1837] 



F A R M E R S' REGISTER. 



207 



been lo(t exposed to the atmospliere, atul I Iiave 

 by no mean.-: been satisfied thai, in abidinii,' Icriil- 

 ity, the pluuiflieil »|)ots bad any advanta<feoveiM.lii' 

 unplou^'iieii. Permanent leililiiy should be our 

 great ottjei;t, and not ilie lai'i^esl amount of crops 

 lor any one st'ar. Lalior, (allliouirh c.hieHy slave 

 labor wiih ns,) is very dear; the hirp'st resulis 

 wiili ihe least, expenditure ol liiat, should be liu' 

 great object ol' agneullural attainment. This is 

 to he etiected by a condiion olperaianent iiirtility. 

 Tliere are two rules whicli should not, I appre- 

 heuii, be lost siixht ot' any where. They are oi 

 the last iniporiaace to us ol' this niounlainous 

 country. The iirst, is to increase and not diminish 

 the leriility ol" our soil. The second, is to make 

 enough to support our r^'spective estaOlishments. 



Between these two boundaries we may ailvance 

 with saleiy, and with more or less sjjeed; bu;, if 

 we pass either, we are lost. Without capital, in- 

 dependent ol" our liirms, it is clear they cannot 

 be long supported, unless their own produce yields 

 the means. And, it" the {"ertility of the soil is di- 

 minished, the means cannot long be supplied by 

 the produce. 



Veg 'table matter, green or dry, being by far 

 the most abundant of our resources, and produc- 

 tive of the greatest results within our power, in 

 the aiigregate, sliould constitute the first object 

 of our attention, and be regarded as our chief 

 means of advancing lertilily, as the ordinary food 

 of a healthy soil, (if I may be permitted to use 

 such a phrase.) The more slimuiating manures, 

 which have a larger portion ot animal matter 

 mixed with them, should be reirarded as meili- 

 cines (at least in a lacerated and worn country) 

 to be applied to diseased spots — such as cannot 

 cover themstilves with vegetation, or do it very 

 I'eebly, by their own eti'ects. 



[To be continued.] 



ON THE GENRBAL WANT OF ECONOMY IN 

 OUR FARx\IIx\G, AND KSPECIALLY IN FEED- 

 ING. 



To tlie Editor of tlie Fanners' Register. 



Charlotte County, Va. 



I am pleased to see your efforts for the improve- 

 ment ot" poor ohl Virginia so well sustained by the 

 patrons of the Register; and whilst it is doubted 

 by some whether publications of such a character 

 are indeed beneficial, it may not be amiss, in one 

 who has exjjerienced some of iis advantages, to 

 record his testimony in favor of your paper. Is it 

 not to you, sir, a matter of astonishment, if any 

 thing can excite that feeling in limes like this, that 

 a fair and candid exhibition of facts, or even the 

 ehow of sound theory, should produce on the mind 

 of any reflecting man a tendency to err? Is this 

 the natural eti'ect of" reason or philosophy? or, does 

 the principle extend itself to all other matters of in- 

 terest? If so, what advantage has the rational, 

 over the irrational part ofcreation? Blind chance 

 would be a safe and certain guide, (at least as 

 much so,) to any uset"ul discovery or invention as 

 the most accurate calculations. To my mind there 

 are many pieces in your columns richlv worth the 

 subscription money lor the volume. The impor- 

 tance of a due attention to the subject of manure, 

 its management, &c., as contained in several com- 

 muiucaiious on that subject, can hardly be proper- 



ly estimated. He who reiuissuch pieces, without 

 receiving great Itentiit, must be blind, not only to 

 good reason and coininon sense, but also to hid 

 own mterest and prosperity. 'I'hecoiiimunications 

 on canalling, drainiiiir, &.c., are well vvorih an at- 

 teniive perusal. Those persons who are owners of 

 huge mill [)onds, or extensive swamps, miifht, by 

 an ap|)licaiion ol the p-rinciples there laid down, 

 aiid, not only to the sum of luinian happiness by 

 removing perhaps 'he greatest cause of disease in 

 their immediate neighborhood, but, at the same 

 time, increase the wealth and happiness of those 

 they may leave behind, to the latest generation. 

 Several communications on the effect ol' plaster of 

 [uirison tobacco, are of a highly valuable character; 

 and many otlier valuable communications might 

 be named, ifcircumstances re(]uired it. A genile- 

 maii of" my acf|uaiiitance remarked (o me, not 

 long since, that the comtmiiiiration signed ''l^aw- 

 rence," had been of more value to him than three 

 times his subscription. But, sir, you had as well 

 talk of a Jack without ears, as to persuade some 

 men of some thinirs; and 1 now beo; your iridul- 

 irence whilst your attention is directed to the tbl- 

 lovving hints, facts, opinions, or whatever you may 

 please to call them. 



I do verily believe that many of our good peo- 

 ple, by negligence and inattention, waste as much 

 Ibod as is actually necessary to supply the real 

 wants of life. This notion, may perhaps, be con- 

 sidered by some as wild and extravajrant; but, cer- 

 tain it is, an immense deal is wasted on our best 

 regulated farms. Go, lor instance, to the best 

 manaired stable in your neiu'hborhood, ten to one 

 if the truth of the remark does not prove itselt" on 

 first sight. Go to the farm of one who is called a 

 "riirht snug fijllow," and how is the manure pre- 

 served? Is it on a level surface, or, as some would 

 say, a centre siiik? No, sir, three times out of five 

 you will see the better part, the very essence itself, 

 going in a sluice down the hill, to where it can be of 

 no use whatever. Look what a scene of waste 

 and negligence is presented throughout the yard — 

 gates without latches — fences down — stable door^j 

 swinging by one hinge, or propped up with a fence 

 rail — hay, oats and fodder, scattered every where 

 — horses, cows, hogs, perhaps sheep and all, 

 jumbled up together — soiTie with one eye — some 

 with none — some hobbling about on three leijs — • 

 others scarcely tdile to get alonii on four. Now, 

 how can you expect men to get along under such 

 a system as this? Look at the tlirm pens; why 

 all this waste of tops, straw, shucks, &c.? — the 

 whole pen nearly knee deep in mud and mire, in- 

 stead of a goocl, soil, clean bed of leaves. Per- 

 haps, in some more private part of the field, you 

 may see carcasses of old cows dragired out for the 

 purpose of testing the value of 6o».e manure. Ask 

 what is the matter, or cause of this, and you are 

 told at once — " fVhy, sir, she lost her cud; or, died 

 with hollow horn.'''' Shall I invite attention to the 

 hog pen? In truth, sir, very little is to be seen 

 there; here and there yon will find a iew scatter- 

 ing cobs rolled and rooted about in mud until they 

 are as sleek and hard as the feeder's basket handle. 

 May be, by standinir a while, you will see a long, 

 ihin, lean-sided something, reelinji from right to 

 left, and making his way, with stupid eye and 

 cautious step, to the pen, or, rather, to the next 

 saplinir, already rubbed as smooth and sleek as a 

 ramrod; Ask," what is the matter, and you will 



