mimm 



Vol. 9. 



ROCHESTER, N. Y. — JULY, 1848. 



Wo. 7. 



THK GEJVTESKK FAlwnSR: 



hiued oil the fust of each inonth, at Rochester, N. K, l/i/ 

 D. D. T. MOORU, proprietor. 



DANIEL LEE & D. D. T. MOORE, Editors. 



p. BARRY, Conductor of Horticultural Dopnrttnent. 



FIFTY CIKNTS A YKAK: 

 Kivr. copiM for $2. and any larger number at the same rate, 

 if directed to individuals. KIght copieg for $3, if only directed 

 to one person— and any larger number, addrcsHcd in like man- 

 ner, at the same rate. AH subscriptions payable in advance, 

 and to commence with the volume. QtJ~ Hack mimbers sup- 

 piled to new subscribers. 



[Kditorial Correspondence of the Genesee Farmer.] 



\n Agricultural Excursion lo and in Abbeville 

 District, South Carolina. 



South Carolina lias no Counties, but i.s divi- 

 tled into Districts, each of which is' as large as 

 two or three ordinary Counties in other States. 

 A.bbeville District is noted for its distinguished 

 men, good soil, sl^ilful and successful planting. 

 U is the birth place of .tou\ C. Caijiouiv, the 

 home of Gen. McDupfik, classic in revolution- 

 ary story, and the seat of the most celebraj[ed 

 academy in all the South. The court house of 

 the district is 65 miles north of Augusta, to reach 

 which we went up on the west side of the Sa- 

 vannah river in the state of Georgia, and return- 

 ed on the east side, in the state of S. Carolina. 



The country presents many exceedingly inte- 

 resting geological features, its rocks belong to 

 the plutonic family, and the older strata of sedi- 

 mentary formations. By " plutonic" rocks the 

 unlearned reader will please understand such as 

 were once melted by volcanic heat and crystal- 

 ized in cooling. " Sedimentary" ones are those 

 formed by deposits of earthy sediment in the bed 

 of the ocean, in lakes or other water, and by 

 great and long continued pre.ssure consolidated 

 into solid stratified rocks. For 55 miles noi-th 

 of this city, (.\ugusta,) these sedimentary rocks 

 are tilted up so as to present their fractured edges 

 almost perpendicular to the hroizon. Ancient 

 volcanic action has left its enduring impress on 

 •every mile of surface from this to the moun- 

 tains of Tennessee. Nothing is more common 

 than to see red clay lying above all the rocks, 

 which is usually from one to filly feet in thick- 

 ne.ss, seamed by earthquakes, and the narrow 

 chasms filled with belts of flint, which was in- 

 jected from below in a state of fusion, like melted 

 lava. Micaceous sandstone, felspar, hornble.ide 

 and trap rocks most abound. So few practical 

 farmers have studied the peculiarities of the 

 various rocks that constitute the crust ol" the 



globe, just below its loo.se earthy surface, and the 

 origin of all soils, that we cannot pursue this 

 subject intelligibly without making more stops 

 and explanations than will be agreealjle to either 

 party. To the writer, agricultural geology is 

 full of profound interest; but it is all (Jreek to 

 many i-eaders. 



In the year 175(5, Patrick Calhoun, an emi- 

 grant from Ireland, and father of .John C, settled 

 in .\bbeville District with a i'ew other pioneer.s, 

 who penetrated far into the wilderness, and some 

 200 miles from Charleston. We visited his old 

 plantation, which has passed out of the hands of 

 the family, and is farmed by a non-resident. 

 John C. Calhoun has moved farther up toward 

 the mountains, and is regarded as one of the 

 best practical farmers in the state. Gen. M( Duf- 

 FiK is an extraordinary and very high minded 

 gentleman. His health is gone from a disease 

 akin to paralysis so that ho is unable to walk a 

 step. Some 25 or 30 years ago he fought a duel 

 with Col. CuMMiNGs, of this city, and has car- 

 ried the ball from his antagonist in his body, and 

 near to important nerves, ever since. His plan- 

 tation contains 4000 acres, and 1700 are in cot- 

 ton, corn, v^heat and oats, which looks very fine. 

 Gen. M. is justly proud of his farm, and leeble 

 as he is, was carried into his carriage, and driv- 

 en with the writer, .several hours through exten- 

 sive fields of corn, cotton and wheat, to point 

 out his improved system of tillage. Two hun- 

 dred acres of corn have been well manured this 

 .season. There are 103 negroes on the planta- 

 tion, old and young. The task of a hand is to 

 hoe an acre of corn or cotton a day, which is 

 usually completed on this farm by 2 o'clock, P. 

 M. The proprietor said that if his people de- 

 sired it he would all<jw them to take theii task 

 by the week, in which case they might gain two 

 days in the week to work for themselves. Most 

 of the negroes live in frame cottages, painted 

 white. Mr. McD. has an excellent overseer, 

 who gets $750 a year, house rent, grain and 

 meat lor his family — a salary equal to $1000. 

 Wheat gives from 5 to 8 bushels per acre. It is 

 so light in all parts of the South, that we have 

 seen, as to be laid in gavels from the cradle 

 when cut, ; nd it is bound without a rake in small 

 bundles like those of flax at the North. The 

 harvesting of wheat is executed in a very slov- 

 enly manner. Cotton being the main crop, it 

 receives the greatest attention, whilst all other 

 inatters are neglected. 



Many planters in Abbeville are saving iheir 

 land from washing by what are called hill side 



