Agriculture in South Carolina has been controlled effectually by soil and climate, and the latter regulated as much or more from relative elevation of surface as by mere parallels of latitude. The extremes of the state, from the marshy surface of Beaufort, Colleton, and Charleston districts, to the mountainous tract embraced by Spartanburg, Greenville, and Picken's districts, dif fer three degrees of latitude, and at least 1000 feet in relative level. The difference of height is more than equal to two degrees of latitude in effect on aerial tem perature; therefore, the upper and lower section, or what in South Carolina is the same in position, the northern and southern part, differ in temperature equivalent to five degrees of latitude.
Below lat. 33°, the orange, lime, and lemon come to perfection ; the fig is reared in great part of the state. Apples and peaches abound in the more northern and higher parts. As staples, rice and cotton have been long the principal objects of agriculture in that state. The former is limited by climate, and the necessity of ir rigation, to the sea border, but the latter has a range commensurate with the entire superficies of the state. The cotton of South Carolina presents, however, two dis tinct varieties. " The Sea Island, or black seed," is limited as its name imports ; but the green seed, or com mon cotton, is cultivated in other parts.
Rice and cotton do not preclude the cultivation of grain. Indian corn is reared in every part, and wheat, rye, oats and barley in the interior, and particularly on the high mountainous section. Sugar cane has also been cultivated to advantage in Beaufort district.
Taken as a whole, South Carolina is a fruitful and prosperous state. The natural vegetation combines the pines and palms with the oaks and hickory, and in culti vated plants, the sugar cane and orange to the wheat and apple. Though the sea coast offers to commerce no harbours of the first class, it abounds with those which ad mit commercial, and exclude large vessels of war. Simi lar to many other sections of the Atlantic slope, the ri vers of South Carolina are more navigable for boats at a distance from, than near the sea coast ; and to aid inter nal navigation, two very important and several smaller canals have been completed.
The Santee Canal, made to effect a direct water com munication between Charleston harbour and Santee river, leaves the latter at Black Oak Island, or rather opposite that island, and crossing the intermediate swamp in a di rection of south south-easterly, enters the western branch of Cooper river about thirty miles, in a direct line, almost due north from Charleston. Length of the canal 21
miles. This is the most extensive artificial water chan nel yet executed in the United States south of Virginia.
Before enteringithe Atlantic ocean, and 15 miles in land, Santee river divides into two great arms,called locally and relatively, North Santee, and South Santee. From the former to Winyaw bay, or the estuary of Pedee river, there is an intermediate marshy peninsula of 12 miles wide. To connect the two rivers, and obviate the danger of the open ocean, a canal called \Vinyaw Canal, 6 miles in length, has been opened across the peninsula, from Winyaw bay to Kinlock's creek of Santee river.
Above the river falls, side cuts have been made to melio rate the navigation of the Saluda, Broad, and other rivers. A rail road from Charleston to Augusta in Georgia has been commenced, and other similar works projected.
The natural channels are numerous and extensively navigable. Great Pedee river rising on the line between Virginia and North Carolina, and traversing the latter, is a river of upwards of two hundred miles comparative course, and of considerable volume where it enters South Carolina, and within which it receives from the west Lynches and Black rivers, and from the cast \Vaccaman river. The Pcdee also, by its northern and main tribu tary the Catawba, rises in North Carolina, and is a fine navigable stream at its entrance into South Carolina. Between Charleston and Columbia, the Congaree joins the Pedec with an equal if not superior body of water. The former drains the far greater part of the north west ern section of and is navigable far above Colum bia in both its constituents, the Saluda and Broad rivers. The Savannah, forming the south-western boundary of the state, is navigable to the entrance of the Tugaloo.
Along the marshy sea border, though none of the chan nels are deep, they are numerous, and amongst the prin cipal entrances may be named, advancing from N. E. to S. W.: Georgetown entrance or \Vinyaw bay, North San tee, and South Santee ; CHARLESTON HARBOUR, Stone River, North Edisto, and South Edisto ; St. Hele na Sound, Port Royal entrance, and Savannah river.