FARMERS' REGISTER— CORRESPONDENTS' NAMES. 



577 



who is very observant, and keeps an accurate dia- 

 ry, sows the clean seed I'rom boxes, with small 

 holes in different places to regulate the quantity, 

 daring a cnid spell in February, or if it does not 

 come in February, in March, "(I'lr he says it al- 

 ways will hap|)en in one month or ihe other) and 

 never applies the plaster till the second sjiring, in 

 order to avoid the rust in his wheat, to which mid- 

 ady he thinks it is rendered more liable by the use 

 ot" that mj'sterious mineral. The method of" a 

 fourth gentleman is to mix three bushels of plas- 

 ter with one of seed, and to sow at first half the 

 quantity intended to be applied, going over the 

 whole ground, then returning to the place of com- 

 mencement and sowing the residue, so that the 

 ground is twice sown over to insure greater regu- 

 larity, and at two different periods, to afford a bet- 

 ter opportunity of escaping destruction by frost; 

 the full quantity of gypsum is afterwards applied 

 when the clover planis get in the third leaf The 

 opinion of the writer of tliis article is in fivor of 

 powing irom the 25th of January till the 29ih of 

 February, taking all circumstances and seasons 

 into consideration. By harrowing the land, and 

 still better, I presume, by rolling also, clover may 

 doubtless be sov/n with perfect safety, considera- 

 bly earlier and later than tlie period above speci- 

 fied. It may be useful hereto state that some sen- 

 sible and successful farmers consider a bushel of 

 plaster and ashes mixeil in equal quantities, as 

 beneficial as a like measure of the jbrmer ariicle 

 alone, and of course, much cheaper, especially in 

 the interior, where to the first cost of the commo- 

 dity is to be added the cost of carriage. 



A PLANTER OF THE LOWER JAMES. 



January, 1835. 



For the Farmers' Register. 



ON XriE rROPRIETY OF CORRESPONDENTS 

 STGNIAG THEIR PROPER NAMES. 



'Wliat is't you seek? 

 Yo\ir narae=!"' 



It is in my humble opinion extremely important 

 that every correspondent should subscribe his pro- 

 per name to every communication made to this 

 journal — more particularlj^ when they contain any 

 specific facts, or experiments. The papers, which 

 are published in this, or any other scientific jour- 

 nal, without "a local habitation and a name," are 

 of little or no value. It is important, and very de- 

 sirable, to have attached to every communication 

 the actual name of the author, and the county 

 and state in which he resides, or his observations 

 or experiments may have been made. The rea- 

 sons are obvious to all. In the first place, it is ne- 

 cessary to have a responsible name for every fact 

 or opinion, which may be stated. It matters not 

 whether the individual be known to fame or not 

 — his name being sent forth with his opinions, 

 renders him cautious in promulgating doctrines, 

 which he might blush to own. Secondly, in ag- 

 ricultural observations and experiments, it is ne- 

 cessar}^, that the particular section of country in 

 which they have been made, should be accu- 

 rately stated — inasmuch as climate and locality 

 have an all-powerful influence over the produces of 

 the soil. It maybe alleged, as an aiiditional rea- 



son why the name should be published — that the 

 carrying into practice of any new principles in 

 larming is attended always with expense, and 

 hence, it is important to know upon what authori- 

 ty you are justified in incurring any additional ex 

 pense. It may olten be attended with useiiil con- 

 sequences, if the author were known, to corres- 

 pond wih him, and elicit additional inlbrmalion on 

 the particular subject on which he has written. 

 For tliese, and other reasons which might be 

 given, I would respectfully suggest to the editor 

 of the Farmers' Register, the propriety of adopt- 

 ing the rule — not to puhlish any piece containing 

 specific facts, without the author will attach there 

 to his proper name. No communicaiion I ven- 

 ture to affirm, would receive the least countenance 

 from an editor of any scientific journal without a 

 responsible name. Look in any medical journal, aa 

 the Philadeljdiia Journal of the Medical Sciences, 

 or in any periodical containing essays on chemis- 

 try, min?ralogy, or any other scientific subject, 

 and it will be'lbund that they are not sent forth 

 sub noniinis umbra, by A B, or C D, or E F, but 

 have attached to each communication the actual 

 author's name. Why not, then, in the name of 

 common sense will not every gentleman who can 

 contribute his mite of agricultural information, 

 send forth with it, his own name? Is it modesty 

 which forbids? Surely there is nothing immodest 

 in discoursing through this paper with plain farm- 

 ers. Is it the insignificance of the subject? Cer- 

 tainly, no enlightened individual will treat any 

 subject connected with the most important of all 

 occupations, lightly or indifl'erently. Agriculture, 

 may now be considered as having taken a 

 rank among the sciences — and every subject con- 

 nected with it should be treated with that gravity, 

 dignity and respect, which properly belongs to 

 it. On this subject (of the importajicc which 

 should be attached to the name,) it would be 

 well to imitate the English or French farmers. 

 It will be seen in reading a British or French aori- 

 cultural paper, that almost always the name is ap- 

 pended, or no value would be attached to the 

 publication. Even in our New England ag- 

 ricultural papers the name of the author is gene- 

 rally given. Hoping that these suggestions will 

 have some infiuence with future contributors to the 

 Register, and wishing the editor all success in 

 his undertaking, I subscribe ray name. 



PETER DE QUIR. 



Matthews County, Va. 



P. S. — Is it ever advantageous or proper to burn 

 land? Is there any kind of ^'egetanon which grows 

 on our fields, that it would be more profitable to burn 

 off than to ))lough under? Will the ashes pro- 

 duced thereby compensate for the loss of vegeta- 

 ble matter? Will not the crop be better the first 

 year when coarse grass or broom sedge is burnt, 

 than it would be if ploughed in? But will not the 

 land be ultimately benefited in a greater degree by 

 turning in such a cover? These I conceive, to be 

 interesting and important interrogatories, and I 

 hope the Editor, and those correspondents whose 

 experience will enable them to enlighten their 

 brother fiirmers, will not hesitate to do so in pro- 

 pria nomine. 



PETER DE QUIR. 



