224 



FARMERS' REGISTER— TOBACCO PLANT BEDS. 



taking a week to cure a house, it can now be done 

 in three days, with hall' the care and trouble. As 

 I am writing on the eve of a change of fashion in 

 tobacco, I sliall not attempt to describe the jjrocess 

 of curing with that minuteness that accords with 

 my oriffinal design, but shall content myseli" with 

 remarking, that as there has' been a radical 

 change in the sort of tobacco in demand, within 

 the last twelve months, it is not yet ascertained 

 what })articular process of curing will suit the ca- 

 priciovis taste of the Ibrcign consumers, or the still 

 more fastidious taste of our domestic purchasers. 

 I think r can however, very safely congratulate 

 the plahters of our country on a change, contri- 

 buting so much to lessen the labor and expense of 

 curing their cro])s. This brings me to the consi- 

 deration of the fourth' l^ranch of the subject^ that 

 is, the stripping and pressing Qi the crop, which 

 will form the subject of my next communication. 



G. 



Wardsfork, Charloite Co. " . 



MANURES. 



To the Editor of tlic Farmers' Register. 



Will you permit a constant reader of your valu- 

 able journal to propose a subject for an article? It 

 is this: "The best method of collecting, preserving, 

 and applying manures.". If the subject is tod ex- 

 tensive, I should with others, feel much indebted to 

 Bome good practical farmer, who will give your rea- 

 ders an essay on the "jfpplirMtion of manures'''' — in- 

 cludmg the time when the land should be manured 

 — the state of the manure — method of applying — 

 whether it should lie on the land any length of 

 time, or be immediately turned in with the plough, 

 &c., &e. This last part of the subject I think de- 

 serves particular notice. 



A large portion of your readers reside in a coun- 

 try where "calcareous manures" cannot be pro- 

 cured, but at some considerable expense'; and the 

 valuable works already published would obviate 

 the necessity of touching on that branch of the 

 subject proposed. 



O. p. Q. 



ON THE PRESERVATIOX OF TLA^T BEDS FOR 

 TOBACCO. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 Owing to the -extravagant custom of selecting 

 and burning new beds for. plants every year, the 

 land best adapted to plant-raising hu,s become in 

 many parts of the com^try very scarce. . Hence 

 the great difficulty of planting at a seasonable 

 time the tobacco crop, upon which so much is de- 

 pendant as to the product. The difference between 

 a late and forward crop, the past experience of all 

 tobacco growers can abundantly testify. It is not 

 my object to say any thing respecting the many 

 disadvantages, and great loss to the planting m- 

 terest arismg from late crops. But I propose in- 

 viting attention to the importance of jireserving 

 such land as is best adapted to raising-plants, and 

 to state some experiments which I have tried with 

 considerable success. The general impression is, 

 that plants cannot be raised with as much certain- 

 ty' on old as new beds! The former generally are 

 in open fields, and more exposed to the winds and 

 sun, which cause them to dry much sooner than the 

 latter, which arc almost invariably in the woods, 



where they arc better protected, I believe that 

 but little, if any difference has been observed in_ 

 beds similarly located and pro]ierly riianaged. 



Many expedients have been tpied, and some 

 have fitiled, whilst others have succeeded, in rais- 

 ing j)laHts on old beds. For .the last six or eight 

 years, I. have raised llilly- half of my plants from 

 old beds, some of which liave been burnt regular- 

 ly durirtg the whole time, and are more productive 

 now thaii when first burnt. 



I- will mention two or three expedients which I 

 have tried with considerable success.. Covering 

 the bed with leaves or brush, Serves to protect it 

 from the sun and prevents "grass, from putting up 

 and seeding, which is very desirable. The only 

 objection to this mode is that the bed will need 

 manure every year, and the difficulty of getting 

 such as is suitable, and free from grass seed, is, 

 and has been, the great objection to this plan. As 

 a remedy I will suggest an experiment I made 

 and, with which I was much pleased, in conse- 

 quence of its success, which was this: as soon as 

 I had drawn all the plants I intended from the bed, 

 I penned my cattle on it until it was well manured 

 -^(care should be taken not to sufl'er them to go 

 on when the land is wet.) It is important that 

 tliis. should, be done as early as possible, that it 

 may be sufficiently manured before the grass seed 

 is ripe, which will be a great economy of labor 

 and wood, as the bed will require but little burn- 

 ing — (tlie land having been once well burnt.) So 

 far as my experience serves, this supersedes the 

 necessity of manuring affer the plants have come 

 up, which is a very troublesome job, and but little 

 of our lands . now lef^ for this purpose will bring 

 plants without it. So soon as the cattle are re- 

 moved, the bed should be covered with brush un- 

 til the fail or early in the winter, when it may be 

 removed, in order that the bed may dry for burn- 

 ing, which if done during some dry spell at that 

 season, Avill require very hght burning: frequently 

 brush will be sufficient, provided no grass has been 

 suffered to grow and seed on the bed. It would 

 be well to pay some regard to locality in making 

 a selection for a standing bed. Under our present 

 plan Ave Will soon be deprived of all those spots so 

 favorably situated for watering, and so have in- 

 creased the difficulty of raising plants. Would it 

 not be well to preserve %such spots as, can be con- 

 veniently watered? I have no doubt, from a little 

 attention to this subject, that we may Avith less la- 

 bor and Avith eiiual, if not greater certainty, raise 

 an abundance of plants, by burning (instead of 

 the Avhole) say one half new, and the balance of 

 old beds. 



IVEW SPECIES. OF WHEAT. 



A variety of Avheat Avhich does not seem liable 

 to the attacks of the wheat-fly has been accidentally 

 found. It is most prolific, grows a foot taller than 

 the common Avheat, but is not like the Re\-el Avheat. 

 It is awned, and someAvhatlike the Egyptian, but 

 of a clearer color, Avithoutthe protuberances of the 

 latter. If once a supply of this. A-ariety for seed is 

 found, the fly Avill be starved. Of a patch stand- 

 ing in the middle of a field, Avhere e\'ery ear of 

 the common Avheat Avas hurt, andAvhere flies were 

 very numerous, not an ear Avas touched, although 

 other bearded varieties suffered. — 3Ir. Gorrie: 

 Highland Society Transactions. 



