250 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER 



true, but when England repeals her corn laws, 



which in a lew years she will be forced to do, we 

 can at least take our chances with the rest of the 

 world for her market, and with some advantages 

 on our side, if no unjust tariff' shall prevent our 

 receiving in payment such of her manufactures 

 as we may not make at home. 



But we might convert our surplus corn and 

 grain into live Block as well as any people in the 

 world, and thus keep at home immense sums 

 which are annually drawn irom us in exchange 

 i'oT horses, mules, cattle, hogs, sheep, and even 

 poultry. Our climate has not been lound^ too 

 warm lor any species of domestic animal. Eng- 

 lish cattle and sheep, as well as English horses, 

 flourish even on our sea-board ; and our mild win- 

 ters enable us to keep all kinds of stock at com- 

 paratively little expense lor either Ibod or shelter. 

 Our swamps are covered with natural and nutri- 

 tious evergreens; most artificial grasses have 

 been (bund to succeed ; while among our own 

 diversified productions, WQ have substiiutes which 

 render them ecurcely necessary. Carrots, beets 

 and turnips all do well. Pindars and sweet-po- 

 tatoes, more valuable perhaps Ibr stock than these, 

 are peculiarly our products. With these two 

 articles, the luxuriant cow-pea, and the common 

 grains, we can, Ibr 9 months in the year, furnish 

 at a cheap rate, the richest and most abundant 

 pasturage : and what country can do more 1 

 Indeed, in raising hogs, could we find a Ibreign 

 market, or had we large cities or numerous lac- 

 tories among us to afford non-producing con- 

 eumers, we could do a business not at all less pro- 

 fitable than growing cotton at 12 1-2 cents a 

 pognd. With tolerable pasturage, a hog weigh- 

 ing 200 lbs. net may be reared and fattened on 

 8 bushels of corn. On average land, 300 bushels 

 to each hand and horse v;ould not be more than 

 a fair crop — 100 bushels will feed the hand and 

 horse, leaving 200 bushels surplus. With this 

 25 hogs, weighing 50U0 lbs. net, may be raised. 

 At 4 cents per lb. Ibr this pork, or 6 cents when 

 converted into bacon, the gross income per hand 

 will be S200 ; while 1200 of cotton at 12 1-2 

 cents, will bring only $150 gross ; thus enabling 

 us to make a very liberal allowance (or the trou- 

 ble of attending to the stock and any errors there 

 may be in the calculation. That we should, 

 under these circumstances, ever purchase meal 

 from other states, proves, I think, that there has 

 been some want both ol reflection and experiment. 

 Yet, for this article, and other kinds of provi- 

 sions, and for mules and horses, it is pretty cer- 

 tain that we send away annually in the aggregate 

 the immense sum of ^2,000,000 or more. 



Tobacco and indigo our state produced large- 

 ly at one time. They have been superseded, by 

 cotton, though still grown, I believe, in small 

 quantities, and chiefly for domestic use. In some 

 sections their culture can, and doubtless will, be re-, 

 vived with profit. The discoveries of marl and 

 limestone will afford greater facilities for the manu- 

 facture of indigo than heretofore possessed. Su- 

 gar, of which we are now said to make 30 000 lbs. 

 per annum, may be made here as chp.aply, per- 

 haps, as we can buy it, when the loss ol cotton 

 shall stop our supply of money from abroad." Un- 

 less, indeed, the duty be repealed, so that we can 

 get it at half the present price, and probably in 

 exchange for our provisions and other products. 



At all events its culture ia practicable here j and 



where it will not granulate, an excellent and va- 

 luable syrup may be extracted from the cane ; 

 and that has been grown at 200 miles distance 

 from the coast. Should it turn out that there is 

 any ground for a statement which 1 have lately 

 seen in a respectable agricultural journal, and ap- 

 parently li-om a respectable source, thai sugar has 

 been made from corn stalks at the rate of 1000 

 lbs. to the acre, but a short period can elapse be- 

 fore every farmer in the country will regularly 

 manufacture all he consumes. 



Flax and hemp do well in the up-country. Cas- 

 tor and bene oil of the very best quality have been 

 expressed in different parts of the state, and olive 

 oil also may be made, (or we know that the olive 

 tree can be reared here. Tar, pilch and turpentine, 

 considered so important elsewhere, we can produce 

 to almost any extent ; while with timber and lum- 

 ber of several of the most valuable kinds, and with 

 staves and shingles, we can Ibr ages supply all the 

 markets within reach, and do now furnish large 

 quantities at excelleni profits. 



The cultivation of the viifc has heretofore at- 

 tracted some attention, but the attempt to make 

 wine has generally been regarded as having failed. 

 I have little doubt the failure has been owmg in a 

 great degree to the recent planting of our vine- 

 yards. It is well known in wine countries, that 

 no vineyard is considered of much value until it 

 has borne (ruit for at least 20 years. Yet we have 

 been disheartened because ours have not arrived 

 at maturity in 5 or G. A short and intense sum- 

 mer, or something in location equivalent to it, 

 seems to be required for the perfection of the 

 grape, and it is possible that being so far south, 

 wc may not be able to make the best qualities, at 

 least of what are called white wines ; though of 

 this we should not despair until our mountain dis- 

 tricts have been (airly tried. That we may, with 

 due care and in due time, produce abundantly, in 

 every section of the state, the light wines of Italy, 

 and perhaps some ol those of the south of France 

 which are so highly prized, there is every reason 

 to believe. 



The experiments which have been made in 

 silk culture leave no doubt whatever of our com- 

 plete success in that. In fact, American silk is 

 said, on very good authority, to be better than that 

 made in any part of the old world. And in no 

 part of America can it be better made than here. 

 As a proof of this, an enterprising lady of one of 

 our upper districts, obtained this year from the 

 New York Institute, the first premium for the best 

 silk grown and wove in the United States, against 

 competition from almost every section of the 

 union, it is stated by some of our historians, that 

 so far bnck as 1759, 10,000 lbs. of raw silk was ex- 

 ported from South Carolina. Whether this be 

 true or not, we all know that none of our soils are 

 so poor, and no portion of our stale so cold, as 

 not 10 grow the mulberry in its utmost perfection. 

 It is true that the enemies of the worm have been 

 found very numerous, and its disease fatal ; but' it 

 is ascertained that in all silk countries at least one 

 half of them, from some cause or other, perish be- 

 (bre spinning. I( We were properly prepared to 

 rear them, the mortality here would not, I am 

 confident, be so great as that. And if, as it is 

 supposed, nealy all that die fall victims of a dis- 

 ease called nm'scardine, and a remedy Ibr that has 



