 all the exertions in our power to produce a better 

 state of things, and that, besides, it belongs to our 

 time of life to bear such things somewhat impa- 

 tiently. This being my acknowldeged infirmity, 

 I beg my friends to put up with it as well as they 

 can, in consideration of the undoubted good mo- 

 tives that prompts it. 



There is, however, in the ways of the world, 

 as relates to agricultural affairs, enough to vex the 

 patience of even younger men. The very great 

 liberality of the Editor of the Farmer's Register, 

 in lately proposing to render his most invaluable 



