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FARMERS' REGISTER 



vale no other crop than blue grass, except barely 

 enough grain to leecl his family and work horses. 

 He had no doubt lie could raise large liit beeves 

 on blue grasj-. 



In maintaining that the grazing system is a most 

 admirable one, both in view of large annual pro- 

 fits and improvement ol'ihe soil, while it is exactly 

 suited to our peculiar circumstances, in reference 

 to climate, markets, and particularly the character 

 and amount olour labor, yet there is one tendency 

 in it, which as a political economist, 1 cannot but 

 deplore, and that is to enlarge exorbitantly the 

 size of farms, and decrease the number of the 

 tenantry. It certainly thins population, while its 

 operations provide the means of sustaining an in- 

 creased population. A grazier of good judgment 

 and active energy is sure to buy out ail his sur- 

 rounding neighbors who do not practise the same 

 system of husbandry. Even the stiff, full handed 

 hemp raisers have been known to yield their lands 

 to the graziers. Small farms, cultivated by indus- 

 trious and intelligent owners, certainly would con- 

 tribute more to the prosperity and strength of the 

 slate. But why need we indulge speculations on 

 this subject. The pride of acres, the thirst of ac- 

 cumulation, the desire of extended possession, are 

 passions of the human breast, which no postulate 

 in political economy can curb or restrain ; and it is 

 more than idle to speculate upon evils which we 

 cannot remedy. 1 do nut ever fear oppression, in 

 this country, Irom the over-riding power of a land- 

 ed aristocracy. Laws of primogeniture and entail 

 can never harm us here ; and though a fijvv strong- 

 minded, industrious, energetic farmers do accumu- 

 late possessions, almost equal to dukedoms in other 

 countries, the division of their lands among their 

 heirs, soon cuts them up again into small farms of 

 convenient and manageable size. But I am prone 

 to wonder and enlarge, and have already extended 

 this communication to too great length. 



I presume "D." will not expect me to explain 

 particularly why the manuring of the grazing sys- 

 tem is so peculiarly eliective in "our calcareous 

 soils." He is, no doubt, apprised that of all de- 

 scriptions of soil, the calcareous are the most 

 productive ; and especially the best adapted to the 

 growth of the grazing grasses. Jiich silicious soils 

 produce heavy crops, both of corn and grass, but 

 they are still belter adapted, if they have only a 

 very small portion of calcareous matter, to the 

 growth of wheat, barley, oats, and especially, roots. 

 But they can never come into competition with 

 calcareous soils as grazing lands. 



It would be extremely uselul, Mr. Editor, not 

 only to " many subscribers" in Tennessee, but in 

 Kentucky and other states, if j'ou would piocure 

 I'rom a number of our successful graziers, essays 

 embracing the details of the grazing pyslein. — 

 They would embrace too much labor for any one 

 writer, other than a professional author; and I hope 

 the calls from their brethren in Tennessee and 

 elsewhere, will induce them to come out in your 

 paper and stale their |)ractices. Let one state his 

 method of setting woodland and open fields in 

 <rrass — another his mode and time ol'grazing, stal- 

 ing the value of the various grasses— another his 

 winter treatment, the quantity of fodder ijiven his 

 young stock and the amount of corn fed to the old 

 — and so on, till all the details are lully staled. In 

 proposing this, however, no one should be re- 

 slriolcd writing as fully as he chooses on various 



branches of details ; lor though some excel in par- 

 ticular branches, one in making grass, another in 

 producing corn, a third in the economy of feeding, 

 a fourth in his judgment in breeding, and so on, yet 

 many unite eminent knowledge and judgment on 

 various branches of the great sut)ject. Why are 

 not the pens of the Cunninghams, the Humes, the 

 Clays, tlie Wartields, ihe Martins, the Boggs, the 

 Sutions, the Dedmans, the Shelbys, and the hun- 

 dreds of others, whom you and 1 might name, busy 

 writing for the instruction of those who are implor- 

 ing information on the various branches of agri- 

 culture in which they have respectively distin- 

 guished themselves? I wish I could infuse into 

 them some of the spirit which I know stimulates 

 your edbrts and mine, and those of a small, but 

 noble band of brethren on this great and glorious 

 subject — the improvement of agriculture. 



In concluding this long and desultory letter, 

 dashed ofi', 1 assure you, with great haste, under 

 pressure of various employments, 1 beg leave, while 

 otligring my reb-pects to " D." to express the hope 

 that the general outline of our improving system 

 is rendered intelligible to him and his neighbors ; 

 and I shall rejoice to hear iliat he is so impressed 

 with iis advantages, as to come and witness it, and 

 study it, and then put it in operation in Tennessee, 

 and thus induce his neighbors to l(.illow his exam- 

 ple ; for I have long believed and often said, that 

 the grazing business would enrich the pockets and 

 the fields of that noble slate faster than tobacco 

 or cotton. Very truly, yours, 



Tho. B. Stevenson. 



THE TIMES [in SOUTH CAROLINA.] 



From tlii; Carolina Planter. 



The financial afl'airs of the country, public and 

 private, are in a " mixed up state." The currency 

 IS as various as the advocates of all kinds can 

 desire. Specie, government post notes, paper of 

 suspended banks, shin|)lasters, and script, incon- 

 vertible paper medium, bearing interest — all are 

 alijat, and all passing current. 



The agricultural affairs of the country are in a 

 "desperate" state. Last year more cotton was 

 made than has ever been belbre in one season — 

 prices are flat — and what is the consequence? 

 more cotton is planted this year to make up in 

 quantity the fiall in price — and it will fall lower, if 

 the season continues, as it has begun, favorable. 

 The corn crops are likely to be destroyed by chinch 

 bugs. 



In some parts of our state great sickness is pre- 

 vailing among negroes. Bilious and typhoid 

 pneumonia, diarrhea and dysentery have been 

 Irequent lately. Horses throughout the whole 

 southern coutiiry are diseased — and dying from 

 the epidemic catarrh. Cattle are in worse con- 

 dition this spring than for several seasons, and are 

 dying of hollow horn — owing to scanty subsistence 

 during the winter, which followed so dry a sum- 

 mer as the last — hogs generally have the mange 

 — cut worms are destroying our gardens — curculios 

 and other insects have attacked our li-uit and trees. 

 With all our internal commotions, there are ru- 

 mors of war — and some of our members of con- 

 gress are so keen to begin that they have actually 

 "come to the scratcir' in the very halls ol' legisla- 



