Hewatt, Alexander, An Historical Account of the Rise and Progress of the Colonies of South Carolina and Georgia, Volumes I and II (1779)
At present the common method of cultivation is as follows. After
the planter has obtained his tract of land, and built a house upon it, he then
begins to clear his field of that load of wood with which the land is covered.
Nature points out to him where to begin his labours; for the soil, however
various is everywhere easily distinguished, by the different kinds of trees
which grow upon it. Having cleared his field, he next surrounds it with a
wooden fence, to exclude all hogs, sheep and cattle from it. This field he
plants with rice or indigo, year after year, until the lands are exhausted or
yield not a crop sufficient to answer his expectations. Then it is forsaken,
and a fresh spot of land is cleared and planted, which is also treated in like
manner, and in succession forsaken and neglected.
Although there are vast numbers of cattle bred in the province, yet no manure is provided for improving the soil. No trials of a different grain are made. No grass feeds are sown in the old fields for enriching the pastures, so that either shrubs and bushes again spring up in them, or they are overgrown with a kind of coarse grass, grateful or nourishing to no animal. Like farmers often moving from place to place, the principal study with the planters is the art of making the largest profit for the present time, and if this end is obtained, it gives them little concern how much the land may be exhausted.
The emulation that takes place among the present generation, is
not who shall put his estare in the most beautiful order, who shall manage it
with most skill and judgment for posterity; but who shall bring the largest rop
to the market. Let their children provide for themselves. They will endeavour
to leave them plenty of labourers, and they know they can easily obtain
abundance of lands; vain and absurd, therefore, would it be to bestow much
pains and time in preparing this or that landed estate for them, and laying it
out in fine order, which they are certain will be deserted so soon as the lands
are exhausted. Such is the present method of carrying on agriculture in
Carolina, and it may do for some time, but everyone must clearly see that it
will be productive of bad effects. The richness of the soil, and the vast
quantity of lands, have deceived many, even those men who had been bred farmers
in England, and made them turn out as careless husbandmen as the natives themselves.
Wherever you go in this province, you may discover the ' ignorance
of the people with respect to agriculture, and the small degree of perfection
to which they have yet attained in this useful art. This will not be the case
much longer, for lands will become scarce, and time and experience, by
unfolding the nature of the foil, and discovering to the planters their errors,
will teach them, as circumstances change, to alter also their present rules,
and careless manner of cultivation. In every country improvements are gradual
and progressive. In such a province as Carolina, where the lands are good, new
staples will be introduced, new sources of wealth will open; and, if we may
judge from what is past, we may conclude, that, if no misunderstandings or quarrels
shall interrupt its future progress, it certainly promises to be one of the
most flourishing settlements in the world.
We have seen that its exports are already very great, even while
the lands are negligently cultivated and ill-managed; but how much
greater will they be when the art of agriculture shall have arrived at the same
degree of per iection in that province as in England. Such, at this period, was
the happy situation of the people and province of South Carolina; safę under
the royal care and protection, and advancing to an opulent state by the
unlimited credit and great indulgence granted by Britain.
However, if we proceed a An inter little farther, we shall see the
face of things gradually of the changing. We shall behold the mother country,
as harmony between the wealth of her colonies increased, attempting some
Britain alteration in their political and commercial syitem : and her and the
different provinces, infected with prido and colonies, ambition, aspiring after
independence. Let us take causes of a flight view of the causes of that unhappy
quarrel it. which at this time began between them, and after wards proceeded to
such a degree of violence as to threaten a total dissolution of all political
union and commercial intercourse. and the It might have been expected that
those colonies would not soon forget their obligations to the mother country,
by which they had been so long cherished and defended. As all the colonies were
in themselves so many independent societies, and as in every state protection
and allegiance are reciprocal and inseparable duties, one would have thought
that subjects would yield obedience to the laws, and submission to the
authority of that government under which they claimed protection. Such was the
constitution of the provinces, that each, by its own legislature, could only
regulate the internal police within the bounds of its
--------------
ALTHOUGH the soil and climate of the province suited the finest
fruits and vegetable productions, yet the garden had long been neglected, and
the orchard had engaged the attention only of a few. The people of Bermuda, not
many years ago, carried to the market in Charlestown cabbages raised on that
island, and the northern colonies their apples and Irish potatoes. But now the
Carolineans found, by chusing a spot of land with judgment for the garden, that
it would furnith them with all necessaries of this kind. Every spring and autumn
brought them a crop of European peas and beans. Musk and water melons thrive
exceedingly well even on the sandy maritime islands, and plants. arrive at a
degree of perfection unknown in many parts of Europe. All kinds of sallad, such
as lettuce, endive, cresses, parsley, radishes, unions, will grow there in all
seasons of the year, excepting one, and as nature has denied the people this
kind of nourishment during the summer months, it is probable it must on that
account be unwholesome. The garden also yielded abundance of cabbages, bro
coli, cauliflower, turnips, spinage, cucumbers, squash es, artichokes,
pompions, asparagus, & c. in great perfection. The climate indeed refuses
the people of Carolina currants and gooseberries, as every attempt to raise
them has failed; but they have oranges, figs, peaches, apricots, nectarines and
strawberries.in plenty, which are exceedingly agreeable and refreihing in the
summer season.
Olives, grapes, cherries, citrons and plumbs will grow, though not
cultivated in common; but apples, pears, pomegranates, chesnuts and walnuts
are, or at least may be, raised in abundance. Many physical roots and herbs,
such as China - root, snake - root, safsafras, are the spontaneous growth of the
woods; and sage, balm and rosemary thrive well in the gardens. The planters
distil brandy of an inferior quality from peaches; and gather berries from the
myrtle bushes of which they make excellent candles. The woods will also supply
them with a variety of cherries, mulberries, wild grapes and nuts.
In short, nature hath denied the diligent and skilful planter few
of the most useful vegetables, and many delicious fruits grow to a degree of
perfection exceeded by no country in Europe. At the same time it must be
acknowledged, that some disadvantages attend the climate with respect to the
vegetable kingdom.
European grapes have been transplanted, and several attempts made
to raise wine in Carolina; but so overshaded are the vines planted in the
woods, and so foggy is the season of the year when they begin to ripen, that
they seldom come to maturity. But as excellent grapes have been raised in
gardens where they are exposed to the sun, we are apt to believe that proper
methods have not been taken for encouraging that branch of agriculture,
considering its great importance in a national view. Some tolerable wine has
been made from the native vines, which do not ripen so early in the season as
those transplanted from Europe; and perhaps in some future day, when the
planters have acquired greater skill, and made trials of different foils and
situations, the vineyard culture may inay succeed better than it has yet done,
and turn to fome national account, like other profitable articles of American
husbandry.
In some seasons the cold blast from the north - west proves very
destructive to the orange, the olive and peach trees. In mild winters the trees
blossom early, sometimes by the beginning of February, often be fore the middle
of it. After the juices begin to rise, fliould the north west wind bring a cold
frosty night, it commonly kills every tender shoot. Governor Glen makes mention
of a frost which happened on the 7th of February, 1747, which killed almost all
the orange trees in the country. The trees being ready to blossom about the
time the frost came, it burst all their vessels, insomuch that not only the
bark, but even the bodies of many of them were split, and all on the side next
the sun. Such blasts are incredibly sharp and piercing. The Governor says he
found several birds frozen to death near his house. We cannot vouch for the
truth of this assertion, but we know no climate where the cold is more severely
felt by the human body.
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