328 



FARMERS' REGISTER— THE WILD ONION. 



repay any farmer in Alabama or elsewhere, for his 

 expense in taking an agricultural journal. This is, 

 that through it he may at any time obtain an answer 

 to his inquiries on any particular subject, which pro- 

 bably could not be done without such moans, in twenty 

 years, if ever. How much has not every farmer lost 

 at some time, for the want of particular information 

 respecting the value of a new crop, of diifercnt varie- 

 ties of seeds, of new implements, &.C.; which loss might 

 have been avoided, if he had known where to seek and 

 obtain the infonnation needed. Every farmer would 

 gain at least as much as his subscription money, by 

 subscribing for, and reading some agricultural paper — 

 and many would thereby gain a hundred fold. And if 

 we, are urging the support of our own interest by this 

 advice, (as is readily admitted) we are also, and in a 

 much greater degree, urging the advancemcut of the 

 interest of others. But the Farmers' Register is not 

 the only agricultural journal in the Southern States, to 

 which the foregoing remarks will apply— and they 

 speak at least as strongly in favor of the support of 

 other journals as of our own. The publication nearest 

 to the farmer, if equally well conducted, will of course 

 be most suitable to his wants and circumstances, and 

 therefore best deserving his subscription.! 



TO DESTROY WII.D OXIONS. 



To the Editor of the Fanners' Kegister, 



One of your corresponilents signed J. E. M. 

 makes inquiries tliroiigh the Register, whether 

 there is any way discovered to destroy wild onions? 

 Believing it may be effected by a simple process, 

 which I accidentally discovered many years ago, 

 I feel it a duty I owe to my lellovv agriculturists to 

 make it known. I had a lot near my house, which 

 I asually cultivated in tobacco and wheat alter- 

 nately, in which there was about one acre so in- 

 fested with the garlic, or wild onion, that I usually 

 separated the wheat made on that part ot the lot, 

 and kept it from the rest. Some thirty years ago, 

 I had prepared this lot for tobacco, but failing in 

 plants, I put it in corn, and cultivated it well until 

 harvest, but did not touch it alterwards. It threw 

 up a heavy crop of crab-grass, and I was com- 

 pelled to cut the hay oft" of it before it could be 

 sown in wheat. At the next liarvcst I was sur- 

 prised to find all the onions had disappeared, nor 

 has that piece of ground been pestered with them 

 since, and I have this summer taken a crop of 

 early wheat from the same lot. A little reflection 

 convinced me they were smothered by the close 

 and small fibres of the crab-grass. 



Some years afterwards I made an experiment 

 on another piece of ground that was infested with 

 tlie same weed. It was ploughed and harrowed 

 early in the spring, and the next fall it Avas seeded 

 in wheat, and 1 discovered at the next harvest the 

 garlic had disappeared: nor have they ajipeared 

 since — and as my farm has not been much pester- 

 ed with garlic, I have never had occasion to resort 

 to the same remedy since. 



Before I conclude I will make a ^ew observations 

 on the cure and prevention of this pest to so many 

 farmers, in hopes that some one of the fraternity 

 will make the experiment on a larger scale than it 

 has been done by myself. All summer crops in- 



crease the evil, for the garlic propagates more 

 from the roots than the seed. Coarse stalk grasses 

 such as clover, will not smother them. Should 

 the land be foo poor to produce a heavy crop of 

 crab-grass, it must be manured. Where the onions 

 are as thick set as they are in some parts of the 

 tide-water countr}^', it may be necessary to repeat 

 the process a second time. To prevent their in- 

 crease, the seed ought to be selected on that part 

 of the farm that is clear of the pest. 



OXE OF THE PAY ALLS, 



yJiig. 20ik, 1834. 



[At page .580, Vol, I. Farm. Reg. there is a state- 

 ment of effects very similar to the above, of the de- 

 struction of blue grass, by its being smothered under a 

 heavy cover of crab (or crop) grass.] 



TO SUBSCRIBERS, 



With this number bills will be sent to all subscribers 

 who remain indebted for the first volume of the Far- 

 mers' Register. This step has been delayed until this 

 time, and is reluctantly taken now, because we know 

 that these duns will reach many who are in arrear 

 merely from inattention to such small matters, and 

 whose payments are as certain, and their patronage as 

 much valued, as of any subscribers we have. To all 

 such, a sufficient apology will be apparent, in the ne- 

 cessity for one uniform rule being adopted foi all simi- 

 lar debts, without regard to persons. 



We have used every care to give, promptly and cor- 

 rectly ,the proper credits for all payments, in the monthly 

 receipt lists published on the covers: and the correction, 

 of any error, or omission, has been regularly asked in 

 the standing heading to those receipts. If notwith- 

 standing these precautions, and the means thus fur- 

 nished to every subscriber to know and correct mis- 

 takes, some should still remain on our books, we can- 

 not be justly blamed for their continuance. Our whole 

 course of procedure aflords ample evidence of the wish 

 to avoid mistakes, and to correct all previously made. 

 If therefore, bills should be sent to any who have al- 

 ready made payment, we hope tliat the error will be 

 imputed to any cause but design on our part. In these,, 

 as in all cases, we will readily and gladly be corrected, 

 by being better informed. 



TO COKRESPONDENTS. 



The following communications have been received, 

 "A commentary on the law of Virginia concerning 

 enclosures" — "Queries respecting herds grass and wet 

 lands" — "Rainy day reflections, &.c." — "On thrashing: 

 machines"— "Calcareous deposites on Piankitank Ri- 

 ver" — On the improvement of agriculture" — "On the 

 cultivation of fruit trees" — "Directions for making ox- 

 carts, &,c." — "Cost of legal fencing, Stc." 



l^riiitcil by Mobert MiekeUs, 



AT THE SHELLBANKS PRESS, 



Prince George County, Va. 



Where the printin:; of books, paniphlets, and other Jobs, can be 

 executed promptly, and in the best style. 



