stated,*) soils supposed to be properly advantages as a rotation crop. The seeds constituted as to mineral ingredients, do (in common with other peas and beans) not demand, for the maintaining and are more nutritious as food, for man and increasing of their rate of production, beast, than any of the cereal grains. more than the resting or the growth of The other parts of the plant furnish the two years in every five, mainly to be left best and most palatable provender for on the land as manure. These are the beasts. The crop may be so well made, proportions of the five-field rotation, now in your climate, as a secondary growth extensively used on the most improving under corn, that it is never allowed to be parts of Virginia. And one of these two a primary crop, or to have entire posyears the field is grazed, so that parts of session of the land. It will grow well its growth of grass is consumed, instead broad-cast, and either in that way, and of all remaining on the field for manure. still better if tiled, is an admirable To meet the same demands, the more and cleansing growth. It is even better southern planter might leave his field to than clover as a preparing and manuring be covered by its growth of weeds (or crop for wheat. In one or other of the natural grasses) one year, (and also to be various modes in which the pea-crop grazed,) and a broad-cast crop of pea- may be produced, it may be made to vines to be plowed under in another, for suit well in a rotation with any other every three crops of grain and cotton. crops. Though for a long time I had But the ready answer to this, (and I have believed in some of the great advantages heard it many times,) is, "What! lose of the pea-crop, and had even comtwo crops in every five years? I cannot menced its culture as a manuring crop, afford to lose even one." It may be and on a large scale, it was not until Í that the planter is so diligent and careful afterwards saw the culture, growth, and in collecting materials for prepared uses, in South Carolina, that I learned to manure, that he can extend a thin and estimate its value properly, and perhaps poor application, and in the drills only, more fully than is done by any who, in over nearly half his cotton field; and this state, avail themselves so largely of perhaps he persuades himself that this some of its benefits. Since, I have made application will obviate the necessity for this crop a most important member of rest and manuring crops to the land. my rotation; and its culture, as a manurThe result will not fulfil this expectation. ing crop, has now become general in my But even if it could, the manuring thus neighborhood, and is rapidly extending to given directly by the labor of the planter more distant places. If all the advanis more costly than if he would allow time tages offered by this crop were fully and opportunity for nature to help to appreciated and availed of, the possession manure for him-whether alone, or still of this plant in your climate would be better if aided by preparing for and one of the greatest agricultural blessings sowing the native pea, to the production of this and the more southern states. For of which your climate is so eminently my individual share of this benefit, favorable. All the accumulations of stinted as it is by our colder climate, I esleaves raked from the poor pine forest, with the slight additional value which may be derived from the otherwise profitless maintenance of poor cattle, will supply less of food to plants, and at greater cost, than would be furnished by an unmixed growth of peas, all left to serve as manure. The native or southern pea, (as it ought to be called,) of such general and extensive culture in this and other southern states, is the most valuable for manuring crops, and also offers peculiar and great * In a recent communication to the Virginia State Agricultural Society, entitled "New Views of the South Carolina, and of importance next to the main timate it as adding, at least, one thousand bushels of wheat annually to my crop. From this digression to a particular branch, I will now return to the general subject of the neglect of rest and manuring crops for land. The incessant cultivator does not the less rest, and lose the use of his land, by refusing any cessation of tillage so long as he can avoid it. If such cultivators manure so abundantly that there is no general decline of production, then they do not come under my past remarks and censure. If there be any such, I will only say of their mode of maintaining fertility, that it is less effectual and more costly, than if aided, and substituted in part by manuring crops, and a judicious rotation of crops. But as to many other Southern Agricultural Exhaustion and its Remedy. 41 now only wide-spread seed-beds of disease, pestilence, and death; and which, by drainage, with certainty and great profit, might be converted to dry fields of exuberant fertility. It is true that existing legal obstacles oppose these extensive plans for drainage; but these difficulties might be removed by wise legislation, with great benefit to the interests of all concerned and improvements might be permitted and invited which would render these now worthless and pestilential swamps as fruitful as the celebrated borders of the Po. planters, who, whether slowly or rapidly, are certainly impoverishing their lands, they will, at some future period, be compelled to allow a greater proportion of time for the land to rest, and to greater disadvantage, and less profit, than if allowing regularly either one year in three, or two in five. Suppose the land to yield cotton (or sometimes corn) continuously for thirty, or even forty yearsor, with much manuring, sixty. In such cases, it is true, there were as many crops obtained as the land was kept years for tillage. But after the first few years, the products were declining; and for the last The draining of the inland swamps of five or ten years, on the general average, rich alluvial soil, together with the they scarcely paid more than the expenses general application of marl to these and of cultivation. The crops also suffered also to the now cultivated higher ground, during the whole time the evils of a want would go far to remove the long prevailof rotation, and the land of want of ing unhealthiness to which Lower South change of condition. At the close, the Carolina is subject, and which is the land must be turned out to rest, because only important evil which is not entirely manifestly not worth longer cropping. in the power of the inhabitants to remedy. This compelled cessation and rest will I will not presume to say how far this continue for twenty, thirty, or forty years, when the land will be again cleared of its second (or perhaps its third) growth of trees; and, with this and other extra labors, will be again brought under continued tillage, to be again, and much more speedily, exhausted of its smaller recovered amount of productive power. In this manner, though at long intervals, more than the full proportion of rest, required by an improving system of rotation, is given to the land, and enforced by its exhaustion; and the manner is such as to make the least return of benefit for the greatest expense incurred or the respite of the land from cultivation. My former engagements in South Carolina, and the then especial objects of my investigations and labors, served to make me better acquainted with a large portion of your territory than any other as extensive elsewhere. From that acquaintance was derived the opinion, which I have since asserted and still maintain, that no other as extensive region, known to me, possesses half as great advantages and resources for agricultural improvement, or more needs the employment of these means. The proper and full use of your wonderfully abundant, rich, and easily accessible marl, and the recent shells and other marine remains, offer the best principal and indispensable means for fertilization, and which are available for half your territory. Another great resource, and almost as much neglected, is presented in your great inland swamps, great evil may be lessened by these works of industry and improvement. But, when so much of your country consists of low and wet swamp, and of partially wet higher lands, and all easy to be drained, it does not seem over-sanguine to suppose that, with such drainage and the general extension of the also sanitary operations of marling and liming, the country would be as much improved in healthiness as in fertility. Such change to greater healthiness has been most marked in my own country in the extensively marled neighborhoods, even where there has been no considerable draining operations executed or required. This improvement of health is ascribed, by all who have experienced the beneficial change, mainly to the sanitary influences of the now calcareous soil. Your extensive and rich river swamp lands offer another great object for improvement, and increase of agricultural profit and wealth. Even the sandy "pine barrens," now unfit for tillage or for any useful production other than the magnificent pine forests which cover them, if made calcareous and put under Bermuda grass, (the curse of tillage lands so infested,) would be made as valuable land for pasturage as the equally barren chalk downs of England. Your high lands are mostly level, or of gently undulating surface, and easy to till, and the soils generally well suited to your great staple crops, corn and cotton. The navigable rivers which p vade Lower South Carolina, in their enterprise and industry upon southern number and character, present a re- listlessness and indolence. Very differmarkable geographical feature, as singu- ent, however, is the case as to the far lar as it is valuable. The main canals greater proportion of the general amount required for extensive drainage of the in- of tribute paid by southern to northern land swamps would be so many addi- interests-from which we have no detions to the existing navigable high- fence, because government induces and ways. So low are the intervening enforces the payment, by the legislative swamp lands, that nearly all the deep machinery of protecting duties and the navigable rivers might be connected by indirect bounty system. But I am straycanals of level or nearly level water; ing from my designed subject, the imand in that respect Lower South Caroli- provement of southern agriculture to its na might possess the peculiar facilities governmental and political oppression. of Holland for extensive inland naviga- Putting aside all speculative and untion. These connecting canals, by di- tried subjects and modes of improvement, verting some of the superfluous supply and counting upon nothing more than of fresh water of some rivers, to others the proper use of your calcareous manures where it is deficient, might perhaps and judicious tillage, and the early reserve to extend greatly the present area sults of both-and supposing that your of tide-covered land capable of being country should be so benefited only in flooded for rice culture. If such canals, the same degree as has been the small mainly for drainage, but serving also for portion of mine, already marled or limed navigation, were made to connect the the most moderate estimate of the agriEdisto with the Ashley, the Cooper and cultural values so to be created would the Santee, there would be another inci- now appear to you so greatly exaggerated dental advantage as remarkable as it as to be altogether incredible. But howwould be valuable. The excavation of ever much I would desire to avoid the the canals through the great swamps, position of a discredited witness, I will (and certainly between those stretching not be restrained by that fear from statfrom the Ashley nearly to the Santee,) ing general results, which are notorious would generally penetrate into marl of in Virginia, and to sustain the truth of the richest quality, lying a few feet be- which, thousands of particular facts could low the surface of the swamps. If duly be adduced. These results, susceptible appreciated, this rich calcareous earth, of clear proof, or exhibited by official to be used as manure, would go far to re- documents, are, that thousands of farms imburse the cost of the excavation; and have been doubled or tripled, and some if used for lime-burning, would furnish. quadrupled in production, and the genegood lime, and at one-third of the price ral wealth of their proprietors as much of that for which South Carolina has increased-the assessed values of marlpaid and continues to pay millions of ed lands increased by many millions of dollars to the lime-burners of New Eng- dollars, while those of similar lands, not land. This voluntary tribute, at least, so treated, have continued to decline as which is one of so many unnecessarily all did before; and the treasury of the paid by the South to the North, might commonwealth is already benefited by be ended to the immediate and great many thousands of dollars received annuprofit of both the sellers and the buyers ally from the counties containing these of the substituted lime, made of the improved lands, and derived from them, abundant, cheap and excellent native while the revenue from lands of the material. The buying of northern lime neighboring and before similar counties, by South Carolina and Georgia, is as un- is still decreasing. profitable and as absurd a procedure as So far, I have spoken as to benefits the usage of importing northern hay. which have already occurred, and which But of these, and of many similar things, are unquestionable, and which have been we of the South have no right to blame derived from resources and facilities for any but ourselves. All the commodities improvement, not to be compared, in which we import from the northern amount and value, with those of South states, and which might be more cheaply Carolina. I have elsewhere estimated provided at home, serve indeed to make the possible future and full fruition of up an enormous amount of annual tribute. this system of improvement, in Lower But this part of our general burden is Virginia only, at five hundred millions of fairly and properly levied by northern dollars of increased pecuniary value of Southern Agricultural Exhaustion and its Remedy. The full capital thereby to be created. employment of your much greater resources of this kind, and over as wide a surface, would not be worth less. Then your other great resources, which have been named but not estimated, would be so much more in addition. 43 There is not one of the industrial classes of mankind more estimable for private worth and social virtue than the landholders and cultivators of the southern states. With them, unbounded hospitality is so universal, that it is not a distinguishing virtue-and, in truth, this virtue has been carried to such excess as to become of vicious tendency. Honorable, high-minded, kindly in feeling and action, both to neighbors and to strangers But agricultural production and pecuniary values are not the only or the greatest gains; and though others rest upon opinion only, and are incapable of being measured, their existence and their ready to sacrifice self-interest for the value are not the less acknowledged by public weal-such are ordinary qualities all judicious observers in our country, and characteristics of southern planters. most improved in agricultural production Many of the most intelligent men of this by calcareous manures. The improve- generally intelligent class, are ready ment of health has been mentioned; the enough to accept and to apply to themimprovement of economical and social selves and their fellow-planters the name habits, morals and refinement, and better of "land-killers." But while thus admiteducation for the growing generation, ting, or even assuming this term of jocose have been sure consequences of greatly reproach, they have not deemed as cenincreased and enduring agricultural pro- surable or injurious, their conduct on fits; and these moral results will here- which this reproach was predicated. after be increased in full proportion to They have regarded their "land-killing" the physical and industrial producing policy and practice merely as affecting causes. Population, though a later effect, their own personal and individual inteis already sensibly advanced by these rests-and, if judged by their continued agricultural causes. The strength, phy- action, they must believe that their intesical, intellectual and moral, as well as rests are thereby best promoted. Their the wealth and revenue of the common- error in regard to their own interests, wealth of Virginia, will soon derive new great as it may be, is incomparably less and great increase from the growing im- than the mistake as to other and general provement of that one and smallest of the interests not being thus affected. As I great divisions of her territory, which have already admitted, individuals may was the poorest by natural constitution acquire wealth by this system of impoverstill more the poorest by long exhausting ishing culture, though the amount of actillage-its best population gone, or going cumulation is still much abated by the ataway, and the remaining portion sinking tendant waste of fertility. But with the iminto apathy and degradation, and having poverishment of its soil, a country, a peono hope left, except that which was al- ple, must necessarily and equally be immost universally entertained of fleeing poverished. Individual planters may defrom the ruined country, and renewing sert the fields they have exhausted in the like work of destruction on the fertile South Carolina, and find new and fertile lands of the far west. Terms of reproach lands to exhaust in Alabama. And when and contempt (once not undeserved) have the like work of waste and desolation is been so long and so freely bestowed on completed in Alabama, the spoilers (whethis tide-water region of Virginia, and had become so fixed by use, that it will be long before they will cease to be deemed applicable; or before many persons, who now know this region only by the memory of former report, will learn that it is not altogether land of galled and gullied slopes, or broomsedge-covered fields, over whose impoverished and dwindling population, indolence and malarious disease contend for mastery. ther with or without retaining a portion of the spoils) may still proceed to Texas or to California. But South Carolina and Alabama must, nevertheless, suffer and pay the full penalty of all the impoverishment so produced. The people, who remain to constitute these states respectively, as communities, are not spared one tittle of the enormous evils produced-not only those of their own destructive labors, but of all the like and previous labors of their From these matters, referred to for proof fellow-citizens and predecessors who had or illustration, I return to my main subject, fled from the ruin which they had helped more immediately connected with, and to produce. And these evils to the more likely to be interesting to my auditors. community and to posterity, greater than could be effected by the most powerful ready and able to maintain the rights of and malignant foreign enemies of any the southern states, instead of a large country, are the regular and deliberate proportion, as now, serving to swell the work of benevolent and intelligent men, of worthy citizens, and true lovers of their country! I will not pursue this uninviting theme to its end-that lowest depression which surely awaits every country and people subjected to the effects of the landkilling" policy. The actual extent of progress toward that end, throughout the southern states, ought to be sufficiently appalling to produce a thorough change of procedure and reformation of the agricultural system of the South. numbers, and give efficient power to our most malignant enemies. The loss of both political and military strength to Virginia and South Carolina is not less than all other losses, the certain conse quences of the impoverishment of their soil.* only the subsequent increase of means which would be supplied by the clear profits of the improvements as they became productive-most of the lands accessible to marl or lime could be covered by these manures in ten years. In twenty years from this day, all such lands could be thus improved, and by that time might yield doubled or tripled general products, and would exhibit a proportionally greater increase of value as capital. The new clear profits of this one great improvement would be enough in amount to ef fect all the practicable drainage of inland and river swamps in twenty years more. Or, in that additional time, the increased revenue of the state treasury, from these new sources only, would suffice to construct all the great works of drainage which would be beyond the means of individual proprietors. If it were possible that, for all Lower South Carolina, the system of improvement could be directed by one mind and will, as much as the operations of any one great individual estate, the most magnificent results could be obtained, In addition to all increase of the with great and certain profit, and in a other benefits of agricultural improve- few years. Without any additional labor ment which have been cited-pecuniary, or capital, more than now possessed, for social, intellectual and moral-there beginning the improvement and with would be an equal increase of political power, both at home and abroad, which at this and the near approaching time, would be especially important to the well-being and the defence of the southern states, and the preservation of their yet remaining rights, and always vital interests. If Virginia, South Carolina, and the other older slave-holding states had never been reduced in productiveness, but, on the contrary, had been improved according to their capacity, they would have retained nearly all the population that they have lost by emigration; and that retained population, with its increase, would have given them more than a doubled number of representatives in the Congress of the United States. This greater strength would have afforded abundant legislative safeguards against the plunderings and oppressions of tariffs to protect northern interests-compromises (so-called) to swell northern powerpension and boundary laws for the same purposes and all such acts to the injury of the South, effected by the great legislative strength of the now more powerful, and to us the hostile and predatory states of the confederacy. Even after Virginia, with more than Esau-like fatuity, had sacrificed her magnificent northwestern territory, which now constitutes five great and fertile states, (and a surplus to make, by legislative fraud, a large part of a sixth state,) and all of which are now among the most hostile to the rights of the people of the South-if Virginia had merely retained and improved the fertility of her present reduced surface, her people would not have removed. Their descendants would now be south of the Ohio, In all opinions expressed as to the values and effects of the agricultural improvements proposed for South Carolina, my data are the experienced and un * A condition made by the Government of Virginia, in the act of cession, to the United States, of all her northwestern territory, was, that this territory should afterwards be divided into not more than five new states. Five have already been carved out of this great domain: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, and a space of 22,336 square miles remains, in the new territory of Minnesota, which will hereafter constitute so much of another state, in violation of the act of cession by Virginia, and of the faith of the present Federal Government, and in which space, with all the northwestern territory, slavery was interdicted by the ordinance of 1787 of miles, which ought to have been included in the five the Confederation. This space of 22,336 square anti-slavery states already formed, but which will go to constitute a sixth, is nearly as large as South than the united surfaces of New-Hampshire, MassaCarolina, and larger, by nearly 1,000 square miles, chusetts and Connecticut. |