FARMERS' REGISTER— AGRICULTURAL JOURNALS. 



327 



there is many fine crops. Now is a trying time 

 in tobacco, most of which is small; and unless we 

 get rain in a few days, the crop is obliged to be 

 small: and in any event, Irom what the writer has 

 seen and heard, it will he another short crop. The 

 Avheat croj) 1^= not likely to yield as was expected; 

 I think it will lidl sliort nearly a third. The oat 

 crop around this place was exceedingly sorry; and 

 I doubt very much, whether taking the whole 

 crop, if it can be any thing like an average one. 

 There is little or no land fallowed in this covmty, 

 and the season so far advanced there will be but 

 little done at it, notwithstanding this is a great 

 wheat growing county. 



ALABAMA LANDS, AND AGRICULTURAL JOUR- 

 NALS. 



To tlic Editor of llic Farmers' Register. 



September 3d, 1834. 



* * * * I promised you to make some 

 effort to extend the circulation of your journal in 

 Alabama when I saw you last spring on my way 

 thither. I found the erroneous opinion very pre- 

 valent in that region, "that their lands were natu- 

 rally so fertile, that the improving hand of man 

 could impart nought, either to its fertility, or to the 

 retention of its existing richness." But I am very 

 much mistaken, if the opposite be not the truth: 

 their lands are generally broken, and in many 

 places sufficiently undulating, to be seriously in- 

 jured by washing rains. It is true, they have lands, 

 some cane-brakes and prairies, which, I presume, 

 with a proper system of" cultivation, can never be 

 deteriorated — they only require a change to relieve 

 them of a tiresome companion for years. It is a 

 splendid planting country; and I believe, that there 

 are portions of South Alabama, as healthy as any 

 country in the world. The land, except lor a short 

 interval, is very dry — and they are blessed with 

 fine Umestonc water. There is so much carbonate 

 of lime in the soil, that if a portion be thrown into 

 vinegar, instant efiervesence ensues. It follows, 

 that so soon as dead vegetables fall to the earth, 

 they are decomposed. Pure air sweeps over the 

 land, and as there are no ponds of stagnant wa- 

 ter, no nifirshes, consequently, no miasmatic va- 

 pors. Of course, the country must be heathly, 

 and I am surprised that any, who have had a per- 

 sonal inspection of the country, if profit is their 

 object, can remain here. Your great and invalua- 

 ble efforts will, no doubt, ultimately present a bar- 

 rier to emigration, for although the advantages 

 may be infinitely superior, yet the disadvantages 

 in breaking up — making immense sacrifices in 

 many instances of property — and of friends, rela- 

 tions, &c., in all cases, are enough to deter one of 

 ordinarj' firmness from putting the design into ex- 

 ecution. My feeble constitution makes it necessarj'', 

 that I should seek a warmer climate, hence I go 

 to South Alabama. The part with which I am 

 most pleased, is immediately below the mountains, 

 through Green, Marengo, &c. I regret very much 

 to leave old Virginia; but with her are left the 

 fondest wishes, the most ardent prayersof my soul, 

 for her prosperity'. I think, that Virginia is waking 

 from her fatal lethargy — a lethargy, which had 

 well nigh annihilated her hope.<;, and driven her 

 enterprising sons to the "far West." You are j 



destined, I hope, to place her in that position she 

 once occupied, and great will be your reward, in 

 the unfeigned gratitude of thousands unborn. I 

 shall carry with me your paper to the South, and 

 shall make every ettbrt for its extension. I need 

 not say, I derive much gratification lirom its pe- 

 rusal. 



[Some of the warmest friends and supporters of the 

 Farmers' Register, are planters of the rich new lands 

 of the South and West, and they are fully of the opin- 

 ion that they have each an individual and private, a.? 

 well as a general and public interest, in the support of 

 the work. But we are aware that such opinions are 

 comparatively rare — and that most of those on new 

 and very fertile soils, hold such opinions as are quoted 

 by our correspondent above, "that no agricultural pub- 

 lication is wanted for those who cultivate soils of such 

 great fertility." This is a mistaken view, in every 

 aspect. It might be easily shown tliat the sound rules 

 for adding fertility to impoverished soils, would be use- 

 ful for the preservation of the fertility where it has not 

 yet been lost — and no matter how rich may be the 

 planter's land, nor how low the price at which he can 

 purchase more, it will always be more economical to 

 preserve, than to waste or destroy the fertihty of his 

 soil. 



But even if all is yielded that is claimed for these 

 erroneous opinions — if it is admitted, to the fullest ex- 

 tent, that the Alabama planters cannot possibly profit 

 by instructions for increasing or retaining fertility in 

 the soil — still there will remain many important mat- 

 ters in which they may receive valuable and profitable 

 instructions, and even from other farmers in remote 

 countries, and cultivating under differentcircumstances. 

 No matter how rich the soil, its management may be 

 such as to yield a poor return to its owner: and it is as 

 important to the Alabama planter, to economise his 

 scanty supply of high priced labor, as for other farmers 

 to economise and increase their means of fertilizing 

 poorer soils. Information respecting labor saving im- 

 plements, and labor saving processes in cultivation — 

 of the peculiar qualities and respective value of im- 

 proved breeds of domestic animals — and of their dis- 

 eases, and the proper remedies therefor — of the new 

 and more valuable varieties of cultivated plants, and of 

 the causes of, and remedies for, the fatal diseases to 

 which all crops are subject, and which often change, 

 and exhibit increased virulence, or present altogether 

 new appearances and effects. For example — when 

 the rot was first extending over the cotton fields of the 

 South, it would have been of great importance for in- 

 telligent and observing planters, to have made use of 

 an agricultural journal, as means for exchanging their 

 ideas respecting the new and destructive disease: and 

 if such interchange of opinions and of facts, had not 

 served to point out the remedy, it would at least have 

 saved great expense to many planters in showing the 

 worthlessness of measures which they supposed to be, 

 and were using, at great trouble and cost, as remedies 

 for the rot. 



But putting aside all these important considerations, 

 there is anotlier, humble as it may be, that alone will 



