118 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 2. 



turn; and these are generally of superior qunlity. 

 The moi^t prominent, trait in the cliaracterot'these 

 soils, is their peculiar suitableness (or the erowlh 

 of clover. I was informed by several of the plan- 

 ters of tliis part of Halifax, that the growth of clo- 

 ver is always luxuriant, even on their thin high- 

 lands. It is evident that the more sandy grey 

 lands of some of the adjoining counties, and in- 

 deed of other parts of this county. (Halifax,) that 

 would produce as good corn, would not produce 

 half such a crop of clover. The effects of gyp- 

 euin are much greater here than on any lands i 



have seen. A very practical [)hinter, Mr. R 



informed me, that although the effects of gypsum 

 are astonishingly great on cleared and littered 

 lands, yet, he tbund no benefit li-om it on a clean 

 soil, (a soil destitute of coarse vegetable matter). 

 It has been j)rincipally applied around the stalks 

 of tobacco and corn, by the \e\v who have used 

 it, at the ra,e of a litde less than a table spoonful, 

 around each stalk. As yet, no broad-cast dres- 

 sings of gypsum on clover have been tried, to 

 any extent, by those who conversed with me on 

 the subject. 



There are many evidences that this soil con- 

 tains a considerable portion of calcareous earth: 

 not only from the beneficial etiects of gypsum but 

 from the growth of the uncleared land. I took up 

 a few pieces of clay marl, thrown out on the bar.k 



of a mill race of Mr. E 's, that effervescetl 



rapidly in weak vinegar. A dark colored mud 

 taken from a ditch bank, also, effervesced freely, 

 when thrown into vinegar. The growth of the 

 uncleared lands is pawpaw, red-bud, walnut, 

 pine, &c. The thistle is a common growth, on 

 the cleared lands. The tobacco from this section 

 of the state has generally conunanded high prices 

 for manufacturing: and it seems highly probable, 

 that the marl ingredient gives it its rich, yellow 

 ■color, and delicate texture. I will hazard the 

 opinion, that if the planters o( this part of Haliliix 

 would curtail their tobacco crops, and cultivate 

 wheat on a clover lay, made luxuriant by the ap- 

 plication of gypsum, that it would be found a pro- 

 fitable crop. The wheat grown here is of unu- 

 sually fine quality. I have heard it remarked, 

 that the wheat that ijrows in the counties of 

 Granville, N. C. and Mecklenburc, Va.. as well 

 as m this county, (Halifiix,) is of fine quality — 

 and makes whiter bread than that, grown on 

 James River, and in more northern climates. If 

 this be true, and is the eH'ect of a southern climate, 

 wheat cultivators, in this latitude, maybe partiall}^ 

 compensated for the diminished quantity, in the 

 better quality of the article. It would be an in- 

 teresting experiment Icjr some of the planters in 

 this fine wheat section, to try the cultivation of the 

 spring wheat. Mr. Richard S. Gaines, of Char- 

 lotte, has a lot of spring wdieat, that looks, at this 

 time, decidedly better than any winter wheat of 

 several varieties which he is cultivating. The 

 early commencement of the spring, in this lati- 

 tude, would seem to furnish a prima facie argu- 

 ment that the sprins wheat would flourish better 

 here than in New York, where it has been suc- 

 cessfully cultivated. There is a species of wheat 

 cultivated here, hardier, whiter, and more produc- 

 tive than the Lawler, but very difiicnlt to thrash. 

 In passing the (arm of Mr. James Bruce, Jr., I 

 observed a lot of wheat, very decidedly better than 

 3ny I have seen this season, which was sown at 



least a month earlier than the usual time for seed- 

 ing wheat. Such a marked diversity, will doubt- 

 less, induce Mr. Bruce to repeat this experiment. 

 This lot was sown, I am informed, on a naked ffil- 

 low. Mr. Bruce has abandoned the cultivation of 

 tobacco, on the farm upon which he resides; and, 

 already, strong marks of a system of improvement 

 are exhibited. Mr. Bruce was absent when I pas- 

 sed his farm; but a large portion of it lies in full view 

 of the road. His land is generally in clover, that is 

 immediately under cullivalion; well protected fi-om 

 washing, by hill-side trenches, and very well en- 

 closed. Mr. Bruce has introduced the straicfht 

 ftMice, or at least, a species offence much straight- 

 er than tb.e ordinary icorm fence, staked and top- 

 lagged. This lence, although much in use in the 

 lower part of Virginia, is scarcely ever seen in this 

 part of the state. It can be made with but little 

 more than two-Un'rds of the quantity of timber 

 required to run the crooked staked fiance; and there 

 is but little difference in the amount of labor bes- 

 towed upon each. Mr. Bruce on one occasion, 

 gave me an account of his mode of making it— 

 which I adopted, successfully, with but little vari- 

 ation. The worm of the fence is first laid, of the 

 desired straishtness. The rails, 1 flunk, should 

 cross each other at an inclination of two feet from 

 a strait line. This part of the operation is regu- 

 lated by two rows of stakes, equi-distant fron) 

 each other, which are two feet apart.- As soon 

 as the worm is laid, two hands follow — the one 

 with a large maul, and the other with a large 

 stake about two or three feet long, sharpened at 

 one extremity; with a cross piece, two li^et long, 

 of an inch and a half diameter, let through, near 

 the other extremity. This stake is driven down 

 with the maul, where the rails lap, on either side,, 

 and drawn out by the cross piece or handle, which 

 operates as a lever. The stakes are then put in, 

 and very slightly rammei], if ihe holes are made 

 sufficiently deep by the short moveable stake. 

 The tops of the stakes are sharpened, before they 

 are put up, to the size of a large augur hole — 

 then when put up, they are coupled at top, by a 

 slip of timber, eighteen inches long, with holes 

 bored in it, to fit the ends of the stakes. The 

 rails are then put up, and the fence completed. 

 The rails should be nearly of the same length. 

 The stakes should be of heart oak or pine; and 

 the pieces that couple the stakes are rived from 

 eighteen inch blocks. 



The profits from the tobacco crop have been 

 very considerable for the last thirty or forty years, 

 in this section of the county of Halili\x; but the 

 little wood land that remains, and the exhausted 

 condition of the soil, begin to furnish a striking 

 admonition of the propriety of looking out for a 

 partial substitute for its cultivation. The Dan 

 River is open to bateau navigation, through this 

 part of its course, and the expense of the carriage 

 of wheat to market, considerably diminished. 



Mr. James Bruce, Sen., has a plaster mill that 

 supplies the demand for this article in this neigh- 

 borhood, at as cheap rates as it is tiirnished ground 

 in Norfolk or Petersburg. Mr. H. Edmunds is 

 also erecting a plaster mill, near Dan River, in a 

 district of country admirably suited to the applica- 

 tion of gypsum. The unground article will be 

 brought up the river, (Dan,) from Petersburg or 

 Norfolk. 



Mr. EtUnunds has been, for many years, a sue- 



