75fl 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 12 



effects of it; "no arijument like matter of fact is." 



Another cJeecription of Boil not very uncoiiinion 

 with us, is a coarse, dark, grey, trravelly loam, 

 W'iUi a good deal ol rock on the surf ice, and inier- 

 mixed with the soi' — he subplraium of a very 

 tenacious, close, yellow clay, which it is nearly 

 impopsihie to raise with a folding plou^rh, and 

 when raised, best allowed to remain where it was. 

 I have tbund the admixture of this clay with the 

 loam, renders it very close, heavy and tenacious 

 when wet, and hard when dry. 



We have still another description of soil, which 

 I believe, in my soul, is the worst of the whole. I 

 allule to a coarse gravelly loam, with a substratum 

 of ash-colored clay: this req\iires the surface to be 

 turned more superficially than any other land, as 

 nothing can be gained by mixinii the clay with 

 the surface, the effect being a stiff, cold, pipe-clay 

 coil. 



I am a decided advocate for the land we culti- 

 vate being broken deep with tools which leave the 

 soil and substrata remaining in their relative posi- 

 tions. We should always leave the fertilizing 

 principle as near the surface as possible, and 

 where it is rendered most available in the growth 

 of vegetation. 



I have a large, and originally very impoverished 

 estate, on which I have all the descriptions of soil 

 above noticed. I used, for a few years after oh- 

 taining possession of it, deep ploughing, and the 

 result of my observation is as above staled. I 

 know nothing of the effects of deep ploughing on 

 limestone or marly lands; such soils, I presume, 

 might undergo great changes by the action of 

 chemical agencies upon them when exposed to 

 their effects. 



I have for some time supposed, that the fertile 

 red soils contain an active alkaline principle. I 

 have been induced to this belief^ on account of the 

 rapid decomposition of vegetable matter in contact 

 with such soil. I have heard several very intelli- 

 gent farmers attribute it to the effects of lime; but 

 am disposed to think, myself, it is potash, the most 

 common alkali in the composition of vegetable 

 substances, fn ploughing up and exposing the 

 clay of such lands, the potash contained in it 

 undergoes a change by the action of the atmos- 

 phere, into a nitrate (or nitre) which is a great 

 stimulant of vegetation. The nitre (nitras pn- 

 tasscB) is exhibited in a great many vegetables, 

 and is frequently seen on the tobacco plant, hav- 

 ing exuded from the stalk and stem in the process 

 of curing and drying. I believe it is generally 

 conceded, that fertilization takes place exclusively 

 on the surface, and the roots of vegetables imbib- 

 ing the nutritive principle, are those which run 

 laterally and superficially; the tap root affording 

 nioieture only. 



The action of the gases on the surface is very 

 much dependent on the substances they come in 

 contact with; thus round about Mount Etna, and 

 on the lava poured forth by occasional eruptions of 

 that volcano, after becoming indurated by expo- 

 sure to the atmosphere, a very rich loam is soon 

 formed of the greatest fertility, which I attribute 

 to the action of the atmosphere on the potash of 

 the ashes that are occasionally showered on the 

 lava. 



I. B. Rick. 



ffaltfas, February 16, 18S8. 



From xha Cultivator. 

 GREAT CROP OF CORN. 



Laurens, December 1, 1837. 



Judge Buel — Dear Sir — I send you a statement 

 of the expense and product of an acre of Indian 

 corn, raised by me, together with the mode of 

 Its cultivation. The corn was the little eight row- 

 ed yellow variety. 



Soil and culture. — The soil is a warm sandy 

 loam. It was ploughed deep in the autumn of 

 1836. About the first of May, 1 carried on, and 

 spread all over the ground, about thirty loads of 

 stable and barn yard unlermented manure, then 

 rolled and harrowed the ground well, being care- 

 fiil not to disturb the sod, which was timotiiy, and 

 mown the summer preceding; and on the 9th and 

 10th May planted the same, two and a half feet 

 between the rows, and fifteen inches between the 

 hills. It was dressed with ashes when it made its 

 appearance above ground. On the 10th June 

 commenced weeding and thinning, leaving from 

 two to four of the best spears in each hill, the 

 whole averaging about three spears in a hill. Af- 

 ter this I ashed it again, using in all about ten 

 bushels of good unleached house ashes. On the 

 lOih of July commenced hoeing, and at the same 

 time took off all the suckers — put no more earth 

 about the hills than we took from I hem, but care- 

 fully cleaned out all the weeds from the hills. 

 The seed vvas prepared by simply wetting it with 

 warm water, and rolling it in plaster. 



Harvesting. — The corn was cut up the 18th 

 September, at the ground, and shocked in small 

 shocks; and on the 9th of October it was housed 

 and husked, and subsequently thrashed and mea- 

 sured. 



Product. — Ninety-nine bushels of first-rate corn, 

 without even a nubbin ofsolt or poor grain, owing 

 to the fact, probably, that there was no suekers on 

 which to grow them. 



Uxpenses. 



Ploughing one day and board, 

 Rolling and harrowing one day, 

 Seed and plaster, 

 Planting two days, at 75 cents, 

 Five days hoeing and board, 



82 GO 



2 00 

 1 25 

 1 50 



3 75 



Horse and hand with cultivator two days, 2 00 

 Cutting up and shocking two days, 75 cents, 1 50 

 Husking and housing ten days, 75 cents, 7 50 

 Ten bushels ashes, at 25 cents, 2 50 



liaboron rufa baga, (sown among the corn,) 1 50 

 Interest on land, at S50 per acre, 3 50 



Thrashing corn, three days, 2 25 



35 loads manure, at 25 cents, $8 7S 



Caning and spreading do. 8 75 



17 50 



Deducting two-thirds for succeeding 

 crops in rotation, 11 67 



5 83 



Total charges, $37 80 



Value of Produce. 



70 bushels 8eedcorn,(sellingprice,) at S2, §140 00 



29 do. sound do. (do.) at ^1.25, 36 25 



4 loads stalks, at S2.50, 10 06 



