I.* M 
12 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
spirit against triviality prevails, as it is a sort 
ot multicaulis anticipation, destined to an obli- 
vion as singular, with none to regrettully pay it 
obsequies. ' All is high sounding theory— lofty 
speculation— fantastical discourse — a thing so 
peculiar with idle, well educated Southern men 
who have nothing to do, and who are above tri- 
vialities. And since the attempt may not be ac- 
tually made, or, it tried, successful, we had bet- 
ter stick the closer, to day, to “our trivial expe- 
riments in trivial farming.” is Dame Nature 
herself a fool when she descends to such incon- 
ceivable trifling, as to propel the juice up the 
minute pores of so many trivial items of corn, 
cotton, wheat or oat stalk? 
This is what I want to admonish my coun- 
trymen : to descend, coats off and sleeves roll- 
ed up,” a Za John Randolph, of Roanoke, to tri- 
vial duties, and the result wouid tell in stu- 
pendous generalities, as so many rain drops 
and small gushing springs make the amaz- 
ing body or' waters — to buy less foreign and 
Northern broadcloths, and cassimeres and bom- 
bazines, each man, lor sell and sons — and infi- 
nitely less gossamery silks and cotton and wool- 
len habiliments for wife and daughters — to go 
it coolly and determinedly for Georgia manu- 
factured investitures — both sexes — for Georgia 
luxuries in preference to others, or rather hard 
and hale old Georgia fare, discarding ail foreign 
and Northern superfluities that feed vanity 
without imparting health or the approval of 
one’s sober conscience; in short, 1 go lor a 
State or National costume, elaborating fiom our 
devotional meditations, or unthinking genuflec- 
tions, the tailors, milliners and haberdashers of 
London, Paris and New York, and dismissing 
them. Then, and not till then, would every 
Southern man’s now lean pockets have a ple- 
thora of purses— and know not “collapse” — 
and eac-h purse as it be drawn out by stalwart 
hands that know not gloves of a summer day! 
show gold, in the glad language oi once hopeful 
politicians, “ glittering through the interstices !” 
Why not hasten — first by humility! — to avail 
of the manifold blessings of Almighty God 
upon our then to be flourishing and much loved 
Georgia. Adopt our fathers’ example, when 
they cherished, nourished and introduced cot- 
ton from these shores into Europe — picked it 
patiently with the hand, as was the custom dur- 
ing our remembered schoolboy days — or if the 
gin gave them an impetus, availed of and fol- 
lowed that impetus with momentum! How 
much does good indigo sell for ? How much a 
good silk shirt? How much merino wool? 
Behold them the effect of the patient, pains tak- 
ing labor of the Italian, the French and the 
Spanish peasants, who never abandon trivial oc- 
cupations to attend grog-shops and talk trashy 
politics— who dole out upon a task day by 
day, and supoort an opulent royal house and 
nobility, w'hen we support only ourselves. Imi- 
tate them, Georgians! and claim, in fact, your 
social as well as political imtependence. 
Dee. 1845. J. J. Flournoy. 
Cotton Manufactures. 
Mr. C.imak; — Some twelve months since 
our country was alive to agricultural meetings. 
The principal object was, to see if we could not 
devise some plan whereby w'e might divide our 
labor, and thereby make it profitable to the 
farming interest, instead of the ruinous policy 
of all endeavoring to see who could raise the 
must cotton, thereby ruining their lands, with- 
out receiving a p'^oper compensation lor it. I 
then advocated the diversification ot labor, par- 
ticularly in this section of country, where we 
possess greater advantages tl an any other coun- 
try (within my knowledge,) can boast of. Here 
we can raise all the different varieties of grain : 
wheat, corn, oats, barley and rye, in abundance 
— all fruits that are valuable, either North or 
South -and more cotton than we ought to raise, 
though it paid double the price that we realize 
at the present time. With a healthy region, a 
plenty of timber, and water power not surpass- 
ed any where; with all these advantages, why 
should we complain of hard times, while the 
remedy is within our grasp? But the difficulty 
is the want of energy in our Southerners — they 
have been raised in the cotton field, and they do 
not believe any other place will be so congenial 
with their habits as that. For an example, 
(and no doubt you have found many such,) I 
will give you a specimen of Georgia character 
in the way of an anecdote that occurred not 
long since ; 
I was travelling in the western part of this 
State, and believed I could go a nearer route 
than the one 1 had been accustomed to travel- 
lii.g. I met a brother traveller, of whom! made 
some inquiries in regarti to the way. 1 found 
he was acquainted, and told me of several pla- 
ces to inquire for on the way. 1 got on for 
some 12 or 15 miles very w'ell to one of the pla- 
ces; a man, by-the-ny, w’ho wms well acquaint- 
ed with the country — 1 inquired if he knew a 
certain man so ne filteen or sixteen miles from 
there? He told me he did, but I would find it 
much farther than that, and undertook to direct 
me a distance of twenty-seven miles to get 
there. This, I suppose, was 2 o’clock, P. M. 
I asked ni-m if there was not a nearer way? 
He told me there was, but it was mounta.nous 
and very rough. I informed hioi that was the 
kind of road I had bee.n travelling all my life, 
and expected to pursue it during the balance, 
1 took the rough road and reached my place of 
destination about dark. I could here state a 
good deal more in regard to it, but the above is 
sufficient for my purpose. Now, it I had been 
afraid to encounter small obstacles, I could not 
have reached my place of destination that night. 
So we should compare our lives to a day. 
Now, I must confess, I have strayed some 
distance from the point I had in view, w'hen I 
commenced this epistle, though I do not know 
that the digression is much out ot place. My 
object is to show, if possible, how hard it is to 
stimulate men to action, it the road is rough 
over w'hich they may have to travel. As I be- 
fore stated, last winder I endeavored to show 
the necessity of diversifying our pursuits, and, 
among others, recommended the erection of cot- 
ton factories as one of the most profitable in- 
vestments that could be made. 1 undertook to 
show' from observation, that Southern factories, 
at that time, when properly managed, could not 
be realising less than 20 per cent, on their cap- 
ital, ana no doubt, a great deal more. Tnat 
was fine, even though they had to lay out of 
the use of their money for three }'ears before 
they could realize on it. Numbers were wil- 
ling to go in with me in the erection of one, but 
I have found, in this, like most other ca-es. men 
that are the quickest to lay hold, are not partic- 
ular when they do take hold, and it very fre- 
quently fails them. So it turned out with my 
factory. All backed out but one. He was of 
the right grit, if he would have ventured tar 
enough. But his subscrip ion was too small to 
be much aid. Yet, I feel determined to perse- 
vere. My course is onw'ard, though 1 may 
never be able to make it profitable. My water 
power is sufficient, and my works shall be suffi- 
cient for S50, 000 worth of machinery, though I 
may never be able to put one-fifth of that 
amount of machinery in it. 1 have offered to 
give equal rights in the premises and water 
power, w'ith all my services, to any persons 
that would join me in the enterprise. 
This I believe to be the true policy of the 
South. If we feel the tariffa burthen let us re- 
alize the benefit. It we manulacture our own 
cotton, we enhance the value three or four fold 
thereby, greatly increasing the profit by reduc- 
ing the e.xpenses of transportation ; and on all 
we consume, we not only save the commissions 
and freights one wav, but both. Besides, w'e 
give employment to many who are at present a 
burthen to our country. It also opens a home 
market for every kind of surplus produce rais- 
ed among us, and must eventually tend to re- 
duce the quantity of cotton raised among us. 
Is there anv person prepared to believe that 
Georgia is determined to look to the North for 
all her manufactured artick-s, and pay for them 
with cotton from three to six cents per lb. Yet, 
judging the future by the past, we would be 
compelled to admit it; yes, sir, if we still con- 
tent ourselves to fravel the old road, (because 
we know it best,) when we seethe great dispa- 
rity between the profits of the producer and ma- 
nufacturer of cotton, our children and grand 
childien may live to see the day when our coun- 
try will fi" tilled with manufcctories owned by 
Northerners, and they the operatives. 
Now, sir, when I satdowm, my intention was 
to give you some ot my thoughts in regard to 
the Cultivator, yet I have gone on until I 
scarcely have any room left. 1 have made 
some inquiry among my neighbors, and they 
are pretty much like my man in my anecdote; 
they prefer the old way — do not know whether 
it does any good or not. We have had a dry 
year and made nothing, and ot a wet year we 
make plenty, and I fear they feel but little de- 
sire lor improvement. Men scarcely ever know 
the value ot education until they feel the want 
of it. Yours, very trulv, John Webb. 
Newton Co., Ga., ~Nov. 15, 1845. 
Irrigation. 
Mr. Camak: — The late extremely dry sum- 
mer, causing, in many instances, a failure, and 
in others a very light crop, shows the necessity 
ot improved modes in agriculture. No section 
of the southern country has so many natural 
a'lvantages to improve land, and consequently 
increase the product by irrigation. 
All that tract of country in South Carolina 
and Georgia above the sandy country, such as 
is based on clay, would be advantaged by irri- 
gation. Where the rivulets and streams run 
out of elevated situations, if, instead of permit- 
ing them to seek their natural level, bylalling 
over precipices and shoals, these streams were 
conveyed in ditches on a level with the point at 
which they were taken out ot their usual chan- 
nel, the lands, belo ,v the ditch thus made, would 
be immensely improved and the production as- 
tonishingly increased by the moisture that would 
make its way through the porous earth. And 
all of what is called the up-country, where there 
is a considerable descent in the small streams is 
susceptible of such advantages. 
It will appear to many, this is practicable; 
but making the ditches they will view as too 
expensive, presumingthey must be dug out with 
mattocks and shovels. Ditches may be made 
that will answer every purpose with a plow. 
They need not be deep if kept on a proper level, 
even through lands covered with trees. 
When the level is marked, a couiter plow 
with two strong horses or oxen, if run three 
times on the line, having an axe ready to cut 
roots out of the wav of the coulter, and then 
followed with a turning plow, will open out the 
ditch very soon and with but little labor. The 
turning plow' should be follow'ed with a Shovel 
to throw out loose earth that has not been thrown 
out by the plow. Three hands w'ith the proper 
plows should open a ditch ready to receive the 
v'ater, even where many roots would have to be 
cut, of a quarter ot a mile in length per day. 
The ritch is best not to be deep. ITe water 
running near the surface will have its outlets 
along roots and between the topsoil and clay 
bottom, moistening bo.h, and thus increasing 
the attractive powers of the clay, so as to take 
(what kind nature is willing to bestow) in nitre 
to the grasping but invigorated soil, which in 
that slate is gaping w'ith open mouth lor this 
natural aid. The soil, if wanted tor grass, 
soon presents a green sward w'hich resists the 
scorching rays of the sun; so soon as that is 
done then the deposit of nitrous matter is abun- 
dant and enriching. 
To reap the earliest benefit from irrigation in 
producinst, is to have the w'ater running in the 
ditches during the winter. Frost aids very 
much in fertilizing, and in the absence of a 
hot sun, nothing extracted by heat, only the 
genial warmth of the earth in receiving the de- 
posits extracted fiom the atmosphere and depo- 
sited by the w’aier, which is kindly and pi'ovi- 
