Nuhou, Volume II, Number 4, 25 July 1873 — "How to Develop our Agricultural Resources." [ARTICLE]

"How to Develop our Agricultural Resources."

ihe ioilowing remarks iium a Southei*n paper, tlie īhwal CaroHwan $eem to be prctiy well suited to our Archipelago. Wc have too manj absen,tees} aiid geDtleuieii plantcrs and larmers. \Vherever tiiere is one at lipme, and in his lields \vith liis eoat ofl' oecasionalh% anel lioe 111 haiid onee in «\ while to lead a eharge on grass and gru*»js. we hear ol' succe*>. Try the hoe handle awhile, but uursi it when you are in thc field bei'ore your men. What work an intelligent good naturcd whitc man eun get out,of kanaka*, when he goes with thciu and cncourages them with ii.eheei'Pui word or tw<». We have hoeu our row anu Lavc lost none of ih.e fliier appreeiations of lile bv &o doing. f - The agriculturai ol' tiie South f wlieii riglitlj considered, are trulj wondeiTul. illi a elimate unsur pa£sed for its geniality, and whieh admiU of the planting of eonie of the products ol the country every month 111 thc Ycar, and.a,fc>oii of unequailed fertilih% -she awaits but to maile what uature designcd shc shou!d be, thc iinest agrienitura] eountry in the world. Ihe eon>idcration of this 6ubject involvcs that- o( the mueh diseusscd k labor (|Uestion," iu mueli, as it ii< nminly hy laber that our£reat agrieultural resourees are to be developed. To develop them fully. is tl:e grc-at work bcfore us. lo aeeompli&li tlīis \vork ?uceessfulh' 5 \ve necd an ample supp]y o 1 the bcst improved agvleultural implemenl» now in n*e. To use these implements to ndvantage, we m-uire intelligent, reliay.e )0r —hibor supenor both in quality and cjuant.ity to fhai ol>talned from ouv as tl;ey work at preseut. From whenee is tliis labor u» ! »o übiaineu. is a questk'i] whieh ever since the gvea- vhnhge in our industriii; >yi?icm. lias bcc-n discus?ed by som< > of (lie of £he eountrv, but as yct, none,. wv believe, have reaehed a solation of it. -Liebig, n eontr;butor to Our ILotH<: Jouviit!t > in a u" artieles upon ihe suhjeei ? after pretty eleai'h' .nctratlng the impraetieabiiiiy of ehhoi' < or Kuropeau skilled labor for the >outl., as a merais of ovoict)ming the d.i!keulty experieneed, since the \var, 111 obtaining liie iigh( kind oi labor } .tliat those of our people engag.-d 'm agvieulturai pursuits, ofV with thcir nnd tak«- hold ol tLe pli>ugli irandlcs themsrlv,->. 'fh:s. though u may not be a solution of ti.e (Uie.-iion, appvoximato*. \vo ihiuk. a little n«>aiev io c!v i!v.v,i anytlung we havo yet soen, S\> neav, in faet . to tuuoa tho key nolo t<« a solu-ti*n*-i' t!',ovoxM problom. L# eaeh and al! of u > whv aro ttllei> of thq with a !iearty good wi!!. l.īy lio!«! «»f the p!ough luindles. hut at tho N*in:- instea«l «f di*ponsdug wīlh th.e t?ervioi- o[ H'uHoo/ a> \ve pieiume 'l.lebig" iuiended we s!.ouhl, !;uhl on b> ld;u,andmakohhn, by examp!o wel! as by prcoept, the kind of lahoiw we noed 'VK:< j \r-: /o after whieh ihe 'lab.>v tjuo>tion % will luwe beei\ sohvd, w.' wil! t!u i u havo of feUablc !ab t vv o aia! to the demav;d Sueh is f!ie* uniguituvh' of tl\o woi'k V!Vve u v i-f developing ouv g\v \t * ro. ;:Nnj ! rt nv vo !a\vr

than eao Lc a|flbrded by our white "p j r I ulalion, even though e?erj white man from ii.j Fcjtomae to ihe Bio Gyande were to Leeoiae a '■ tilier of the soil. T%xoake up the deuciea%v • the negro elemeni of opr populaiion i*, unqiotibnab!y, the most available for the purp*»& i as he works at present } and hns woik-' Bii]icc he was made free, ie wlih, perhaps, a ltv csteptiona! eaee?, far (rom being the right kliu of!a laborer. i, e M one;who willaccomplishago; j day's work, and at r!ie|same iime do it esaetlj' !it bhou!d be done. Eyen when working on 1!, | ghiire syf?tem, lie move??. sluggishly, idleb awa ! his timc, and. what n(t!e he does is at best Lu ! pobr!y done. The bare presence of lus emplojJt)r L his agent hae but l|ttle efTeet for the bettē; Ifj ho\vevcv. his in«tead of od!j direc ing him in his work. vVoutd lead tl:e way by la; iiold nf t!>e !ioe ov p!ough, as the ease mov K j hiinsolf, lie w<»u!d *»c a mueh moie relīable uiv : (eflScicnt laborer. Meetin£r wit!i a fnend, ( j - W ... . * t»j after the wai\ we asked liim what sort of a eio* j M had. Ile rep!ied t!jat lie had the best eiop ! had for teb yeavs. li>pn ouv expressiDg Mirpr> at this, on acēount unsatisfretory maiiL-. j in whieh the freedmcn .^ere c wovkiEg, Le adde ;' j w}th a signiGcant smihj, ; I work with my fr t -e | men, and the is I getgreat d*al ni>; i j and better work out;of thcm/ We have Lo i copsiderablo experienoe in the management : j ljeeides them in a j of|p!ay genileman we have worked side ' | 6k)lc with tliejfi, and ea|n add our testimony to i in|favor of the plan. | Thc effect of the csami!- } of|one white laborer upon a gang of frecdmoi:.* i m|t vevy dissimilar to of a true pullinghcij orj niule upon a haulky team. Thechief difficul: I wjth horses not proj'«erly traiued to pull, : !gctting tbem to start. Whh one well traii> .auimal, howevcr, to s-l:art thc wagon, tcam ;alh they not onJy, as a general" tliing, do thr. | fuil sharo ol thc pullingafter the wagon is si;inb' j but if properly will soon get in the w:• j ofj helping to start it Wc know " I th|at Boldiers, as a gencral tlHng,J]ght mueh ! , when led iu a ehar»e bv a eommamliu* i th|an when ho remai;i c IX\ tlic ]renv and or j thcm to niake it. i ' jlhe habit ol the gal:ant llampt«»u, in Vivgi:i , was, we arc told, always to !cad bis mon hjt ;* » tion instcad of dirccting iheiu tu go and do da: > aijd . Ih, aecouius in gve;it t uije for his bri!liant aehicvmcnts. The good v. ;fej?t to be p?fedueed by the tmploya* upoa ! ; frcednien bv working wiih_thom, is fav !Vom l o:: . t tiJe oniy udvautage to U> daked from t!.v a,t* ; »ti*J>n of the plan. The labor of himsi !f and m|\ny ab!e bodiod son:? as l;o may ho so fortur.;. , lune, \vould eo<t oipy the wear avul tear < T i um>ok\ aii'l WiHikl bo tlie bc£t i h the kind of labc*r tl at tc!ls sa \vouderfo! - « «J>on Northem farius. There are, uoubtkss, tlu i \v)io frtiiLregard !abor upon the k\ni\ asdegvo,Co. I<|> all who thus regaixl it, we \vousd eay Iha: t idi\\ is one of t!*c o!dcn tiuu\ and wa< oo;\v\ in en\n\ M j Tlie t of \VII July t!:, . 'thvee-tourth> of llie iuitive> s;c uo\y discassiL |-nnH\niug with Wi;a: a sktaer— >i:c kvulol wuh ' X\vish i§ $urely Uie fathev eo ihe ;uul u.. % AI! wvulvUuavHiH.bc 1 ifal! of t! o \voiv ov. Mokku , |t!'o J Htng x\ o ou;",tvy \v mU '|v