1837] 



F A H M E R S' REGISTER. 



319 



Still, this oppfKiion is so slow, that it vvoulil be 

 cliejiper to dijj away twenty feet of over-lyinir 

 earth, rather than to tunnel lieneaih it. Notwiih- 

 siandinir, the knowiediie ol' this proces?!, and, s ill 

 more, of the nioiie, hetnre clesciihed ol' ili?char<j;inir 

 the ears of coal into hoats, may he perha|'s advan- 

 taijeoasly applied to the loadinif vessiel.s with marl 

 on liile wiUer, when that becomes <i business worth 

 piirsuini^ — as it ceriainly will be, at souie lutuie 

 time. 



[To be continued in No. G.] 



AGRICULTUUAL EXCUHSIOXS. 



We have commenced, and intend to continue to 

 make excursions into the country, to such extent as 

 future circumstances may permit and encourage, for 

 the purpose of seeing and making notes of the state 

 of a2;riculture, and of other sources of the wealth and 

 prosperity of dilierent parts of the country. We 

 would g:reatly prefer that this service should be per- 

 formed by other and better hands — not only because of 

 the unceasing demand? on our labor and attention, and 

 our publication and other business at home, but still 

 more because no new observer can possibly understand, 

 and report on, either fully or correctly, matters so little 

 known before, and so hastily glanced over. 



SEASOX A\D STATE OF CROPS. 



Our opinions, given in the two last numbers of the 

 Farmer's Register, as to the amount of the wheat crop, 

 have been co.ifirmed by the latest and most authentic 

 accounts, though previously contradicted on all sides, 

 by newspaper statements of the large crop supposed to 

 have been made, throughout the country. The crop 

 will certainly prove to be less than an average amount. 

 The quality of the grain is most excellent. 



We have never known such variety of condition in 

 the growing cops of Virginia, so far as heard from, in 

 regard to the etlects of abundance, or of want of rain 

 — and especially as to corn. The supply of rain has 

 been extremely irregular, and partial — many farms and 

 small neighborhoods, in different parts of the state, 

 having suffered extremely with drought, while tliere 

 fell plenty of rain within a few miles. But though 

 this state of things is calculated to cause very contra- 

 dictory reports, and many bad reports, (as the sulierers 

 always complain more loudly than others rejoice,) still 

 we hope and believe, that on the whole, the general 

 product of corn will be plentiful. Our opinions as to 

 this prospect, are not founded on very extensive infor- 

 mation; but they may be perhaps counted of some- 

 thing more in value, in as much as we are personal- 

 ly among the heaviest sufferers by long-continued 

 drought. The rains latterly have been abundant every 

 where — but were too late to prevent greatly reduced 

 products, where drought had been most injurious. 



The following is the most unfavorable account re- 

 ceived of the wheat crop, and from part of the finest 

 wheat region of Virginia. 



"Albemarle, Aug. lOth. 



"We have experienced another disastrous season for 

 the wheat crop. It is my opinion that the product in 



this county did not exceed more than half an average 

 crop. 1 know others estimate it as a larger proportion. 

 The quality of the grain is generally good; hut portions 

 of a gn^at many ciops were serioui^ly injured by the 

 rust, both in (|iialily ami qiumlity. 



The corn cio|) was exceedingly proniising until the 

 early part of July. We then expel■lenc^d a severe 

 drought of four weeks, at the most critiCiil season, 

 whic , I think, will materially aliect the abui.dant 

 product previously anlici])ated. We have lately tiad 

 line showers of rain, and the improvement in the ap- 

 pearance of the corn is very considerable. I have 

 never b^ fore seen the beneficial eia cts of deep and 

 timely culture made more manifest, than in the presr nt 

 corn crop. It is almost astonishing to observe the dif- 

 ference, on lands of equal qualify, of that which 

 received deep, and that wliich received shallow culti- 

 vation. Our crops of oats have yielded lar£;e products. 

 The meadows have also been very productive, and a 

 fine crop of hay has been well secured." 



PKU3IBAGO, Cor bi.ack lead) ix north 



CAROLINA AND VIRGIMA. 



It was lately stated in the En<rlish papers, that 

 the celebrated mine of plumbago, or black lead, 

 at Borrowdale, in England, was exhausted, and 

 that no other source of ohtaininir this useful mine- 

 ral was known. It has since been .stafed in some 

 of the papers of this country, that plumbago 

 can he obtained in any quantity in the vicinity of 

 Raleigh in North Carolva. To confirm the 

 statement, we have pleasure in publishing the 

 Ibllowing extract from a geological report made 

 to the legislature of North Carolina several years 

 ago, hy Prolt'ssor Ohnstead, then prolt-ssor of 

 chemistry and minerology, at the University of 

 that slate, and at present, jirofessor of mathema- 

 tics in Yale College. 



"This great deposife of black lead," says the 

 professor, "lies a liitle westward of i?a/ei'gA. The 

 whole formation consists of a great number of 

 [larallel beds, varying in vvidlli from a (ew inches 

 to twenty lf>et. They lie in a singular variety of 

 isiniilass rock, (micaceous schistiis,) usually of a 

 briL''ht cherry-red, but sometimes of a silvery 

 while color .These beds occur ihrouirhout a space 

 not less than three-tljunhs of a mile wide, and ten 

 miles long. I have never read of any mine of 

 plumbago, which can compare in extent with this, 

 and have reason to believe it is the largest mine 

 on reeord." — [Nal. Int.] 



I have lately seen it stated in several newspa- 

 pers that the black lead mine in England which 

 iiad been so long worked had fiiled ; and that no 

 other mine of thai mineral was known. 



There is in the county of x'^melia, state of Vir 

 giiiia, upon the lands of Mr. E. F. Eggleston (at 

 a place called Wintershani,) about two miles 

 north of the court-house, a black lead mine. — 

 Some fifty or sixty years ago it was worked; that 

 is, it was dug into and black lead obtained. Sn'all 

 quantities were left upon the surliice of the pit. 

 'i'he writer has often seen and used it. If mark& 

 well. It is the same mine mentioned by JVIr^ 

 Jeflferson, in his Notes on Virginia. Possibly it 

 miifht now be worked with profit. 



If Professor Rogers will extend his observations 

 into this county, he will find subjects well worthy 

 his attention. 



Amelia County, lOih August, ISSl.—lff'hig.} 



