290 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 5 



to one-lhird, the proportion now usually put in 

 corn, but would produce the clear savino; of one- 

 half of the lahor of cultivation, besides other al- 

 most incalculable advantao;es. 



Upon your sandy soils, I think you mitrht re- 

 duce the quantity of manure four or five loads to 

 the acre, below what is necessary to produce the 

 same result on the clay lands of the upper coun- 

 try; for light lands make a much better return, for 

 a small quantity of manure, than stiif lands. I 

 have increased the corn crop 100 per cent, upon 

 the ordinary high lands here, with 25 loads of .30 

 bushels each to the acre, which in their natural 

 state would produce about two barrel*. ! am con- 

 fident equal effects would be produced from 20 

 loads, upon the light soils of Prince George and 

 Surry. 



Where wheat is relied upon as the chief crop 

 for markets as is contemplated in the foregoing 

 scheme, the materials for manure would be very 

 much increased — and, the frequent recurrence of 

 pasturage would be more than overbalanced by 

 the additional comforts in living, and the profits to 

 be derived from stock, which, with yourlixcilitiesof 

 communication with the best markets, ought to be 

 no inconsiderable item in your annual income. 



The field in peas, &c. would more than compen- 

 sate for any contingent deficiency in the co.^n crop, 

 leave something for market, and from tlie highly 

 meliorating character of its crop, would he in a bet- 

 ter state of preparation for wheat than any grass 

 crop turned in, on sandy lands, that 1 know of. 

 The offal of the products of this field, would con- 

 tribute largely to the general fund of manure. 

 And, until a system is devised to increase this fund 

 to an adequate suppl}', for that field in the rotation 

 which is in the most exhausting of all our crops, In- 

 dian corn, regular deterioration must be the con- 

 sequence of our tillage. It is in vain to amuse our- 

 selves with expedients: practical agriculturists wih 

 soon all agree that nothing short of a full manur- 

 ing once in the rotation, will insure general and 

 permanent improvement. 



Accept the assurance of my high regard and 

 esteem. 



John H. Cocke. 

 To Edmund Ruffiht, Esq. 



From tlic Carlisle Patriot. 

 FLY IN TURNIPS. 



Dalston, May 8. 



Sir — As the season is fast approaching for sow- 

 ing turnips, I beg to offer the following receipt, as 

 an effectual protection fi-ora the ravages of the ffy, 

 or black grub, which I have proved by frequent trial. 

 I will feel happy if any of the farmers will call upon 

 me this summer, when I hope to prove to them the 

 efficacy of my receipt. Your obed lent servant. 

 John Birkett. 



To a quart of turnip seed add one ounce of brim- 

 stone fmely powdered, putting both into a bottle 

 large enough to afford room to shake them well 

 together, for four or five days previous to sowing; 

 keep the bottle well corked. 



QUERCITRON BARK. 



In answer 1o the inquiry of a correspondent ii-om 

 Kentucky, of the editor of Bicknelfs Reporter, of 



Philadelphia, as to what species of oak this bark 

 is obtained from, how it is prepared, what use is 

 made of it, &c., it is stated that quercitron is the 

 black oak bark ; that it is prepared by shaving off 

 the outer bark, grinding the inner bark, drying, 

 and packing it in hogsheads. It is used almost 

 exclusively for dyeing, and is sold largely in Phil- 

 adelphia and N. York, at from iS30 to S '0 per ton 

 of 2240 lbs. It is packed in casks larger than a 

 whiskey hogshead, each of which contains about 

 15 cwt. The distinction in quality consists in its 

 degree of clearness and brightness of color. It is 

 inspected before sale. Dr. Bancroft first discover- 

 ed the useful properties of this bark, and obtained 

 a patent lor his invention in the year 1775. — Joxir. 

 of Amer. Institute. 



THE GREEN CROP SYSTEM. 



From tlie "Agricultural Papers" of Agricola, in the Downpa- 

 triclv Recorder. 



" The farmer's life displays in every part, 

 A moral lesson to the sensaal heart." 



Bloomfild. 



To prevent a long digression in my last paper, I 

 was obliged to assume that, though there are some 

 crops which impoverish the soil very much, there 

 are others " which are more grateful to it, and 

 which instead of impoverishing it, afford a recip- 

 rocal advantage, by imparting to it richness." 

 But as this statement contains the fundamental 

 principle of the important system whish I am ad- 

 vocating, it should not be taken on trust ; and, ac- 

 cordingly, the object of my present paper is to 

 show, that the green crop system is not founded on 

 a false assumption, but on an importcmt truth. — • 

 The whole crops of the farmer may be divided into 

 two classes — the grain crops and the green crops. 

 The fbriPvcr are sometimes called cuhniferous o? 

 straw-bearing ; and the latter, legiiminous, from 

 their seeds or leaves being of a much larger kind. 

 Clover, beans, turnips, potatoes, &c.,are legumin- 

 ous plants, or belong to the class called green crops. 

 Now, it has been proved, by experiments made for 

 the express purpose of ascertaining, and is, there- 

 fore, beyond a doubt, that plants are not nourished 

 by the soil alone in which they grow, but that 

 much of their sustenance is drawn from the atmos- 

 phere ; of course, they do not derive the same de- 

 gree of support from either of these causes — some 

 are nourished more by the earth, and others more 

 by the air. Grain crops are of the former kind. 

 As they have but small leaves, and few of them, 

 and thus present but a small surface to the action 

 of the atmosphere, it is plain that little of their 

 nourishment can be derived from it: they must, 

 therefore, be supported almost entirely by the soil. 

 This is particularly the case when the crops have 

 nearly ripened, when the few leaves they have are 

 withered and dead, or have fallen off; they can 

 then draw, perhaps, no nourishment from the air, 

 but must be supported almost entirely by the soil. 

 But the iixct is not so extensively known as it de- 

 serves to be, that, at this period, wh«n the seed ia 

 forming, the plants require an extraordinary quanti- 

 ty of nourishment; and hence it is that grain crops 

 are so particularly exhausting to the soil. In proof 

 of this, I may refer, with confidence, to the expe- 

 rience of any intelligent practical farmer. He 

 knows, that if the grain be allowed to stand uncut 



