370 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 6 



under its first crop. Its preparation had been pe- 

 culiar, even in regard to the usatres of this farm. 

 After removing every thing which had been cut 

 down, the land was coultered four times, in as 

 many directions. The whole surface was then 

 covered with li'esh ii\rm-yard manure, and turned 

 under by a good ploughing — which the thorough 

 coultering enabled to be done. This was a labo- 

 rious preparation, but it served for the lohole til- 

 lage of the crop, with tlie small exception that will 

 be mentioned. Corn was planted in drills five 

 leet apart, and left to stand about twenty inches 

 apart in the row, and field-peas drilled thickly in 

 rows between — so that both made alternate rows, 

 thirty inches apart. In the very narrow spaces 

 between the corn and peas, a few strokes of the 

 coulter were given once, when the corn was about 

 half leg high — and that operation conipleied the 

 whole after-tillage. I found the ground to be 

 in good tilth, and clean, there being almost noth- 

 ing growing but the crops — the land evidently 

 having not wanted more tillage. The corn look- 

 ed well (allowing for the great drought which had 

 prevailed until very recently,) and the peas were 

 a very luxuriant growth. Their vines were regu- 

 larly and closely matted throuirhout every row, 

 generally knee high in the middle and covering 

 about half the entire surface of the <rround. They 

 are of the late kind, (the tory pea,) producing 

 vine and leaf more abundantly than seed, and were 

 then just beginning to bloom, and of course have 

 yet time to spread over much more surface than 

 they then covered. I objected to the iiiving vege- 

 table manure, and especially unrotted manure, to 

 new-ground — for the reason that, however poor 

 or unproductive it may have been, it must have 

 contained enough, if notan excess, of unrotted ve- 

 getable matter, m the leaves on the ground. Mr. 

 S. thought that the objection did not apply to this 

 piece of land, as from its great exposure to the 

 violence of the winter winds, which svvept over 

 a wide open country, very i'ew leaves remained 

 here — most of them being blown away to the ad- 

 joining woods. 



As Mr. Sampson does not expect to increase 

 his now cultivated surlace, by more clearings, or 

 otherwise, he proposes to change his hiu'hiand 

 culture to a six-field course, which, however, will 

 not be regular, but the crops be changed accord- 

 ing to circumstances. It has alread}'' been slated 

 whycorn was introduced into the highland rotation, 

 and when he hopes to again discard it. It may 

 not be worth while to state more particularly, 

 plans that are as yet but designed, and which are 

 not expected to be permanent. It is determined, 

 however, to reduce the grazing stock, so as to give 

 some of the clover crop, as manure, directly to the 

 land ; and it is expected, thereby, to have crops of 

 grain, either wheat, oats, or corn, (while corn is 

 continued,) on three of the six highland fields eve- 

 ry year — clover being on the balance of the term. 



Grass culture and hay. Pasturing live stock. 



Every part of the cleared land that is not under 

 grain, or in jireparaiion liira grain cro[>, is made to 

 yield grass, either for hay, or for profitable ffraz- 

 mg ; and grass forms a larger proportion of the 

 products and profits of this fiu-in than of any other 

 that I have heard of below the mountains. Ma- 

 ny Jarmers, of the non-grazing school, fand I for 



one of them,^ would be inclined to condemn so 

 much grazing of the fields ; but, whether the plan 

 pursued here, in that respect, be the most rapidly 

 improving, or yielding the heaviest annual returns, 

 or otherwise, the results prove, beyond all quesfion, 

 that this course has been both highly improving, 

 and productive of large yearly profits. Consider- 

 able sales are made of live stock, and ther products, 

 besides obtaining the large supplies consumed on 

 the farm. Of tlie latter, the main article is the 

 pork, which is always made at home, and for 

 making which the clover fields furnish an impor- 

 tant resource. More than ninety fattened hogs 

 were killed for pork last year, and nearly, if not 

 quite one hundred are expected to be liittened this 

 year. It is a rule here to raise every thing at 

 home that is required for home supplies, that a 

 fiirm can and ought to furnish; and I observed that 

 this was extended even to the product of cotton 

 — of which there is a patch, and for which the 

 climate and soil of this region, are certainly not 

 well adapted. 



The cattle kept, amount to between seventy 

 and eighty in number — but as belcDre slated, the 

 number is intended to be reduced. The flock of 

 sheep has sixty ewes, Tise working animals are 

 fifteen horses and mules (besides riding and car- 

 riage-horses,) and usually eitrht oxen. Besides 

 supporting all in long forage, there has been fur- 

 nished, by contract, to the plage proprietors, for a 

 long time, 100,000 lbs. of hay or sheaf-oats a 

 year — and about 50,000 lbs. are sold to other per- 

 sons, and ahvays by wholesale, or never in small 

 quantities. On& fourth of the great l)ody of low- 

 ground, is in standing timothy meadows ; and 

 herds grass is sown in every little spot that is 

 moist enough to suit it better than grain. It is 

 not surprising-, that Mr. S. should consider grass 

 as one of the most profitable products of" his farm. 



Besides the grazing fiirnished by all the high- 

 land fields, there are two standing pastures; one 

 of twenty-five to thirty acres of the most steep 

 and irregular part of the river hills — and another 

 farther back, of seventy acres. Herds-grass had 

 been sovvn at first, and found to resist continued 

 grazinii: sloutly, and for a long time. There are 

 also several small grazing lots, lor a few blooded 

 horses, rearing for sale, and separate enclosures 

 for rams, and for young heifers, to prevent breed- 

 ing at too early ages, or at improper times. This 

 rearing of race horses, was the only thing observ- 

 ed or heard of, in Mr. Sampson's whole practice, 

 which was a matter of speculation, and great haz- 

 ard as to the success. But as it was but a small 

 matter, and the business but in its early stage, 

 it was not worth incjuiring as to the particulars. 

 If" so good a fi^rmer and economist, should con- 

 tinue, for ten years or more, to rear racing stock for 

 sale, a full exhibit of his account of cost and profit, 

 and of his final results, and his opinions of the busi- 

 ness, would be a most interesting and useful docu- 

 ment for the people of Virginia. 



Mr. Sampson has, for some years, been raising 

 cattle of the short-horned (or Durham) breed. 

 He has a fine show of young heifers of the halt- 

 brcod. He lorat his fiill-hlooded cow aftershe had 

 brought one calf only, and his fine bull died whilst 

 I was there. He was then on a neighbor's farm, 

 and hig death was supposed to be caused by being, 

 lioven, from eating new clover hay. I was not 

 before aware of any danger of this disease, after 



