660 



FARMER'S REGISTER— KEEPING POTATOES, &c. 



posed, may contain 3| acres. But the portion 

 cuitivated was estimated not to exceed three — :a 

 part of the upper end liaving been left in trees and 

 shrubbery to arrest lo(j;s antl other trash broug'ht 

 down by ii'eshefs, which miyht olhevwise injure 

 the crop, and a part left untiik-d near the water's 

 edge all around. I rode with the manager over 

 ihe graund and concurred in the opinion expressed 

 by more competent judges who liaJ previously 

 visited it, that tire above estimate was not extrav- 

 agant. The product measured was eighty-one 

 and a half barrels, or over tv/enty-seven barrels 

 to the acre. 



The mode of cultivation as reported by the over- 

 seer, was as follows. The ground after being 

 cleared up was laid ofi'in drills lour feet apart. A 

 coulter was then dravv^i to its full dcptli, back- 

 wards and Ibrwards along the direction of" these 

 drills, and a single furrow with a two-horse plough 

 was thrown to them on each side. The top of the 

 bed thus formed, was again opened by a coulter, 

 and the corn soAved in March, as thickly as cotton 

 seed usually are. It was tv>ace cut down by frost, 

 and many of the plants pulled up by birds. When 

 thinned, near the parts thus depredated, three and 

 four stalks v/ere left standing together, and the 

 rest left at intervals of four to six inches. As usu- 

 al here, the coulter was run next the corn after 

 coming up. The balks were broken up with a 

 one-horse plough. It received no cultivation after 

 harvest, and the result was as mentioned. The 

 overseer thinks that much was pillaged by boat- 

 men, and a considerable quantity lost by the weeds, 

 which in many places were as high as the corn — 

 and is confident that with increased care a larger 

 crop may be made iiom the same land another 

 year. 



It is the purpose of the proprietor, Mr. Samuel 

 Jones of Buckingham, to have an accurate survey 

 of the island, so that we may see the exact result. 

 The land is not apparently richer than nuich in 

 the same neighborhood, and along the river — so 

 that we may legitimately infer that there are many 

 farmers unaware of the capability of their soil, 



N. F. CABELL. 



KEAL NAMES TO COMMUNICATIONS — KEEP- 

 ING POTATOES. 



To tiie Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



King and Queen, list Feb., 1835. 



I agree most cordially -ivith your Matthews cor- 

 respondent, Peter De Quir, in his excellent and 

 pointed suggestions as to fictitious signatvres, 

 except his own most striking inconsistency. Now 

 I may have fillen into a mistake as to this matter, 

 but my impression is, that no such name as Peter 

 De Quir is really known in Matthews; if so, is it 

 not unfortunate that we should not have been 

 favored with all the reasons for secrecy, while 

 this sensible writer had the subject in hand? For 

 certainly if he had fairly uncovered himselfj we 

 should at least have seen him vndisguiscd! But, 

 Mr. Editor. I designed to say, that I am perfectly 

 convinced that your Matthews correspondent is 

 right in theory; and that every man should divest 

 himself of all fake pretensions, and avoid disguise, 

 in giving either his opinions or practice upon the 

 great subject of agriculture. Let every man be 

 fairly and fiilly recognized; whether he" shall be 



found scientific enough to give geological, chemi- 

 cal, or philosopliical essays, or only so plain as to 

 be able to say something, as I shall presently, 

 upon so small a topic as small potatoes. Your 

 work is designed to do good — it has done, already, 

 great good: but I humlily think, that it may be 

 rendered greatly more beneficial, by the apparently 

 small amendment contemplated by the theory of 

 your friend Peter, whieh I shall certainly carry 

 out into practice, hoping soon to hear from him 

 again. Suppose, Mr. Editor, you were, as your 

 subscribers are, compelled to receive and peruse 

 some twenty or fifty long letters every month, 

 touching all the various concerns of the contents 

 of one of the numbers of the Register, all under 

 fictitious names, orfi'om anonymous pens. If30u 

 could do no better, you might say of it v/ell; but 

 when it is known to be so easy a matter for a differ- 

 ent state of things to be accomplished, how are we 

 made to desire to know the name of every man 

 who thus writes to us ! And this is no forced sup- 

 position. Your contributors are not really writing 

 to you, as I appear to be doing now; but are ac- 

 tually writing to 77ie, and to all your subscribers. 

 I'll venture to say it, that if you will take the vote 

 of your whole list, that nine-tenths will be with 

 me. But I shall forget the potatoes. They shall 

 be forthcoming, however; and what I Avish be- 

 sides, the best method that I have tried for preserv- 

 ing them through the winter. I mean Irish po- 

 tatoes. 



After the tops have withered under the influ- 

 ence of the frost, in mild weather let them be dug. 

 Some appear to be more anxious to avoid the ap- 

 pearance and eft'ects of frost, than seems to be 

 mnportant. But lor the potato becoming saturated 

 with water, it would remain good, in all proba- 

 bility, through the Avinter, in the jiatch. All that 

 I do then, is simply to dig, and carry the crop into 

 a dry cellar, deposite them in a heap as carefully as 

 is convenient, and cover them over about six or 

 eight inches thick with wheat straw; upon which 

 it is well to lay an additional light cover of boards. 

 Tliey thus seem to derive some little moisture from 

 the earth beneath, so as to keep them plump, 

 while the simple covering described, excludes the 

 air and influence of cold. 



So much then, Mv. Editor, for fictitious names, 

 and the best method of preserving Irish potatoes. 

 I have no idea of venturing much farther upon the 

 great products of agriculture, because I mean to 

 subscribe my name, and might thereby be brought 

 into disproportionate discredit. Believing that 

 the suggestions of the above plan will be pardon- 

 ed, if found to be nothing more tlian an old thing, 

 upon the ground of a desire to do good even in a 

 small Avay, having often heard difficulties set forth 

 upon the subject, I cheerfully submit it, 



J. DU VAL, 



[We agree entirely with our correspondent as to the 

 propriety and necessity of the real names of corres- 

 pondents being affixed to all communications on prac- 

 tical agriculture. This opinion we have repeatedly 

 and strongly expressed — and have only refrained from 

 continuing to urge it, because it seemed useless. We 

 cannot compel correspondents to adopt this course: 

 but of this they may be assured — that by presenting 

 their pieces without responsible signatures, they des- 



