236 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Society for the Promotion of Agriculture," "The Philadel- 

 phia Society for promoting Agriculture," " The South Caro- 

 lina Society for promoting Agriculture," and various other 

 publicatious, show that the theorj' and principles of agricul- 

 ture in the preparation of the soil, the seeding and cultiva- 

 tion of crops, the production of wool, and the care and 

 feeding of cattle were about as well understood eighty years 

 ago as at the present time ; while in the practical results, it 

 is doubtful if we equal in amount the crops then raised. 



True, we have greatly progressed in breeding domestic 

 animals, in the introduction of new and better varieties of 

 plants, fruits and seeds, and in the use of special fertilizers, 

 however much that may be ; but as a single item, the im- 

 provement and manufacture of our farming tools, imple- 

 ments and machines seems pre-eminent. 



During our provincial existence, the mother country en- 

 deavored to repress the growth of all manufactures, except 

 such as would directly contribute to her commerce, and of 

 the machinery necessary for them ; but as soon as the people 

 of the new country had partially recovered from the shock 

 and the losses of the war, and realized their destitution of 

 those articles, attention was turned to providing themselves 

 with the necessaries of life from their own resources. With 

 such tools as they possessed, or could be singly wrought out 

 by the blacksmith or wagon- maker, their simple food could be 

 wrested from the earth, but the requirements of a rapidly 

 growing population demanded more speedy results than mere 

 hand labor would furnish for clothing, building, and the many 

 articles of household necessity or convenience. Accordingly 

 we find, among the earliest, those directed to the raising of 

 sheep for wool, the cultivation of flax, and the production 

 of woollen and linen cloth, by machinery driven by water 

 power. Flax was grown in large quantities in some parts 

 of the country, and both that and wool were largely spun 

 and woven by hand. 



Cotton was first used about the middle of the century, and 

 nearly as soon here as in England, but only on a filling with 

 linen warp, and it was another hundred years before any 

 weaving was done in a power-loom. 



