Farmers' gazette, and Cheraw advertiser. (Cheraw, S.C.) 1839-1843, September 02, 1840, Image 1
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-lW?' ai
VOLUME V,
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EDITOR A ND PROPRIETOR.
TERMS:
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From the Cultivator.
- notes of-a tour.
-Gentlemen?In a recent tour of considerable
extent and vnri^*, in the .eastern
section of our country, i have met with
many thiogs to gratify the fi iendij.of agricul
lura! improvement. -Through the wiiole j
length and breadth of this favored
land, the constant operations of industry,
under the guidance of intelligence and ?
^ taste, are clearly-discernible. The rugged
forests are every where disappearing,, and ,
their places supplied with gre<?n pastures,
luxuriant meadows, Or abundant crops; or
if wood-lands are still ietained, the 'netr
growth of selected trees, shoot up w ith a grace
and beauty seldom found in the dense
and matted masses of >our native wilds.
The log cabin has given place to the hand,
some cottage,und the slight,frail tenement of
pioneer, to the substantial farm-house, or
more elegant mansion of the wealthy husbandman.
Nor does th career of improvement
stop with the mor ? convenient and ac- .
cessible ppr.ions of the soil; everywhere nature
is pursued in her remoest haunts, and
everywhere subdued; aod from the self sustained
luxuriant bo toms, to the verdureclad
summits of the loftiest hills, the untiring
energy of our Anglo-Saxon race is through,
out conspicuous.. The highways are made
be ter and more direct, and tfie Ughtn/ng
paths, with their fierce engines glaring like
meteors through the sky, convey the traveler
from point to point wi:h such rapidity, as
to leave him all his time for his favorite pursuits
or observations, requiring scarcely an
appreciable portion of it for locomotion.
DRAINING.
One feature of recent improvement was;
peculiarly gratifying, and in h I thought I
perceived the influence of what is too often
neeringly called book farm'ng\ a term, I
venture, to say, waa never sincerely used,
but where stupidity or stubborness reigned
supreme. To a.considerably extent, ditching
and draining low lands has- been prac.
ticed, and in every case with entirtf success.
Land that before yielded scarcely a handful
of coarse herbage during the season, by
the expenditure of a few dollars in ditching
and puttiug into a state ot cultivation, mis
4} been made worth 50 to $150 per acrej for
almost invariably, the low swamp lands,
when freed from water, are vastly tjxi/nost
productive. Much controversy exists as to
the mode of draining best suited to our country,
and the question yel remains unsettled.
* It is undoubtedly proper tbaj the phtn shoulJ.J
vary with the skumioq of the land.
It would seem, on a hasty view- of the [.
object, that the labored efforts of some well I
disposed persons to Introduce the expen- !
ivtrTnodos adopted iji Europe into our own
country, are as inappropriate as if the attempt
were made to i/i roduco the paraphre
_ ? I? I. * _ .1 .. .1 T . ,4* . x!
nana or royalty, or a cnuron institution.
Tneir sysem is thorough underdrawing,
principally with tiles or loose stones, p In cod
at a sufficient depth allow a coating 6f soil
deep enough for -nl! the operations of husbandry
tobe carried on as ?f no drains existed;
and this is undouh.ediy the perfection
of draining; but tho expense of this in our ['
country, would be from-51) t> $150 per
ncre; an outlay so -excessive tliat*We appro, j
hend for half u ct-niury to come, it cannot '
be practiced here unless in the neighbor- j
hood of largo cities, where land is worth
from 3AO to $600 per acre for cultivation; i
the price of good farming lands in Europe, j
The system may be applicable and tidviin- |.
tagt-ous to this ccunfry, and it is much tobe
wished that some wealthy end patrio.ic individual
would institute a series of scientific
nnd practical experiments on this subject,
and communicate the result, nd it is-possibln
it might ho found, after all the expense, !
the capital woulJ be more judiciously invested
than if expended in.additional land, to !
be cultivated'in our hurried and; impejfect '
manner. Ifonce, however, but generally j
adopted, our whole eareer of border extension
and colon zition must be ubandoned,
and the constantly expanding .vavc of emi* j
igraion must contract and speed its refluent;
force centerward again, for wojiave run a. |
01 jround land enough on this continent already, >
to sustain, with proper cultivation, a nation
of untold millions C?n our national taste |
for adventuro and western emigration be
. checked and turned juto the more sober
and perhaps rational pursuits of a highly j
co'tivated husbandry ? We think not?a
truce then to underdrawing with us, for
without the countless hordes that are yearly
migrating westward, alike tho locusts of
Kgypt, wo cannot pursue it to any extent.
There is much, however, we ran do, in
this matteri and at a trifling expenditure of
manual labor. And here I will mention !
one mode of underdrawing, probably of
Yankee invention, as I have never seen a
4k
1RM
A JV D C li
- CHERA
description of it. It is performed in heavy
clay lands, where ditches nrg most required,
bv excavating a trench, say of 12 inches
wddc, with perpendicular and parallel sides,
to the depth of 12 inches; or if it is contemptated
using a subsoil plow, to the-depth of
16 inces; then from tho center of the bottom
a sub-d tch is excavated, of 5 to 6 inches
square. - The .sod taftenoff the entire width
from the top is then.inverted and placed at
the bottom of the upper ditch, and becomes
a durable cover when fitted to the top, thus
doing a way" with fnedargo expense of tiles
or stone* ^
Our system must essentially combine e:
1. ?l u;.v
cyniMiijr w|iiruun.j', ?uu .inn v^uu uc ciicuicu
to a Very great extent in surface drains.
Theae jhouldexist wherever water remains
oolh* grountLoTier rains, or when it is too
much saturate?! with springs in the vicinity.
*No stagnant water should ev q>bo allowed
in a civilized country, for besides its'effectuah
hostility, to all useful vegetation, it poison?
the atmosphere and-becomes tho.pro?
lific source of half our diseases and deaths.
If a systematic course be pursued in all the
operations of the farm, much draining may
be effected with scarcely any additional
trouble and expense. For instance, all
clay and flut lands shoul I be plowed into
narrow Tidges, and every successive plowing
should be directed to make the more el.
evicted portions higher, and the depressed
one still lower, always preserving an outlet,
that the water accumulated in the last shall
be carried offfreely, and by this means the
whole surface becomes n succession of sur.
face drains without the expenditure of a
days labor to an acre. In many instances,
however, main ditches will require to be cut
for-a considerable distance, to get sufficient
depth and slope to carry off the water rapidly,
and when the principal drainis made,
the tributaries can be completed at a trifling i
expense, either with the plow and hoe or the
gjuide. To illustrate my meaning, I will
describo the manner of drainipg a piece of
hind 1 recently ^adopted. The. lot consists i
of, a stiff olay^running back from the Nia- ]
gara river, with ? gradual, accent of hot ,
- " - r._ i. ;la T?
more wan nve.or s:x ieei ior n mutt. ujs
traversed through-the wholo distance with
irreguhr undulations, but the ridges almost
universally running parallel with the river.
At right angle^wjth the river, and across
these, I run ditch Pour feet wide atjhe top,
two feet at the bottom, and from ono to
three and a half feet deep, so as to preserve
a uniform descent on the bottom, thus cutting
transversely all these longitudinal ponds,
for they were npthing else in ordinary wet
senses, and a little additional work with
the spade or plow, effectually carries of .all ?,
the surface water. The wliole expense *of
this does not exceed one dollar per acre.
N6w let us see the profits of this operation.
If this land be worth $90 per acre, to -cultivate
in.its original condjlinn, and much of
it has been Sold at higher prices, aw) onefourth
of it was covered with water, which
was generally the case to a sufficient extent
to prevent .the growth of nutritious vegetal
tions-rfry expending one dollar I -increase
the productive land by the addition of another
third to the original amouht, which is equivalent
to increasing the value of the investment
one-third of $60, which gives me
$20. gain for one expended. ;
* I have seen an acre of marsh grown up
with rushes and cat tails, tiiat could bedrained
by one' man's labor in two h'outs, and
when done,it would be worth any two acres on
the farm, and yet to this riiomcnt it has not
go. into the. bruin of the owner or a 'dozen of
his inieKectual predecessors* that this Could
"- -A'.w.L, ~ kn Ai>nr>. ultrl it rtnu linvo Koon
VI wngni III " -/ .
t!ie cause of half the diseases in the neighborhood
for two centuries! These men
have ntfVer been troubled with book farming
?rtor did they ever take the Cultivator;
from such noddles, imd such only, are wo
ever to look for hostility to either. .
* CATTLE, SHEEP AND SWINE.
* In stock, I was glad to notice considerable
improyement. Through New.England
tk'fcre seems to be little difference in their
herds for the last twenty years, except hi
the gradual improvement of their native cattle.
. And it is possible, after all, that our
our Yankee, kindred may be mainly right
as to breed.,' The accidental circumstance
of din port (or the ; embarkation of our piTgrim
forefathers to their future varied and
picturesque abode, happily afforded them a
convenient source of supf ly front the herds
of fine JJevons that abound in the neighborhood
of Plymouth, and froin them, with
more or less admixture, haVe descended the
present extensive herds of the eastern'states.
Tho8'Canitna1s, though habiiuated to a warm
climate, which was but a temporary inconvenience,
are entirrely suited to the character
of fife country they were destined to inft.*.;*
emullpr hn?Jv. lrimrpp?nH cinnivv
naoii) u'cn j, ?p . ? j
legs, and especially their.great susceptibilL
ty of taking on flesh, rendered them easy
and profitable feeders,- and their extreme
richness of milk, superior working ond excellence
of beef, has justly made them a favorite
breed to 'lie present day. They do
not give the extent of product on the same
number oflegs us the Short Horn, the Here,
fords, and some, others; but ifihey yield as
much or more for the quantity of attention
and feed consumed, they answer all the ends
required by the intelligent herdsman. Ti;e
native cattle have, to a slight extent, been
crossed with new importations of Devons,
improved Short Horns and Ayrshires, but
this has only been done to a limited degree,
nnd with great carelessness; for on personal
inquiry, I have found that, some of the most
iotel'igent and liberal* minded citizens
hitheitu instrumental in procuring these
V
\
TE & J1 W J
??mmmmmm?g??gag??iu-?
AV, SOUTH-CAROLINA,
??P??B??1^????
aimnuls frcni abroad, have not a single
pure bloodeJ animal in their herds. There
is the grand fiult with our Yankee breeders,
the total neglect of pedigree and purity of
blood, for unfortunately their ancestors, in
adjuring a hereditary nobility and the rights
of primogeniture, carried their reform from
the biped to the quadruped, and made genuine
democrats of the whole race.
The principle ofj)laqing every man on
his own merits, is undoubtedly a good one,
though it may be controverting the authority
of an omniscient providence to deny that
the son of wise and virtuous pirenage, is
not more to be relied, on other things being
equal, than the child of ignorance and sin;
but in the animal economy there is none of
that human dependence on ancestry, 4for no
truth has been more fully established as a
general rule than that44 like produces like"
We must, then, in accordance with this
principle, look for capacity in producing
good animals, not only to what the individual
under consideration is in itself, "but also
to what it< ancestry has been on both sides
for generations, ns characters they faintly
exhibited, or scarcely discernible in an individual,
may, from its long'inheritance be so
i?utU tl\a /lAnchfnti/vti qo fn hp rpnrri.
?r<?iir;u wiui IIIW twu.iuiui.uin no iv ww ?- v
duced in successive generations to a great
degree. . .
There seems to be a fi. Id open east of the
Hudson, to the enterprise of persons of capital
and taste, not to any considerable extent
hitherto occupied or maintained. The
fact as to the scarcity of pure bred cattle, of
any description there, is, I believe, incontrovertible,
(and if incorrect, I shall be most
happy to be set right in the ni ttter.) and this
want is the more conspicuous, from the general
intelligence and thrift that pervades that
region. Liberal gentlemen have, from time
to time, imported some of the choicest stock
from Eurppe, but these have soon become
mixed with the general mass, and after a
few years not an unadultered animal could
be found. They have been, the means of
conferring some benefits, but not all that
ought to result to the community. The
great desideratum is the possession of pure
bred animals .of whatever description they
may be, whose peculiar excellencies shall,
be constantly -and sustained by judicious
crossings with domestic and foreign stocks
of similar breeds. In the selection of species
best suited to th'e country, n diversity of
opinion, resulting in the introduction of several
different kinJs, would be beneficial ra.L:.t
1 r u:? M
iiier liiciii omerwisr, iur a coiiipcmiuu nuum
be produced, highly favorable to suscessful
results, and the advocates of the Short
Horns, the Ilerefords, the Dovons, the Ayrshires,
and the native breed, could- test the
relative merits pf their respective -herds, by
direct comparison. In this essential feature
of agriculture, Eiigfond is , far before us,
and must forever remain so unless, we adopt
this system, which, as it hos to some extent
been already comnv need,' we hope
may, with the usu d ardor and zeal of our
countrymen, soon be fully carried out.
The best spechwrfs 1 hatfe seen, are the
Herefords recently infporjed by-Mr. Sothy
am, and now in the neighborhood of Albany?but
as he promises a description in
your.journal, ue may all hope to know
more about a breed that has. for ^ long '
time assuredly, been held in high estimation
abroad.
I ?
There seems-jo be considerable progress
making in adding to the carcass and fleece
O P
of tttrir sheep. In Merinos And Saxons
ih?y have long In-Id the preminence-^bui
the excellence of the' vyoolly tribe has been,
to no inconsiderable extent, varied and multiplied
by the addition of the Soirh Down,
the Bakewell, the Leicester, The Lincolnshire
and the Co:swold-r-of these last there
were some very superior imported by Mr.
Sotham, at the same time with his Herefords?and
at the residence of Messrs. Bagg
and Hart, of Montgomry, Orange county,
who are also importers of stock, I saw a
considerable flock jjoth of Cotswo!J-anl
South Downs, hardly i should judge,.-to be
surpasied. With such choice,s ock before
them, cur intelligent countrymen can scarcely
fail to come to a correct conclusion as
to the comparative value und profit of the
different breeds, it is much to.be wished,
however,that those who have kept tliern for
some years in the vicinty of other flocks,
should give us the results of their experience
as guides io future experiments. They
have all, to a greater or less extent, been
highly estimated abroad?are they' equally
i /? ur ' . i
ai 110nit* : we want experience in ims
matter which is the only true lest for the
farmer.
In swine a considerable improvement lias
taken place, so. far as a cursorv view would
enable rne to judge; tiieir legs and snoots have
been shortened; their ears.set jip and trimmed
off; their backs become broader, and a portion
of their bristles put on the other side of their
skin and converted into good' .pork, and the
loTjte ensemble of tjio grunting tribe, has been
very perceptibly bettered. And this improvement,
so far as my observation extended,' has
invariably been the result' of the infusion of
a large portion of the Berkshire or China
blood. This origin was generally sufficiently
obvious at the first glance^but in one instance
where very fine pigs were shown me, with a
long body, broad back, and sustained through
the whole length, and terminating in a finely
rounded ham* thin hair and no bristles; largo
of their ago, and kind Jeeders, yet entirely
white, I was struck with the perfection ot
their form, and thought il rivals were to bo
found for the Berkshires, they were then before
me; but looking a little farther on the
same premises, I saw a fine, pure Berkshire
sow, which'on inquiry, proved to be the dam
of the perfect pigs; the mystery was at once
solved, Uiey had embodied all their superiority
from the female ancestry. There was another
superior lot of pigs I saw at the Worcester hos
GA2
ID r E R T
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEAj:
. i e : than
puai, proaucea irem successive nuooco .
China on the Bedford, which the intelligent |
head of that well conducted and magnificent |
establishment informed me, with ordinary keep, |
usually gained one' ponnd per day for the urst
twelvo months, at which age they are slaughtered.
Their great size they get from the
Bedford, and their great thrift from the China. I
The truth is, that the Berkshire and the Chi- I
na are the perfection cf the hog kind?and these j
perfections have been so thoroughly bred into |
them for successive generation^ that they (
impart a much larger share of improvement
in a cross than any other, and perpetuate it
through a remote posterity. '
But on the subject of stock, as that of '
daries, it is too generally the case that our <
farmers arc " penny wise and pound foolish"? I
they object to the first cost, when in both in- t
stances they would frequently be repaid the (
first year, and have the investment left as cap. j
ital, yielding a large income annually thereafter.
It is to be hoped the prevailing spirit of
the age, whose every aspiration is onward, !
will not fail to inspire them with a just appre- '
ciation of their true interests. '
Very respectfully yours, - ~i
R. L. ALLEN* ,
Buffalo^ Journal 14, 1140. |
From the Carolina Plantor.
. i
REMARKS OK THE PROPRIEY OF USING MARL f
IN SOUTH CAROLINA. Mr.
Editor.?So far as *1 have scon or '
heard, all those who are anxious for a gel, c
ological survey of the state, seem really and g
and practically to^have but one object, via. r
thediscovory of marl. Without intending to '
discuss the propriety of calling this hunt f
lifter marl, a geological survey, or whether c
it would not be cheaper and every way n
more expedient for the state?if she must t
do something?to appoint some one skilled s
in.the art of finding and using* marl, to f
search for that alone, or if you please, for e
that and other calcar.eous manures, permit c
me to ask a few questions of you or some s
of your correspondents acquainted with the
subject; 1 do not ask them idly. I happen c
to live in the neighborhood of an exhnusti t
ble bed of shells, and, as we suppose, marl 1
a'so, with which at a moderate expense I (
could cover ray whole possessions. I wish, I
however, to know from* some authentic <
siurce, how I am to proceed and what lam j
le gain by it, before I venture. Will you do ?
me the favor to inform me, then, what marl I
is. How many kinds there are? What *
are the tests of eacht In what condition it <
U generally found, and to whnt condition it ?
must bo brought before it can be employed t
as a manure? The simplest and cheapest i
manner of preparing it? What quantity <
should bo put on the ground per acre?? f
The best manner of doing it? And, most i
.of all, ho v much u will increase the prquuee
per acre/ And how long it will las;? Satisfactory
answers to these questions, have probably
been given again and again, but
ihey are unknown to me, and 4o most of
your readers probably. I do not take Mr.
Ruffin's work,* it is loo far north for me.
If the matter has been fully treated there,"
could not you or somet)f your corrcsdondents
colleot and condense what he hassaidr
and make an application of it to our soil
and our staple/ My land is in general
light and sandy. Your excellent remark,
that liming such land, was like giving "bit- .
tors without beefsteak," confirms an opinion
! have always entertained. And I am
ufraid marl will act in the'same way. Before
1 try the experiment I should be glad if
possible to know something certain about
it.
' Middle Country.
4 '
Remarks on ihe above by the Editor of the
Farmers Register.
>
Wo are tho moro pleased to learn from
thn above iirticle, (jiiasmucli as it proceeds
from one who seems to .esteem marling 1
very lightly) that there has been Already 1
excited in South Carolina so much interest '
in regard to marl, and so much anxiety-to 1
to discover its existence. We agree with 1
the writer in one at least of his position*;,
that is, that a geological survey fe-not ne.
cessary to discover the existence; or* to
the value, of marl beds. Antl though irra
rec Jilt uddrcss, delivered before a southern
agricultural society, the discovery and appreciation
of marl, and the consequent great
value added to the poor'lands ol lower Virginia,
have been ascribed to thv geological
suroey of this state, wo make bold here to I
assert that the geological survey had no
moreageucy in.producing this improvement
than it had in exciting the Seminole j
war.f And, indeed, if it has produced any
good effects to the general and agricultural 1
interest of Virgiiva, of as much worth as
the marling of even 100 acres of poor lanff,
wc confess that we are unacquainted with 1
all such results.
The interest excited in regard to marl
and marling in South Carolina must lead tothe
proper use of the great resources for ,
agricultural improvement and wealth, which
have beetf heretofore, or until very recently,
* The writer necdjiot tell any one acquainted
with "Mr. ituffin's work" that he does
-?not take it." His opinion that "it is too far
north" for him is proof of it. If he is a Carolinian
or Georgian, and will ^take" it, and
beat) it for one vear, he will not again say
that it is too far north for him/
Eo Far. Gaz.
f" By a geological survey of Virginia, in a
distriot of country considered unimportant,
beds of marl have been discovered and analv.
zed ; and, bv successful experiment and application
to a poor soil, have enhanced the value
of lands from comparatively nothing to a very
high price." Address to the Agr. Soc. of
Barbour, Ala,
V
&ET1
I Z E R/
BER 2, 1840.
entirety neglected there. And even if those
most interested in the matter continue to refuse
to receive information from any experienced
source, merely because it conies
from a distance, (he zeal and intellige.mob
servation of new beginners in South Curo.
lina will ultimately arrive at experience and
:ru li though through all the disadvantages
ind all the losses that must attend nh un?
aught and unaided apprenticeship in this
lew business. We coulJ assure this writer,
(?f he could ever hear any thing utterid
so "far norlthat although the person
le names succeeded in quadrupling the in:ome
and value of his land by the applies,
ion of mail, yet, while so laboring, un.
aught by books, and unaiJed by experience,
that he encountered losses from his
gnorancc which wore more than enough
o have paid for as extensive anJ profitable
mprovements as ho made; and that, tho
gh'S of experience row published, and
vhich then had no existence, would if then
ittainable, have been ifcortb, "as aid>
housandsof dollars-to his first few years'
abors. fie"did not then, or since, think
h *
hat anC information applicable to his.wants
ind his ignorance came from "too far
lorth," or too fur south; and be wduld have
ejoiced to have obtained light, if it had exsted.
from scientific research, or nractical 1
rbservation, from any available source, or
my remote region. However,, these- jenarks
will not lie seen by M?ckJU?. Connry;"
and if they should be, by -boing rerublisbod,.he
probably will attribute tliem to ur
anxiety to secure the profit of selling him
i 5.0 cent pamphlet, which, if desired, wquMte
gladly giveii to him or lo any other peton
who would probably receive benefit
rom its instructions. We do not know, howivor,
that ''Middle Country" would consider
lur precepts and facts as coming from "an
luthentic sourse."
A generul remnrk is called for heie by the
concluding passage in the above nriicle?
hough we have said and urged the samp, in
iifterent forms, many limes btyore. We
Jid not happen to see the piece of our cs?
eemed fellow laborer^ the very intelligent
iditor of tlio 'Carolina Planter,1 which com.
Wed "liming light and sandy land" to'giv
rig "bitters without beefsteak," and
berefore we nny hot cpmprcheruTits scope
ind force. But we entirely concur in the
expression in one sense, which wtis we pfe.J
lume, that in which the editor spoke?jind
is dissent from it in (/mother sense. It isr
rery true that' marl, or calcareous earth,
ioes not act direcly by furnishing food to
ilunts, or as dung and other -putrescent;
nanures do; whoever ma rig under mistaken
news in this respect wiff . probably incGr
oss, if not do actual injury. \( all aid from
jutrescenl mnnure, in every form, were
vithhehJ, and if the very customary system
if ungeasiog exliaui'iqg cropping is pgrin
.'d,' th^n indeed, fb land sb treati d, marl
vould ber in u great degree, "bitters wjth.
>ut beef steafc.^' But, oh the ofher'hand,
lis nottiecessary thai' artificially prepared
lutrescertt muQgres.'.from thb stable or.
larn-yard, should' uccompany - marling,'
o render the latter highly prbfiqrbfe.^_Xhat,
f attainable, would certainly bo-better; but
vithouta load of such marlure being ap~
ilied, enough putrescent matte/, may be
?iven to land |o eha.bie marl to double of
iven quadruple ils products, by merely
ettirig the lun'd rest, and .he covered by,
ilia noi oe uepriyeu ui uy gracing, i 3 own
laturul growth of vegetable matter, by
iVhicli nature* manures" every. soil that is
:uguble of heiog. enriched; utiles* where
nan acts to cut off, or bonder useless, this
laturpl an abundant supply. Yet without
?arlcn reous earth to combine with it, and
render it-operative, and to fit it in the soil,
this or any other supply of vegetable, ma',
fiure given is pot only , like 4tbeef-ste*ak"
without "bitters," (reversing^ Dr. Gibbes'
mofaphor,) but also is given to a stomach
so weak as to inject, or to refuse to d'gesf;
either beef-steak or the lightest anc/ must
nourishing alinxW. When such ru ction,
by a weak nnij disordered stomach, is
caused by vthb. presence of acidity, Dr.
Gibbes would certainly administer limewater,
ot magnesia, or some oilier cnlcareous
or alkaline neutralizer of acids. In
precisely the same way let him reason as
to the acid sods of South Carolina. . Give
marl to destroy the existing acid, (which
acid forbids improvement nnd destroyes the
productive power of ihe soil,) and to create
digestive and assimilating action,. and
let the land have but a moth rate ucidprofitable
share of rest, to enable it to produce
vegetable manure for itself, and we will
venture to assert that the'result will be a
doubling of production, within two years
after the commencement of the course of
improvement.
But as unreasonable as is such a deduction,
it is generally the case ihatnew mar.
lers. expect to derive this great profit "with,
out paying any thing of the necessary consideration
required to secure it. Marl is
applied to land that perhaps has been se.
verely cropped in corn or cotton for a dozen
years before, and without any more rest,
or other means to obtain vegetable food,
be;ng allowed afterwards. Of course th? re
is so little effect seen from marling under
such circumstances* 4hat the experimenter
considers and reports it as none, or almost
none?and thence he concludes that the
manure is worthless, and, perhaps, all that
has been promised from it, (under very
different circumstances,) as altogether false.
We have known many, v<*y many cases
of this kind; and have been greatly surprL
sed,until the frequent recurrence ofthe^me
thing became custom, that intelligent cblti.
vwors should overlook and neglect every
?
r? v.
- NUMBKR 42..
condition of success required, mid distmrtI)
stated as such in the instructions pub*,
lisned, nnd yet expect the "decree of sue.
cess winch* the observance of those conditions
would have secured. \
Hut if the requisite of vegeflfee or putrescent
manuring "is enforced on men's minds,
then will come another grand objection.?
4,Oh! if I am to manure in some other way
all the land I marl, I cannot marl much;
and for so much, die land could dot
vorywell without marl." Wrong in both
of these positions?though we cannot *
here discuss them in full. Wo will
merely say that wliiljj we were barely
aide to give prepared putrescentjpogurcs
to 10 acres of land a year, (and sometimes
did riot to 5 acres.) tint rest and najurafe
vegetation served to manure (bodrever
slightly) 100?and tlmt the whole 100
Hcref "Were easily marled tlie same year.?And
further, if without the mcdicinet marl,
or, Hiitters" so given, flint the the*"bw?f.
ste*\k," or food" alon'', both, the rich and thw
poor, wOuld have prodlfteU but IL'tlo visible
"effect, and certainly un clear profit.
The writer*of the foregoing article cer-tamly
imposes on Dr. Gibbes a great antf
most unreasonable task, and whicTi would1
require the fdwr pien'al nnd physical, of a*
year,*for him to perform fully. ; Neverthe-iess,
if be Will undertake ft, to any oxtent?
. we ara-satjsfi^d that'llie-task fcotild bo in
cxeellen^harrds?'and we shall lie among
. *t a. .Milh MA#,..* .. . +
iiuwe wiiu.?jii uiym 11' 11>ijl ii-juiv;o ni mw
-means being ih&s uged, in the most palatn.
,bje and eohciital manner, to give to the
planters of South Carolina the instruction'
which th'-y^so greatly need, and which
would offer hrthetr acceptance such great ~
individual profits and general improvements.
. ' .
Magnificent Indeed !
The following product of pork as ther
annnul return of one farm?T, though not all
on one* farm, is probably unrivalled in fcfew
. Englan f or Old England* These were all
fatted the lust yonr and sold as Stilted.-*Total
weight, 44J301. . Our respected
friend at Lexington is now' distanced; for
which we frankly say we are not sorry*because
wo know he .will not be sorry; and*
for-lhe simple reason that be will rejoice hi
nny.new stimulus or incentive to agricultural
improvement. When we published his
accoupt, we supposed he had reached the
top of the tree; and we knew a good many
snarling fellows who were trying to lonkut
liirn, (hough the eyes, of such folks seldom^
?Jeave tlie ground,) an<t crying out "'sour
grap's.' What will th?y-say now! Here*
'is a Rhode Island farmer who has planted
his feet upop his shoulders, and stands tr
full .length-above him. All we can do is
10 pray the Supreme Court of the United'
States, wfien they come to decide the disputed
boundary lino between the two States
by all means to take this good man and
his farms into ^Massachusetts. We want
him. We must have-him,?though what
is to become of our little sister, if we take
him uwuy,we do not very well see. But
then why should we desire to rob Rhoda of
her jewels?. It would not be just. Let us
wear brighter if we can.
IF. C.?N. E. Far.
Weight of ninety-eight Hogs told in the
Old Market Providence* R. I.
2 h^ga weighing?
' 644* *
?06t
averaging 625 lb. or ibs. 1,250
*21 do. weighing?
.571 534 558* 536
562 540 582 519
508 561 522 52?...
523 '502 513
548 551 525
553 514 540
av. 537 10 21 lb. or 11,287
*56 do. weighing?
460* 429 422 418 7.
* * 430 460 460 484
* 465 430 410 443 V
493 436 460 441
446 4l3 476 404
? 413 410 410 4It)
. 415 454 455 47? ;/
449 454 485 491
416 484 415 412
403 421 404. 493*
425 475 440 476
498 460 448 464 .408
415 400, 437.
-444.- 400 430 425
. av. 14013 56 !b. or 24,653
*19 Jo. we g4iing?r * * "
352 391 333 398
- 375. ?47 393 *391
392 ? 393 359 381 *
- 833 383 367- 383
* 3T8 398 -368
* av. 374 7-19 lb. or 7,113
* 9$ hogs?av. wt. 452 7-98 lbs. or 44,303
* Raised on the farm where fulled?18
i II J
months old when Kuiea.
fflogs?97 purchased 2d of 12:h mo ,
1838?ave.rage weight then, 121 1-2 lbs.
Injurious Effects of Weeds.
The question has been asked, how it
was possible for China and Japan, with the
ordinary products of agriculture, to furnish
bread for or n population, equaling, accor.
ding to the latest census, about 300 persons
to a square mile. The answer is to be
found in the care with which every inch of .
ground is cultivated; in the faoi that few