178 



FARMERS' REGISTER- 



ACCOUNT OP AN AGRICULTURAL EXCURSION 

 INTO ST. John's, Berkley, by the editor. 



From the SouMiern Cabinet 



All of ihe crops trrown in the state are cultivated 

 in the parish of Si. John Berkley. The lower 

 part embraces the whole of the western broach oi 

 Cooper Kiver, and the northern half ol' the east- 

 ern branch. On these two hranche.-j are some of 

 the finest rice plantations in tiie state. Of their 

 management, wedo not propose to treat at present 

 but confine ourrema;l<s to the crops grown in 

 middle and upper St. John's. Of these, the most 

 important is cotton. The variety grown here is 

 what is known in commerce as the "Santee," an 

 inferior kind of Sea-Island or Black Seed, which 

 iiilerioiity is in a great measure, if not wholly, 

 produced by locality. We say in a great measure, 

 lor no one who has witnessed the great iniprove- 

 mcnts made on the Sea-Islands in the staple of 

 theircotion, but must be convinced that a similar 

 improvement coald be brought about wherever the 

 same variety of cotton is grown. We do not wish 

 to be misunderstood. We do not believe that the 

 fineness ol' the staple of the Sea-Island cottons 

 could ever be attained, by cotton grown beyond 

 I lie influence of the sea atmosphere, i)ut we think 

 that the Santees might, by the judicious selection 

 ofseed and application of appropriate manures, be 

 grown to as great fineness as the Sea-Island 

 cottons were before the recent great improvements. 

 The reason why we suppose that the Sea-lslaad 

 cottons can never be successllilly rivalled in fine- 

 ness is, that the peculiar atmosphere in which 

 they are grown, is warning as soon as we leave 

 the coast, and this cannot, as far as our experience 

 goes, be in any manner supplied. So great an 

 influence was supposed to be exerted by this 

 atmosphere, that plantations in tiie interior of the 

 islands and on the main, (although bordering on 

 tide-water,) were supposed not capable of pro- 

 ducing the finest varieties of cotton. Experiments, 

 however, have been made, and experience now 

 sanctions the opinion, that the finest cottons can 

 be grown on such, by the judicious application of 

 saline manures, the atmQS[>here not being so 

 materially changed in its transit as to aliect the 

 staple. 



Prof. Shephard is now engnged in analyzing 

 the soils of Edisto Island, at {he request of the 

 agricultural Society of St. John's Colleton. We 

 view this as a most important step taken towards 

 the advancement of our aijriculiure, and the .so- 

 ciety merit the thanks of the community (i^r it, 

 which we hope to gee imitated by all of the agri- 

 cultural societies of the south, especially of this 

 Plate, and even by individuals. No one with 

 whom we arc acquainted, is better able to cnrry 

 on this nice investigation than the able Professor 

 to whom the agriculiaral society of Si. John's 

 Colleton have assigned it. The many advantages 

 which would arise from an accurate analysis of 

 of our soils, are so obvious, that we scarce feel 

 warranted in alluding to them. We, however, 

 cannot refrain from mentioning a i'ew. The first 

 ie, that having ascertained the component parts of 

 a fertile soil, and the relative proportions of each 

 ingredient, we can by analysing our own, discover 

 in what it is deficietit, or in what it superabounds, 

 and if practicable, apply the remedies which may 

 bring it nearer the standard we aim at. Ag'i'n, it 



will enable us to correct and bring into culture 

 spots, and insome instances acres, which at present 

 are wholly uiifimductive, when cultivated in par- 

 ticular crops. For instance— it is well known that 

 in many fields, both on the ijriands and main, there 

 are spois which produce what is called the " blue 

 cotton," whicii yields nothing. Other spots are 

 subject to the " rust," — as soon as these are 

 analyzed, and compared with fertile soils, their 

 excess or deficiency, in any particular ingredient, 

 will at once be detected, arid the remedy applied. 

 The analysis, therefore, of the first quality ot Sea- 

 Island coiion lands will at once establish a stan- 

 dard, by which all on which are grown the same 

 varieties ol' cotton can be judged. The same 

 benefits will result Irom analyzing on the soils in 

 which other crops are cultivated. But will the 

 analysis of the soils of Eilisto Island benefit our 

 friendaolSf. John's Berkley, or elsewhere? — much, 

 for they will, by it, become accpiainted with the 

 component parts of the best soils fur growing 

 Sea-Island cottons in, and by analyzing their owri 

 they can nt once ascertain the ditierence, and how 

 near, by admixMires, or application of manures, 

 they can a|)proxiniaie. But to return to the cul- 

 ture of cotiun in St. John's Berkley. 



The soil of Middle St. Johns is a light loam, 

 while that of Upper Sf. John's is so light, that it 

 may almost be termed sandy. It is seldom that 

 afield, selected liar cotton in this parish, is culti- 

 vated in any other crop. The selection being 

 generally mnde on account of the supposed adap- 

 tation of the soil to this particular plant, or the 

 locality of the field. Small fields are sometimes 

 alternated, but the lame scarce ever. All ol the 

 crops, however, (colion, corn, and potatoes,) are 

 planted in lanils4 leet apart, so that whenever any 

 chanire is made in the culture of a field, the labor 

 of preparation is not increased, by having to level 

 down and re-form new beds at an altered distance. 

 As soon as the crop has been ginned, preparation 

 is made !(»• planting, and each planter endeavors 

 to have his fields ready by the 2.5ih of March. 

 Most of the planters adopt the plan of placing the 

 manure under the list, or rather they strew it 

 between the rows, and then forma list which of 

 course mixes the manure, eotJon stalks, weeds, 

 grasses, and earth (f<)rming the list) well together. 

 A very small bed is n?ade on this, which is 

 gradually increased in width, (but not height,) at 

 each workinir. Some, however, prefer to make 

 the bed at oii'-e of the size intended, and endeavor 

 to keep it thus throughout the season. The hoe 

 in this and the subsequent operations is the princi- 

 pal instrument ui=e(\. The plough, if used at all, 

 is only employed to break up the alleys. Former- 

 ly the " skimmer" was much used, but Horn some 

 cause which 1 could not learn, it has been laid 

 aside. Fron) the 20lh March to 1st April, the 

 crop is planted. The holes are not made as for- 

 merly, by the hoe, but by what is here termed a 

 dibble ; made from a 2|- inch plank, 6 inches wide 

 and tapered to a half inch, at the bottom, whilst 

 the upper part is Ibrmed into a handle. Across 

 this, a groove is cut diagonally, into which a lath 

 or thin piece of board is fixed, which can be readily 

 adjusted to difierent distances, and is of such length 

 as to touch the ground when the dibble is struck 

 into the bed, and marks the spot where the next 

 hole is to be made. The usual distance is from 

 20 to 24 inches, and it is supposed that two hours 



