of its height. The art of manuring land is little understood, and less practiced. The bulk of the planters, relying on the fertility of the soil, seldom planting any but what is good, and changing land when it begins to fail for that which is fresh, seldom give themselves much trouble to keep their fields in heart. Beds of compost are rare. Twenty years ago there was no fixed price in Charlestown for manure, and it was often given to the first who offered to carry it off. The late increase of gardens in the vicinity has increased the demand and raised its price to something, but far less than it bears in other large cities. Cattle, sheep, and hogs experience little care and derive but a small portion of their comforts or food from the attention or the labors of their owners. For the most part they are left to provide for themselves from the bounties of nature. It is not uncommon for the planter, though possessing twenty or thirty milch cows, to enjoy fewer comforts from them than cottagers in other countries derive from two or three well looked after. Much good highland remains untouched for future laborers. Extensive marshes are yet in a state of nature, though no doubt exists of the practicability of reducing the most of them to a very useful state. Only a small proportion of the margins of rivers and of other swamps have as yet been brought under cultivation. Immense forests of pine land have hitherto yielded little else than lumber. They might, with a little manure, be made to produce corn, potatoes, turnips, and rye, in addition to kitchen garden vegetables. A numerous peasantry might be supported in them, though at present they are generally unproductive deserts. Pine lands are now the seat of health, and with proper management might be made the bulwark of the State; for they can be cultivated by white men, while the swamps and low grounds can be planted only by those who are black. A numerous population is maintained in Asia, and in the southern parts of Europe, in climates resembling that of Carolina.

Some observations on horticulture as a branch of agriculture will close this chapter.

The planters of Carolina have derived so great profits from the cultivation of rice, indigo, and cotton, that they have always too much neglected the culture of gardens. The high

olives raised in the State: For the greatest quantity of oil obtained from groundnuts, and from the seed of sesamum or bene, of cotton, and of sun-flowers: Also for the greatest quantities of the levant senna, cassia senna, raised, cured, and brought to market in the State; and the greatest quantity of rhubarb, rheum palmatum, castor oil, hops, and madder, all to be raised in the State: And to the person who shall first, within the State, establish and keep a flock of sheep of the true marino breed: And for the greatest quantity of figs, the produce of the State, dried and brought to market. The society have also resolved to establish a nursery of the most useful and ornamental trees, shrubs, and plants, and to offer them for sale at moderate prices.

price of their staple commodities in every period has tempted them to sacrifice convenience to crops of a marketable quality. There are numbers whose neglected gardens neither afford flowers to regale the senses, nor the vegetables necessary to the comfort of their families, though they annually receive considerable sums in money for their crops sent to market. To this there have been some illustrious exceptions of persons who cultivated gardens on a large scale both for use and pleasure. The first that can be recollected is Mrs. Lamboll, who, before the middle of the eighteenth century, improved the southwest extremity of King street, in a garden which was richly stored with flowers and other curiosities of nature in addition to all the common vegetables for family use. She was followed by Mrs. Logan and Mrs. Hopton, who cultivated extensive gardens in Meeting, George, and King streets, on lands now covered with houses. The former reduced the knowledge she had acquired by long experience, and observation, to a regular system which was published after her death, with the title of the Gardener's Kalendar; and to this day regulates the practice of gardens in and near Charlestown.*

About the year 1755 Henry Laurens purchased a lot of four acres in Ansonborough, which is now called Laurens' square, and enriched it with everything useful and ornamental that Carolina produced or his extensive mercantile connections enabled him to procure from remote parts of the world. Among a variety of other curious productions, he introduced olives, capers, limes, ginger, guinea grass, the alpine strawberry, bearing nine months in the year, red raspberrys, blue grapes; and also directly from the south of France, apples, pears, and plums of fine kinds, and vines which bore abundantly of the choice white eating grape called Chasselates blancs. The whole was superintended with maternal care by Mrs. Elinor Laurens with the assistance of John Watson, a complete English gardener. Watson soon after formed a spacious garden for himself on the ground now occupied by Nathaniel Heyward, and afterwards on a large lot of land stretching from King street to and over Meeting street. In the latter he erected the first nursery garden in Carolina. There every new and curious plant that grew or had been naturalized in the country might be purchased. The botanic publications of the day quote him as the introducer of several

Mrs. Martha Logan was the daughter of Robert Daniel, one of the last proprietary Governors of South Carolina. In the fifteenth year of her age she married George Logan, the son of Colonel George Logan, who came from Aberdeen, in Scotland, and in the year 1690 settled in South Carolina, and there founded the respectable family of Logans, the sixth generation of which is now living. Mrs. Logan was a great florist, and uncommonly fond of a garden. She was 70 years old when she wrote her Treatise on Gardening, and died in 1779, aged 77 years.

productions of Carolina to the public gardens in England. By an exchange of such articles, he rendered service to both countries and enriched each with many of the curiosities of the other. These promising attempts at gardening were all laid waste in the revolutionary war. Watson's garden was revived and continued by himself and descendants after the peace of 1783, but has since gone to ruin. Robert Squib followed John Watson, and in like manner did honor to Carolina by circulating its curious native productions. Of these he transmitted several to English botanists, which grew and flourished. He is honorably mentioned in Curtis's Botanical Magazine "as not only well versed in plants, but indefatigable in discovering and collecting the more rare species of Carolina, and with which the gardens of England are likely soon to be enriched." He was also the author of a work entitled the Gardener's Kalendar, which was published in Charlestown. About the year 1786 the government of France sent out the celebrated traveler and botanist, Andre Michaux, who established a botanic garden ten miles from Charlestown into which he introduced a number of curious exotics in addition to a great variety of American productions. This also has gone to ruin, though many of the articles growing therein have been transplanted and preserved elsewhere.

There are now some valuable private gardens near Charlestown one is situated in St. Andrews on the banks of Ashley river, and belongs to Charles Drayton. It is arranged with exquisite taste and contains an extensive collection of trees, shrubs, and flowers which are natives of the country. Among many other valuable exotics, a great number of viburnum tinus, and of gardenias, which are perfectly naturalized to the soil, grow there with enchanting luxuriance; but the principal object of the proprietor has been to make an elegant and concentrated display of the native botanic riches of Carolina, in which he has succeeded to the delight and admiration of all visitants.

Another is in St. Paul's district and was originally formed by William Williamson, but now belongs to John Champneys. It contains twenty-six acres, six of which are in sheets of water and abound in excellent fish; ten acres in pleasure grounds, walks, and banks; the remainder is used for horticultural and agricultural purposes. The pleasure grounds are planted with every species of flowering trees, shrubs, and flowers that this and the neighboring States can furnish; and also with similar curious productions of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Another part contains a great number of fruit trees; especially piccan nut and pear trees, which are ripe in succession from the middle of May to the middle of October.

Though all garden vegetables can be raised earlier in Carolina than in the Northern States; yet till very lately cabbages, potatoes, onions, and such like articles were generally imported for domestic consumption. Some are even now imported. Within the last twenty years a spirit of horticulture has increased in the vicinity of Charlestown so as to supply the market with a considerable variety and plenty of vegetables for domestic use; but many of the inhabitants of the country still remain destitute of the comforts which even a moderate attention to gardens could not fail of procuring. Rich in staple commodities, minor objects are by many comparatively neglected.

A passion for flowers has of late astonishingly increased. Many families in the capital, and several in the country, for some years past have been uncommonly attentive to flower gardens. Those who cannot command convenient spots of ground have their piazzas, balconies, and windows richly adorned with the beauties of nature far beyond anything that was known in the days of their infancy.

COMMERCIAL HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA,

FROM 1670 TO 1808.

CHAPTER VI.

Commerce is of noble origin in South Carolina. Its first merchants were the lords proprietors of the province. Two vessels were very early and constantly employed by them to introduce settlers and everything necessary either for their support or the cultivation of the earth. These plied between Charlestown on one side, and Virginia, the British West India Islands, particularly Barbadoes, and Great Britain on the other. From the West India Islands they imported rum and sugar, and in return carried thither staves and lumber. Sir John Yeamans, who was Governor of the province in the second, third, and fourth year after its settlement, owned an estate in Barbadoes, and was very active in promoting this exchange of commodities between the two countries, with both of which he was particularly connected. From Great Britain the Carolinians imported clothing, provisions, plantation tools, and domestic animals. To it they exported furs and peltry. Much of these were procured from the Indians,

which gave rise to a brisk trade between them and the settlers in the way of barter. This was the general course of commerce for the first thirty years after the settlement. About that time rice began to be an article of export.

Mercantile profit was not the object of the lords proprie

To encourage emigration to their province they advanced money to supply the settlers. Their increased number bid fair to increase the demand for the lands of the proprietors so as ultimately to reimburse them for their advances. They pursued this policy till they had reason to complain of much going out and little coming in. The colonists, after a reasonable period of indulgence, were left to their own exertions; and the proprietors discontinued their mercantile intercourse with the settlement.

The trade of the province must have been inconsiderable for at least fifteen years, as that period had elapsed before any collector of duties for the port of Charlestown was appointed; and before the first legislative act respecting a pilot was passed. For fifty years, subsequent to the settlement, nothing certain is known either of the population in or the amount of exports from Carolina; but there is reason to believe that rice began to be exported about the beginning of the 18th century. Anderson states that 264,488 barrels were exported to England from 1720 to 1729; and that 429,525 barrels were exported between 1730 to 1739 inclusive. About the latter period the trade of the province was considerable both in imports and exports. The negroes then amounted to about 40,000. They and all other articles of importation must have been paid for chiefly by rice, naval stores, lumber, peltry, and furs exported from the country. To these first articles of export were added indigo, from 1747-tobacco, from 1782-and cotton, from 1792.* The aggregate value of exports was in such a course of progressive increase, that in the last year of the 18th century it amounted to 10,554,842 dollars, and in the first year of the 19th to 14,304,045 dollars.

For the 106 years of the colonial existence of South Carolina, all its trade centered in Great Britain and its dependencies; with the exception of as much rice as under the special indulgence of an act of parliament was exported to the southward of Cape Finisterre. This trade was carried on very much to the satisfaction and interest of Carolina. A considerable proportion of it was in the hands of native merchants, but more was carried on by emigrants from Great Britain and

*These periods mark the years when the exportation of these articles began to be considerable. Small quantities were exported before. In addition to these great articles of export, some minor ones might be added: such as Indian corn, cow-pease, beef, pork, leather, shingles, staves, &c.