,837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



483 



timbers ami flnorintf were very little injured by rot. 



I coiicliiileii, tlv.\t a free circulation of air must 

 be. allovvfd, or uir must be entirely excluded, to 

 save timber I'roiTi decay. 



It lias been found, that when posts are set. in 

 the i>round and ca.=ed with hoards lor heller ap- 

 pearance, tlie confined air destroys them. Even 

 red cedar, which last* an -auje when set open, if 

 cased, which is often done lor ornament in ira'« 

 posts, decays as soon as any other wood, by the 

 confined air. 



deveiope resources ol" groat variety and value. 

 Without pretendinir lo bn a judije, I tiinik that an 

 unaienso portion of tlie capiial anil (Miterpiise of 

 'lie .•?iatc of Virjiinia might llnd profitable employ- 

 ment within tiic.-:e ten miles' square, onihiacing 

 the mouths of Hico, Banis'er, Dan and Staunton, 

 and the town of Clarksville. I tirop thc-e hmls, 

 Mr. Editor, with a view to improve upon them at 

 .-^ome future day, or to awaken the attention of 

 those better qualificil to examine into such matters. 



A. C. AJORTON. 



For the Farmers' Register. 



LEWES AND GYPSUM, AS MANURi: FOR TO- 

 BACCO. — XATLR.VL ADVANTAGES (of PART 

 OF MECKLENBURG. 



JSliiefifone, Mecklenburg, } 

 October ISih, 1837. 5 



I promised last spring, to report the result of an 

 ■experiment, in manuring with leaves tor tobacco. 

 It has not been, altogt^ther, as successful as I ex- 

 pected ; but has not been so much a Ikilure, as to 

 discourage future efforts in that way. The scrap- 

 ing from the wood-pile proved much less efficient 

 than the leaves. I am encouraged by a remark 

 made by you, in the last ' Register,' to hope that 

 what my tobacco, made on land manured with 

 leaves, may want in size, will be made up in 

 richness and flavor. I used plaster, freely, in 

 April, on voung clover, seeded in March, without 

 visible efl'ect. But that used on tobacco, was per- 

 ceptible in eight days, and on the tenth day was 

 so obvious, that a visiter at my house pointed out 

 the unplastered row, instantaneously, without any 

 guide except the size and complexion of the |)ianis. 

 This was new land, with the first crrap. The crops 

 of corn and tobacco in this neighborho jd are very 

 good. The crop of wheat, though not very abun- 

 dant, was first-rate in (luaiiiy. 



While I am writing, I will call your attention 

 to some of the features of this region. I never 

 saw any country more inviting to caiiitalists. 

 There are four navigable rivers coming together, 

 in five miles' compass. The same compass em- 

 braces Hico and Tally's fills, affording most splen- 

 did water power, and sif^s lor mills and manufac- 

 tories, besides tour or five creeks immediately be- 

 low, and one just above the first mingling of the 

 l>an and Staunton, at Ablteville, a deserted town, 

 and a beautiful location fi)r a town. While the rail 

 road mania raned so furiously, it is strange that 

 nobody ever thought of constructing one fi'om 

 Abbeville to Farmville, a distance of about fi!ty 

 miles, on a continuous ridge, unbroken by a single 

 ravine, and on which, might be constructed a road 

 without excavation or embankment. There is 

 said to be another ridge, which strikes the yVppo- 

 mattox still lower down, that seems equally well 

 adapted to such a purpose. There are three 

 large manuliicturing mills now operathux within 

 three or four miles of Abbeville, and water power 

 for an almost countless number of ma!Mlf;^.ctories. 

 The lands on both sides of the Dan and Staunton, 

 frcm the first junction or thorouixhlare to ih^ir 

 final confluence, and as far below as I know them, 

 are very productive, but not at all im[iroved. I 

 think if Mr. Ruffin and Professor Rogers could 

 each spend a few days in this region, they might 



For tlie Farmers' Register. 



EXPERIMENT OF THE PRODUCT OF TWIW 

 CORN. 



To James M. Garnett, Esq. 



Dear Sir — The parcel of twin corn you had the 

 kindness to send u)e last spring, came sati^ly to 

 hand ; and I adopt the mode of thanking you 

 through the ' Register,' for the favor, and of stat- 

 ing, at the same time, the result of my experi- 

 ment. The corn, with the exception of a few 

 grains given to two of my nciirhfiors, was planted 

 about the 8th or lOih of April, in good ground, 

 which had been bedded f(ir tob;icco, the Ijeds be- 

 ing about three fi^et two inches wide, which was evi- 

 dently too narrow to give the corn its best chance 

 of fruitfulness. It was hoed twice, superficially, 

 and ploughed once only, throwing the furrow-shce 

 to the corn. I have just harvested the crop, and 

 ti-om a small fraction less than the sixteenth of an 

 acre, containins 354 stalks, harvested 739 ears, or 

 tour and a half bushels of corn, four bushels be- 

 ing sound, merchantable corn, and half a bushel, 

 nubbins. One remarkable stalk, including suckers, 

 produced ten ears, viz: the main stalk tour, two 

 suckers, each two ears ; and two others, each one 

 ear. This stalk I have hunn- up in my porch, to 

 convince the incredulous. The two suckers that 

 produced two ears each, grew there as ears ordi- 

 narily grow on the corn stalks — the other two, had 

 i^ach an ear on top. One stalk produced six ears — 

 [six produced four each, and Ibrty-eight produced 

 [hreeeach. Forty-fiour good ears were gathered 

 from the su<M<ers, and some nubbins. This state- 

 ment includes all the ears harvestetl. The corn- 

 !>lants that were thinned out, were transplanted, 

 and the stalks irenerally yielded two or three ears 

 each ; but as this soon partly lidl a prey to a mis- 

 chievuiis hog, I. cannot give the exact result. 



Dr. PaulC. Venable,' and Dr. U. L. Jeffries, 

 to each of whom I gave a i'ew grains, were 

 very much pleased wilh the corn through thesum- 

 mer ; but I have not seen them since it was iza- 

 ihered. The twin corn was two or three weeks 

 earlier than the common crop of this neighbor- 

 iiood, and I think it prouii.ses to be a great acqui- 

 .<ition. Every gentleman who has seen it grow- 

 ing, was highly pleased with it, and bespoke an 

 ■ar to plant. I have thus, sir, given the result of 

 m experiment, which proves highly satisfiictory 

 o me, and which, 1 hope, will prove useful to tliia' 

 region of connlry. 



Your obliged, humble .sservant, 



A. C. Morton. 



P.S. — A pinchinrr droiio'ht, about the time thft 

 car began to fill, lessened the crop perhaps a 

 liMirth. 



