FARMERS' RfiGlSTER-COMMERCUL REPORT. 



subject, although volumes on volumes have been 

 .WTittCn, and a century conriumcd in the discussion, 

 without havinfT decided finy thing. Perha])s none 

 of these oi>inions and practices are right — and cer- 

 tainiy the greater part must be wrong— and tlie 

 manure destrojed and wasted by our igilorance in 

 Viro;iiiia every. year, would support an experiment- 

 al larm in every county in the stiite, and every 

 other public institution that has been ever thought 

 of lor agricullin-al improvement. There never will 

 be much light thrown on the mysterious subject of 

 the lermentation of manures, _until it is made a 

 niatter of the most attentive investigation by scien-. 

 tific and practical chemistg — and even if any one 

 individual farmer could belbund who was qualified 

 lor the investigation, there is none who could sub- 

 mit to the long continued attention and labor, and 

 the very heavy expenses, Avhich vv'ould be required 

 lor the purpose. 



These illustrations are fnerely brought fonvard 

 as examples of what an experimental farm could 

 do, and not as the objects which it Avould be most 

 advisable to begin upon. Every one who will 

 think on the subject ^\■1I1 discovei-, i"n abundance, 

 proper and profitable work (profitable for the gen- 

 eral interests I mean,) to employ all the labor and 

 money that may be appropriated for such purpose. 

 If I induce any to think, it is enough: it is not my 

 object, and is altogether needless, .to state what 

 wiU occur to eveiy mind that is directed to the 

 subject. R. N. 



MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REPORT. 



To the Editor^of the Fanners' Register. 



Sir — Since my last commimication there has 

 been scarcely any change in the situation of com- 

 mercial afi'airs. A state of torj)or prevails in all 

 the large cities north of Virginia. The spirit of 

 ■enterprise, which had given acti\'ity to conmierce 

 and manufactures, continues paralyzed; the indus- 

 try which was engaged in other than agricultural 

 pursuits, finds no occupation, and not one of the 

 many avocations which employed Jthe capital and 

 labor of our northern brethren, retains its Ibrmer 

 activity. Bankruptcies have ceased, because iiiw 

 new engagements were made, after credit rec^ved 

 its shock. This state of inactivity does not prevail 

 so sensibly in the Southern States, whose com- 

 merce, instead of being ramified like that ot" our 

 large cities, throughout e^ery part of the world, is 

 chiefly confined to supplying raw materials to the 

 manufacturers of other countries. Those coun- 

 tries Avill resort to us, as we do to Chinaj and caiTy 

 on the trade of which we debar ourselves — a much 

 largerporfion of our commerce is therefiSre" con- 

 ducted on foreign account and with foreign capital 

 than has been in fonner years. 



The prices of our produce have not varied ma- 

 terially during the month. Very fine tobacco, of 

 which the crop contains a smaller proportion than 

 usual, sells at .^7 to 11 — good 5^ to 6^ — inferior 

 and middling 3 to 5. The quantity inspected is 

 less than any Ibrmer year. 



As usual at this season, there is no wheat in 

 market, and most of the- mills are idle. Ofiers are 

 made of early deliveries of the growing crop at. 

 one dollar per bushel, or a fraction higher. Flour 

 if? worth about %4. 50, except that made at the 

 City Millf^, of high repute, and which is exported 

 almost entirely to South America. Our farmers 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 63 



may be enabled, in consequence of the immense 

 establishments winch will be in flill operation thia 

 summer, to obtain a higher price for their wheat 

 than can be afforded by the northern millers, who 

 have heretofore procured a portion of their suppUes 

 from VH-gmia. 



The price of cotton (12 to 13 cents) has scarce- 

 ly varied during the month, and has been hio-her 

 in our markets than in those south of us, where all 

 commercial operations are now greatly embar- 

 rassed by the difficulty of making negotiafions. 

 liilis on New York, which command a premium 

 m Vii-gmia, are at a discount in the southern cities, 

 and the requiste amount cannot be negotiated un- 

 less at a sacrifice to brokers. x. 



P. S. Can }-ou not induce some of your intel- 

 ligent agricultural friends in difierent paVts of the 

 country, to. give you a monthly re]wrt of the orow- 

 ing crops? From the 12th to the 16th of thia 

 month there were severe frosts— most unusual in 

 our climate. It would be intcrestino- to learn what 

 injury wasdone. The Hessian Fly is said to have 

 committed extensive ravages on the wheat croi)— 

 this is another subject of interest. x 



iMay 28th, 1834. 



[Reports of seasons and crops have been already 

 asked for, with ■ veiy little success. The facts allu- 

 ded to by X. are enough to show the want of such in- 

 formation. The effects ofthe frosts of the nights before 

 and after the 16th, were not only unusually severe, but 

 operated very unequally. No considerable damage 

 however, it is believed, was sustained by any field 

 crops — though the first alai-m caused some cotton to be 

 ploughed up, and planted again. The Hessian Fly will 

 ca.use much greater damage than has ever been pre- 

 viously suffered by our own wheat, though it was 

 sowed within the time which usually insures safety. 

 Other neighboring fields suffer as much, and will not 

 yield the half of average crops: but it is said that 

 others within ten miles, are but little affected. Thus 

 it is, that a single reporter, confined to his own farm, 

 or even his own neighborhood, might serve to spread 

 error, more than correct information on such subjects, 

 though many reporters would fully serve the purpose 

 desired, and be of great service to the whole agricul- 

 tural community.] 



CHEAP EDITION OF THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



The only objection which has been made to the 

 Farmers' Register is its price— and this is the principal 

 obstacle to its circulation being extemled very far be- 

 yond its present, limits. It would not be difficult to 

 show that the dearness of this work is alleged without 

 good ground, and by a very unfair mode of comparison 

 with low priced newspapers,' in which mere bulk is 

 considered, without regard to the nature of the con- 

 tents, or the execution of the work. The appe'arance 

 of a paper that is usually thrown aside as soon as it has 

 been looked over, is not judged severely by its subscri- 

 bers; and if it is so printed as to be both legible and in- 

 telligible, most readers are content. But a periodical 



