19 



MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



" The Agricultural Society of South Caroli- 

 na began in 1784, was organized on the 24th of 

 August, 1785, and Thomas Heyward, Jr., one 

 of the Signers of the Declaration of Independ- 

 ence, and the late venerable Thomas I'inck- 

 ney, were elected President and Vice-Presi- 

 dent. Gentlemen of distinction in other States, 

 and among them Mr. Jefterson, then (in 1785,) 

 Minister to France, were elected members. 

 j\Iauy of the members have, from time to 

 lime, communicated the results oi their expe- 

 rience to the publications of the day, but these 

 communications were not then collected into 

 any permanent work. The publications in 

 which they appeared, have most of them pass- 

 ed away, and though they may have added to 

 what may be called the traditional knowledge 

 of the planter, they generally cannot now be 

 found and considted for more accurate infor- 

 mation. The money raised among the mem- 

 bers was liberally expended in promoting the 

 improvement of stock, importing new objects 

 of agricultural industry, and endeavoiing to 

 introduce a better system of husbandry and 

 new productive staples into the country. But 

 the residts of these efforts were not so success- 

 ful as they certainly deserved to be. The in- 

 ti-oduction of the tide-swamp culture of rice 

 by Gideon Dupont, about 1783, and the exten- 

 sive production of cotton as an export, neai-- 



vidual .skill and enterprise, than to any pub- 

 lic encouragement. But the spirit of inquiry 

 and improvement increased. The establish- 

 ment of the South Carolina College sustained 

 and fostered this spirit. The light of learn- 

 ing and science, which has shone and shines 

 there with so much lustre, has cheo'ed and 

 illumined — may it ever continue to cheer and 

 illume — every corner of our land. The la- 

 bors of a Free Press, and the diffusion of pe- 

 riodical literature, have canied information to 

 every fireside. Agricultural Societies have 

 been formed in different parts of the State, 

 and this Society, combining them all in miited 

 and contmued effort, has, we trust, commenced 

 a career of usefulness that will lead to the 

 most favorable results. The valuable address- 

 es which have been delivered bef(jre you, the 

 reports made to you, and the memoirs collect- 

 ed by you and published for general use, and 

 placed within the reach of every planter, will 

 be of lasting benefit. And the State, by the 

 persevering, untiring efforts of gentlemen of 

 this Society, has been induced to direct the 

 Geological and Agricultural Survey, which, 

 in the able hands by which it has been con- 

 ducted, has already afforded much invaluable 

 information, and, it is earnestly hoped, will be 

 continued until all the objects contemplated 

 by it be fully attained." 



ly at the same time, were due rather to indi- 



The following suggestions are of general interest, and well worthy the attention 



of ail agricultural associations : 



only of the Society, but of the State. The 

 time and talents of each Committee being 

 particularly called to the subject submitted 

 to it, would secure greater care, and sthnu- 

 late to more accurate observation and fuller 

 details than can be ordinarily expected fi-om 

 solitary and unsolicited inciuiry. We have 

 recently had the highest evidence of the ac- 

 curacy and importance of the information of 

 a new process of manuring, from the skill and 

 experience of a distinguished member of the 

 Society, who has given to a kindred associa- 

 tion the results of his intelligent and continued 

 experiments in marUng — and has put that in- 

 formation in the most appropriate shape to be 

 communicated to eveiy planter, and preserved 

 for our successors." 



New modes of cultivation, of draining, of 

 manuring, are constantly presenting them- 

 selves. New agents oi' iertility are discover- 

 ed and apphed, not only among ourselves, but 

 in different parts of the world. It would be 

 expensive and hazai-dous for the individual to 

 test by experiments the success of these 

 novelties, and to ascertain how far they may 

 be adapted to our soil and climate. When 

 Buch matters are brought under the notice of 

 our Society, how easy and how important 

 ■would it be to appoint special committees of 

 our body to examine each particular subject 

 of inquiry — to experiment upon it, if experi- 

 ment be necessary, and to report the results 

 to the next meeting of the Society. The 

 expense and attention and skill of one mem- 

 ber would thus inure to the benefit of all, not ' 



Let those who dare stigmatize the most valued and important of all pursuits, 

 and impeach the wisdom of the Creator himself, by insinuatmg that there is no 

 connection between the cultivation of the earth and the cultivation of the mind ; 

 deny, if they can, the truthfulness of what follows : 



" Matters of inquiry on subjects connected I position-of the growth of plants-of vvhat 

 with AgricultareVabsolutiy as bour.dless they owe to the ^ - ^^ ^^ --'^^.^^^^J^ 

 as the physical history of the earth which we it ,stormed-to *« ^Sj^ °'^J°;5«,''^'""1'' 

 inhabit. Every year is maki.m new discover- to electricUy and all the «f "^/f ;" ^'^f 

 ies in the diversities of s<.ilJ^f the elements tion by winch, m *«7°"'^f^y.^i^; f,'"7^^* 

 of which it is composed-of the quantity of Nature, the gram produces fruit after 1^^^ 

 the different parts which enter into the com- | and the small seed becomes a gi-eat tree. 

 Or the expediency of the following recommendation. How much more would it 

 be in keeping with the spirit of the age, if societies would promote such research- 



(434) 



