An Agricultural Survey. 299 



December, 1833, the subject selected was : " An 

 Inquiry into the Nature and Benefits of an Agricultural 

 Survey of the State of South Carolina." 



" The Legislature of South Carolina had made 

 an appropriation for an Agricultural Survey of the 

 State, and the question naturally suggested itself, 

 ' What benefits were likely to result from the libe- 

 rality of South Carolina in fostering her agricultural 

 interests ? ' The question was ably handled by the 

 President of the Club, and the Essay was requested 

 for publication." 



The preface to the published pamphlet runs thus : 



The writer of this Essay submits a few words of 

 explanation in regard to the circumstances that in- 

 duced him to prepare, and finally send it to the 

 press. He has the honor of belonging to a Literary 

 Club, composed of a limited number of gentlemen 

 from the different learned professions, who meet 

 weekly at each other's houses in rotation, for the 

 purpose of interchanging sentiments, and promoting 

 sociality. A subject for discussion is selected at one 

 meeting, which forms the topic of conversation on 

 the next. The question for the evening of the 28th 

 December, 1833, was : " What benefits may be de- 

 rived from an Agricultural Survey of the State/' 

 The leisure of a rainy day had enabled him to col- 

 lect his thoughts on the subject, and in part. commit 

 them to paper. The Essay was therefore prepared 

 and read without the remotest idea of publication. 

 At a subsequent meeting the Club, under an im- 

 pression that it might afford some information on a 

 subject which had so recently been agitated at Co- 

 lumbia, requested its publication, and that a copy 

 be sent to the Governor, and to each member of the 



