1837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



3<)7 



volvulus vines; and also a later weeding, of the 

 latter slight lashion, of a Rnu\ll portion. The in- 

 tluceaient tor this last extra work was, that the 

 laborers were on the ground for a ii;w hours of an 

 evening after finishing some other job. When 

 «lio\vn the ground (on Aug. 14th,) I could not 

 perceive that the corn was any better there than 

 the adjoining. There were many cow-itch (trum- 

 pet llower) vines, scattered thinly throughout the 

 field (a part of Sabot Island,) and numerous 

 young convolvulus plants just starting. But none 

 of these weeds seemed to have alfected, or threat- 

 ened to hurt the crop. What is much more to the 

 purpose than my opinion thereon, Mr. Sampson 

 is satisfied that the tillage of his crop has been 

 sufficient, although the long continuance of drought 

 has served to injure the whole cropj and will great- 

 ly lessen the product. 



The still dimmished tillage of this year was en- 

 couraged by the result of two experiments previ- 

 ously made in different years, the circumstances of 

 which will be stated. 



The first was on four acres of the field, on which 

 the cultivator only was used, once or twice, and of 

 which the crop, bej'ond all question, was as good 

 as on the adjoining part, and the balance of" the 

 field, cultivated on his usual plan. The thinning 

 and weeding of the corn on these four acres were 

 as usual. 



The second experiment was still a greater de- 

 ])arture from usage. Fifteen acres of the field, in 

 clover, remained untouched until the clover had 

 reached nearly its full growth, and begun to show 

 blossoms. It was then turned under as deeply 

 and effectually as possible, and corn planted im- 

 mediately. The state of the clover indicates that 

 the time mast have been late in May. The 

 plough could not be used to mark off the rows for 

 corn, and it was done by marking with a piece of 

 wood — the holes being opeyied with hoes. A 

 very fine growth of corn fallowed, and there 

 was a good prospect of an abundant yield. But 

 severe drought came at the critical period of 

 earing, and there was but a middling product. 

 The only horse tillage consisted in a slight running 

 over of the cultivators, taking care not to turn over 

 the subverted sod, or to touch the covered clover. 



When I went through and examined the now 

 standing crop of corn, it evidently had suffered 

 considerably by the drought. But there was no 

 appearance of suffering, or prospect of suffering, 

 for want of sufficient tihh, or of sufficient clean- 

 ness. The plants stood so much thicker than I 

 had been accustomed to see, (though I myself 

 am condemned by my neighbors lor planting corn 

 loo thickly,) that I could not judge of the value, 

 or probable product. Of course each particular 

 stalk and its ear, was inferior in size to what 

 it would have been, if allowed nearly twice the 

 space, as is usual. 



There was one part of the island field planted 

 still more thickly. The sixteen-feet beds here 

 had five corn-rows on each, and the closeness in 

 the rows not less. The narrowness of these in- 

 tervals made it impossible to run the cultivator af- 

 ter the first time. We examined carefully, the 

 junction of this piece with the balance, and it did 

 not appear that the crop was made less heavy by 

 this closer planting. 



Sabot Island is surrounded by the water of the 

 river, the narrow (northern) branch being forda- 



ble at the ordinarj'- height of water. The island 

 contains 420 acres of low-ground, and stretches 

 along, and forms jiarts o!' the farms of li)ur or five 

 dilliMOnt proprietors. The part belonging to Mr. 

 Sampson is 120 acres. This li'iiile island, aUvajs 

 bearing heavy crops, and divided into as many 

 small compartments as is required by the rotation 

 of each proprietor, when seen from the neighbor- 

 ing high hills, presents an object no lees beautiful 

 to the eye of the admirer of natural scenery, than 

 gratifying to the mer6 liirmer, by its rich products, 

 or promise of abundant crops. 



There is a particular point on the brow of the 

 river hills, at the lunction of Mr. Sampson's land 

 with his neighbor's to the east, where the pros- 

 pect can scarcely be rivalled, in the combination 

 of beautiful and striking ligatures in the landscape. 

 Thousands of acres of these rich low-grounds lie 

 in view, adjacent or remote, separated by the 

 meandering, a'nd sometimes divided course of the 

 river, which is in flill view for miles, both above 

 and below, in some parts lessened in appearance 

 to a mere thread of sdver, and in others expanded 

 to what might seem parts of distant lakes. The 

 uniform level of so large aiiody of low-ground is in 

 strong contrast with the surrounding high hills ; 

 and the verdant cover of some of the latter is ren- 

 dered still more marked by the contrast presented 

 on others, close by, in red galls, and the naked black 

 sites of old coal works, both of which are so nume- 

 rous as to cover a large portion of the surface, and 

 to be barely separated into different red or black 

 splotches, by narrow strips of green. Many neigh- 

 boring residences and fb.rm buildings are in sight, 

 and several large mansion houses increase tf:e beau- 

 ty of the prospect. There are other minor objects 

 of interest to a stranger — in the neighboring steam 

 engine of Anderson's coal works, and at some- 

 times in the rapid passage of the coal-cars to the 

 river, carried by force of' gravity alone, from the 

 shaft of the mine to the river. But the feature 

 that speaks most to the itnagination, if not to the 

 eye, is presented in three peaks of the Blue Ridge 

 Mountains, which in clear weather, and just before 

 and after sunset, are distinctly seen, though bare- 

 ly raised above the horizon. These are sixty-se- 

 ven miles distant, as measured on the map by a 

 straight line. 



Culture and improvement of the hilly land. 



It has been the main object to have corn as sel- 

 dom as possible on the hills; and when it was ab- 

 solutely necessary to have that crop, as a cleanser 

 of foul land, to substitute the coulter for the plough 

 as much as possible. The rotation first adopted 

 on the high lands was — 



1st year, oats — the stubble afterwards fallowed 

 for wheat — 



2nd year, wheat, sown in clover — 



3rd and 4th year, clover, grazed. 



This land received all the manure from the 

 farm-yard and stables, and the unrotted offal of 

 grain crops. The rotted manures, in preference, 

 were used as top-dressing on the wheat. The 

 wheat straw (when not required for feeding stock,) 

 was used dry and unrotted, to be spread thinly 

 over the poorer parts of the land, when in young 

 grass. This is considered the most profitable use 

 of straw as manure. By the careful application 

 of these means, together with leaves from the 

 woods, and with gypsum used in every rotation 



