Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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^ *;l' 0^;o?omy. VOL. IX.?New Series. ' " UNION C. II., SOUTH CAROLINA^SIl'TEMl!Kli '27. is7s. NtIMI!Klt,nl?. i I wheat nnrrnnp Notes and Observations on Soil, Cufturt Seed, Time of Soxoimj, Preparation o Soil, Diseases, Preventives. Messrs. Editors:?For ton or twclv years past I have been an observer of th wheat growing interest of our section and believing that my notes and observations i that dircctiou might be profitable to soui who may bo young and inexporiuccd, i reference to this important crop, 1 hav concluded to give them for the public goo< or at least for the benefit of our juua fcot bo much iu the quantity of laud planter! as the quality aud culture, that success lie: 1 have sccu ouo aero of laud, with iutcll gout and rightly directed culture, produc os much as six or eight acres muuagcd ii the usutU^gay; and right here 1 would lik our ],"oung farmers at soiue leisure time t solve me this little question: What doc it profit a mau if he keep and feed two hoi sfes or mu|cs to cultivate utid harvest th product of forty acres, when all that th forty acres, produce can bo made on 'foil i - -- i ?- ' nivii^uuu ujuuti^iruiuiii/ uuu uuu uuri uud onehand '! Comment is uuuccessari The conditions fur the amdnmcnt of su< wheat culture arc precisely the saui as for success iu com or cotton. Whatever i worth having in this world or the next,wu be gotten and retained by Woa^yeejH| rented, intelligent and dil^MrfP|pK?^4 and corn crops an they do their wheat an other small gswfn crops the country woul bo bankrupt in five years, beyond tho hoj of recovery. And why is it? Is it b< causo wheat is so ohoap and iuounsidcrabl an article of deit or trado as not to t worthy of Bvrious consideration? WL would bo willing to supply thin county wit wheat floor ono your for one hundred thot sand dollars? Surely this suui kopt anion us would make some of us lbel bottor, if u< ' alL ? cho miscrnbMf slovenly, dou't-cari a-cus3-way of managing this crop, tho idt has become prevalent in the country tlu wheat raising is too risky and uncertain business to justify any considerable outlay cither iu Quality of soil or labor bcstowci Olllbltenf ftflltoa uutl oom u not onu">. c'red hut whi^f <?ivb yoi cottou or any other crop the same cultu and chance that you do your wheat aud tl groat guano princes of our couutry wou soon excnaiige rncir suvo mounieu earring jtud palatial uiansions for a cart and cabi lie that expects something for nothing w -die in expectation. My observation 1' the past ten years has satisfied me entirol the condition being the same, wheat just as certain a crop as any other, and tl blame of failure is, nine limes out of te on the farmer and not ou the crop. 1 a perfectly awaro that wheat has many c emics and disadvantages, but what crop thero that has not? T am jlh'j ?l~"a is exposed are the rest ?*'Ka"oranco, want of judgment and bi ^^^^LjKgagemont^ J will now try to lay be to 0f Qly observations : A'- - . ?IR8T, LAND. "heat does best c Soathwai frrm. If not iu this condition it must mado so by fertilizers (home-made t host). The land must not he springy soggy, nor yot so thirsty as to oontain mo mro ouiy wnuo it is raiuing. anis n difficulty uiay bo wet by doep aud thorouj p.">wing. Second or third year cleared lai gives better results than older lands, 1 reasons to be explained furthor ou uui the head-"rrnfe" My observations sh ? mo that the best lands for whoat aro th< crossing th& lost; sow apd harrow or bru in 1J bushels to tbsf acre. Product gee rally 15 to 20 bethels per aore ; with 2< pounds gnano or art?woniated phosphate the aore, 20 to 25 biw\ols. 8KC0NJ>, TIME SOWING. My notes indicate thatb^row the first the middle of October, in this hit it ml brings the best and surest ropults. Tl reasons seem to be that sowing ^11 this so son saves the plant from the fly, the tin .for whoau ravages is past, gives awplo tin: ifor taking firui root in tbo soil, thus pr vonting freezing out, and sufficiently late prevent overgrowth. of stalk and injury t frost. flight out ot tea orops sown at thi I note almost any variety that would mi " turo from tho la*t of May to the middle ( Juno, is less liable |? /rruet" and "smut. In ulmofft ovety instance, the later vnrlltic being Injurod or entirely destroyod by thj poet of tho wheat crop. TOUKTH, IN8EOT8. In ten ycara of obacrvAtiqn I huve nr noon enough insect trouble in whout to b worthy oFfa uoto. Think, though, from 1 h reading and observation, that tho insect I / trouble in general is confined to old lauds < or wet bottoms, or too early sowing. Cure: i c good uplands, well prepared at tho proper t c time aud sowed as above directed. i I, KUST. < 11 This is tho great terror of the wheat ' 0 grower, and one which has baffled the sk/ll ' 11 of agricultural chemists through all the ? past. If a remedy has been discovered it ^ has not yet reached us. If it is ever dis- j ^ growth of the plaut. Viewing the subject ' ?* in this light, 1 have gone to considerable ex- \ l" pensc oftimo, money aud labor to search out, ' c if possible tho cause of tli'c existence of this s 11 terrible destroyer, and though not through 0 with my investigations nor thoroughly sat0 islied with their correctnoss, I lay them he- 1 ss ? .1 1? ? -* - 1 iuiu vuu ruiiuur, u ior no onier reason man ; r" that they may stimulate iuquiry ou this im- 1 e portant subject. 0 Take a grccu stalk of wheat into your lr mouth anil chew it ami you will readily pori0 ceivo that thcro aro at least two ingredients x iu it with the taste of whioh yotr arc por3~ fectly familiar, viff: augnrtind salt, the sugar beioa^l^y.t?eTceptible to the tasto, tho < ifl. aal#-intrc)y so. By analysis it will he found K M^Hooeugar or sweet constituent contains in ' R addition a substance called "gluten," a li- ' 1 called "albumen" and a substance called i * starch. TUo pa't principle, when analyzed, | j produces common salt, a little phosphorus, | " nitre or saltpctro, and some traces of lime, >e with the addition of a coloring matter and ' j5* other elements too tedious to mention here. ' '? Take a blade of wheat on which tho (ust 1 ,0 has just begun to show itself"; pflTcc it un- | der the louse of a uiictoscopc and you will ( " discover tTiat appeared to your eyes qf J" a irero brown apeck, is really a living, or- 1 8 ganized ?;rowth, vegetable iu its character ( and of the fungi or mushroom genus or i race as to its nature. Now how did this fungi or parasite, if you please, get hero? !a If you will carefully rcmovo tho fungi ami lt again examine with the microscope you will " a perceive that the external coatingof the blade lias been ruptured either by attrition or j 4 abrasion, or souic other suilicieut cause to V pi'^k\uv:c a QciiCT'-'j inuuiOT^inr ^ that envelopes the blade. Through this re break a small portion of this sweet juice of 10 which I spoke lias exuded, and coming in Id ? ...*.i. ii,? v/uinuvsu u iwii i?iiv vu? wwmv wviu w*. v?*\> ??>*) 08 fermentation was produced, and the product I1- of that fermentation was. or is, this brown fuugi that you sco on the blade of wheat. or Now in a short space, say in a few hours y, from its nppoarauco on the blade, it arrives 'a at maturity, or the capacity for reproducing 'lc itself. Every breath of air or drop of wa1U> tcr passing ovor it wafts or carries the small 'ni dust-like sporules from blado to blade, ufld '?* whorcvor it flud* ? its poison is so> is immediately other ruptures of ^Ttno delicate membranes uro produced and now lungi; till, with favorablo conditions of 1 weather, whole lields are swept over in a ^ few hours. ro What is tho causo of this dreadful disease ? For an answer we can only present some data gathered up in tho past, and if_that dut^ should reveal the cnusc, tho '<** nWstrori is in a great measure answered.? ^rcv he growth, imbibes a groatcr quantity 6r sWotr or or saoarinc juico than it is capable of using is- i? the development of grain, at tho same wt time an insufficient quantity of silicious ^h matter ia produced to form a sufficient cxiid ternnl coating or mombrano for the stalk for and blado, tho forced growth of tho plant ler and tho poverty of tho noil in what I might ow call "soluble glass," (to oonfey ?g idont that if somp moans oould be discov?h ered by *hioh this stalk oould be made hnrto dor, vis : giving it a thiekor ooat, that the ehaneo for rust would be in great measure to obviated ; aud thus one great draw-hack on wheat culture rotnoved. I believe it is trenerally known that little complaint is made to of rust by farmers who reside in those dislo, tricte whoso soil is of that character knowu jo as "caloarious," that is, containing lime, a- and yot wo know that tho simplo applicnic tiou of limo to our soils docs not always rc10 suit iu nrevontiii" mot o? r n .?a*. v^uu reason may 1 0. bo nssigncd for this : Tlio process of ma-1 to king lirno deprives it of salt, which is its ,y natural concomitant in soils where it exists [k itt its natural state j hcnco we might infer r that salt, in the proportion of say a }f, yard manure. That rust uicutatiou and that fermentation in general ;* can only be prod need by the prosouco of | 18 some aacarino or sweet substance, will bo , clear to any inquiring mind that will tako tlio troul>le to invostignto the subject.? ' >t i I on co nnythiug that will prevent formcn- 1 e Cation and ^ivo su.T?oicut harduossor tough- I icss to tho stalk and blade to presjrve it < roui abrasion or rupturo of the eitcriuil ] :out by attrition or othor ciasos, u/|st be, u tho nature of things, a long step Jowards i rouiody for rust. Chemistry h:w taught f as that most of tho alkalies or pi/ish pro- ' luciug elements in nature are dtw/uotive to i fungoid development, und the Yeverso is , true where potash is absent fr?i the soil, lu all strong new lands alkali I abundant, licncc tho idea that new landsrrc best lor small grain, especially wheat/ Even tho ; ai)Uoni hnji^er^^s^ti''n,^^vora^i.; as i lliis cereal when first cultivate! . Then the soil contained a large pronorti ji of alkali. ' Successive and excessive eukivaSou has absorbed this element, and wheat on these | lands has become a failure. Tin old field ( auds referred to abovo owo their iperiority lot to the fact that they are old /elds, but ?o tho mode of?troaluicut by v.iieh this 1 Important constituent (potash) is supplied ?(IKItlJAT. -tu. ??? i*.W?/C0 VU?/ (^7 I | AH HI8T0B1C PARAIAEL Remiii isccitce* Of the Great. 1'ktrjue in ' London. \ Tho present epidemic in abmo of the Southern cities brings to mind jDflWs description of the epidemic plagucf in Loudon, known as tho great plague. In many lea- , lures tho two disorders present points of rcseuiblanco. Both were imported aud grew by roason of tho uuusal warmth of thaseusoa acting upon the 01th of the streets. \ Iu sach case the desolation and loss oftliib were awful, and the most stringent quarnur tiue regulations failed to operate as ofl'eA live checks." xhc Loudon plague was, howl ever, far the most destructive, not loss thaq atic huudred thousaud persons having died of it. g f 'ilho plague raged Tti Loudon durioftylie spring, summer and autumn of 10$: yt first appeared during tho previous year^in tho Parish of St. (Jilcs-iu-thojFiclds, Aud was believed to havo been brought over prom Unlland Ji. iLixr^ujl ?fnnfc. iU ? poorer sections-of tho city that ycut^lhat tho gravest apprchcusion was felttlcssU might become general. But the tyol \7cathec,pf autumn aud winter checked mill was beliovcrfcj to have killed it. Upon tho return of warm w rather it broke out again, aft tho 8casop7" like the present one, proving unosually it sproad with alarming rapidity. TlOfcU&t, m >8t precautious were taken to arrost its progress. Tho city was qmrraaiiued^-no ouo was allowed to leuve it lipring uuci cu1 tercd. An effort was m:idc to enforce clean lincss ft' J>,,r>Dle wcro mured in their houses, n vfiiby the disorder wcro nept it ! 3 oil ilic streets. In iNi3pk*ovora\ fatal cases ed tho city propor, and^"*^rs. IwJuly th< occurred in tho best quarts'1 'alisbury, lcav King aud bis court fled to V!Sw Duke of A1 ing tho city in charge of thclLfl oi'.y fron bcrinarlo. Tlio condition of t^SLjJol'oo this out is grapliioally described ^Krk'rtnd f^[ ticulur part called the city, or Il-"T ^"r ? T 4 . t jfMwithin the walls, that was not yot niuch^F.. , io the whole, tho \ ' bu' ^> ,,vi j. say, wat much altered^ *yorrow nndrjsadncsa sat upon every and though ,8ouic parts wore B?Vy~ot overwhelmed, yet all looked deeply looncerned, *fld jsa yyto it ttpamntly to bo all in tears. The motttitfliis did uot go about the streets indeed, fyt nobody put ou black, or mndo a formal dfdke efKfihtrning, for their noarcst friends.- IWt the voice of mourning was truly heoid^in the streets; tho shrieks of womdgt and children at the windows and d^ors of thoir houses, when their nearest DBtions were perhaps dvincr nr i??-* ?A ? _t_ | V. |?W UP?U y weroso in^juont to be heard as we passed the street, that it wan enough to pierce the stoaC^t. heart in uspevung too* themselves should be Bumpaooed the next hoar." . 8ooajtlje streets wore desorted fcnd busiucss stopped whereby thotrnflgl* were thrown into idleaeartaddestitatiu^. Grass iproutcd in tho principal thrqdhAftrcs. Id i little while people enrao ohfSjSkife (Yoni I thoir houses, being driven UxMwo .H".! Mrli uilur in scuivh id' pr??>i;-ious, which began to bo very scarce. ' This necessity jf going out of our houses to buy provisions." continues Defoe, "was, iu a great measure, tho ruin of she whole city, for tho people catchcd the lystcmpcr on these jeeasions one of another, and even tho provisions themselves were often tainted?at cast I have great reason to believe so? rud therefore I cannot say with satisfaction brought provisions to town were never infected. I am certain the butchers of While Chapel, where the greatest part of flesh meat was killed, were dreadfully visited, and that at least to such a degree that few of their slions were knot onen anil those Lhat remained in thcui killed their meat at Mile-End and that way, and brought it to market o'n horses. It is true people used all possible precautions; wheu any one bought a joint of meat in the market the}' would not take it out of the butcher's hand, but took it off the hooks themselves. Ou the other hand the butcher would not touch the money, but have ifput into a pot full of vinegar, which he kept for that purpose. The buyer always carried small money to make up uuyoddsum that they might take no change. They carried bottles for scents and perfumes in their hands, and all the means that could be used were employed, liut then the poor could not_do even these things, and^thcy went at all hazards. Innumerable dismal stories we heard every day ou this very accouut. Sometimes a man or woman dropped down dead in the very market, for many people that bad the plague upou them knew nothing of it until the inward gangrene had affected their vitals, and they died in a few moments. This caused that many died iu that mauner iu the streets suddenly, without any warning. ell .Unii .iii.l !!.> !ia T have said before. These objects were so frequent in the streets, i that wlu'u the plague came to be very rag*ug one side, there was scarce any pass dug b^Cho Streets but that several deal bodies would be lying here aud there upot the ground; on tho other hand, it is observ "able that, though at first the people wouh stop as they went aloug and call the neigh bors to come out on such au occasion, yet al terward no notice was taken ot theui. llu if at any time we l'ouud a corpse lying, g across tho way and not cotnc ~ aud seek some other way to go on tho bus j ucbb we wore upon, and in those cases tl corpse was always left uutil the olficors h I notice to come and take them away, or t u night, when tho bearers attending tho dcr . cart would take them up aud carry tin away. Nor did those undaunted creatu y I who performed these offices lad to seal ^^^wyuckeUjaud sometimes to strip t tlwy oouM get. ? * * It i, soarce , credible what dreadful caaea happened pai'ticlar /j-uiilicfi every day; peoplo in tl i rage el the distemper or in tho tormont , tiro irrackings, which was indeed intolerabl running out of thoirowu governuiout, ra >g and distracted, oftontiuics laying vii loot hands upon themselves,-throwing thoti solvos out of their wiudows, shooting then Solves, &,o. Mothers murdering their ow children in their lunacy; some dying c grief, as a passion; somo of more frTgli and surprise, without any infection at Til others frightened into idiotism and foolis' distractions; some into despair and lunacy others into melancholy madness. * * In some the swollings were mado so har that no instroment could cat them, an then the, them with caustic, so tha manv difld ???,. j . j ?- ^jiuyifi -mtn the torment and some in the Operation. In bfaw and plunge themselves into the wqtor wherever ihoy round it. It often pierccc my soul to hear tho groaus and cry:u oi those who wo^-thus tormented. This running of distempered people about the streets was very dismal, and tho magistrates did their utmost to prevent it; but, as it was always in tho night, and generally sudden, when attcmps wore tuudc, the otliecrs could not bo at hand to prevent. ami even when any got out in the day, the utlieer- appointed did not carc to meddle with tlicm, bccauso as they were all grievously iufectcd, to ho sure, wheu they came to that height, so they were nioro thau ordinarily infcctuous, and it was one of the most dangerous things that could he to touch them. On the other hand, they generally rau on, not knowing what they did, till they dropped duwu sjjixk dead. or till tli^u.luul (lieu die in perhaps half an hour or an hour; and, which was most piteous to hear, they were sure to conic to themselves entirely iu that half hour, nud then to make most griejious and picrciug cries aud lamentations iu the deep afllictiug sense of the condition they were iu. * * * After a while the fury of the infection appeared to be so increased that, iu short, they shut up no houses at all ; it secerned enough that nil tho remedies of that kind had been used till tlicy were found fruitless, and that the plague spread itself with au irresistible fury, so that it ciiuc at last with such violence that the people sat still, looking at each other, and seemed quite abandoned to despair. Whole streets seemed to be desolated, and not to be 6hut up only, but to be emptied of their inhabitants. Doors were left opcu, windows stood shattering iu the wind in empty houses, for want of pcoplo to shut thciu. Iu a word, people began to give up themselves to their fears, and to think that all regulations and methods were iu vain, and that there was uothing to bo hoped for but an uuivcrsal desolation." An Old Newspapeb.?There has lately been discovered, in the library of the University of Heidelberg, a copy of a newspaper which proves to be the oldest periodical of which there is now any certain knowledge. It jg.ajju^o xalunm_haaii?M? printed by Juliu Carious, of Strasburg.? The paper was issued weekly?each number consisting of two sheets. It was mainly occupied with letters from correspondents in adjoining States, which were cortributcd regularly. It is interesting to * note that letters from Vienna were about i eight days on the route, from Venice four. teeu to seventeen days, apd from Homo I twenty-one days. When the matter contained iu the letters, together with tho l* news retailed at second-hand, failed to fill f? t , . ? 1 I A. " mo snect, uic remaining space was n?it it blank. Intelligence of every sort found a 0 place in the journal. Among the most in rUtHrilfall'l ( I Nil The n correspondent from Florence writes, on ii- September 4, to the offect "that the Goveruhe uicnt of Veuicc made a considerable present a(j to Signer Galileo, of Florence, Professor of ... Mathematics at Padua, aud increased his annual stipend by 100 crowns, because with *d- diligent study he found out a rule and meascm urc by which it is possible to sec places 30 res miles distant as if they were near, and, on . the other hand, near objects to appear much r?ff larger^h III '['ill j J||] bofUfO OUT " Tho news recoivad from Praguo affords c^^M^ieture of plunder and murder ?ty. It appear ." arjlcw, Showing Method of Denary X. ]y that Ut ^^r^contiun, that it I* 0,^y j in daily Siczod by bandits/' ,e k r and tI,rowa into th? Moldau. " of anllTt W?7l ^ fr?m th? Warcr io on? day; and at another time seven malefactors were ?' lSth?ip?K*C5 "Wh? COD*5s8cd on tho loth of this month, they threw about four^ teen persons into the water, and that their ? '' ' - part,4itW?of IVagho? W?r?' fW th? "10dt n J EACH THE GlRLS TO llfiAl) Tt.. A/i. 1JUU* ner in the Presbyterian, in a very scnsiblo ^ ajticle on learning to road, says : "As to the propriety of girls studying elocution sufficiently to enable them to read well, nouc, we suppose, would deny. This I is all that is taught in any of our Southern schools, and wo aro sorry that so little ntj tention is paid to it. A woman that can^ not read well, or n man either, is not well | oduoated, we care noC^rbat olso they may ^ jsuow, or can do. They uood to go back to b the Spelling book and begin again. Not ^|<*woly, clo piently, so as to render in the n p highest style of art the boat productions of the best authors, whether proso or poetry, whether siuiplo or dramatic, whether comic or tragic." I i Tho uian who would be truly rich, in n .worldly souso, ncod. not increase his fortune, . I but limit Ihs desires.