674 



FARMERS' REGISTEll— EFFECTS OF HEAT ON SOIL. 



manner before mentioned. Fearing that some of 

 the hardest of the land that was shovelled had not 

 been sufficiently broken by them, I placed heavy 

 weights on the X ploughs, and went over it again, 

 the light harrows following and smoothing it nice- 

 ly. VVith this double operation I was entirely satis- 

 fied: it was etiected in less time than it coidd have 

 been with the single ploughs. On a small porlion 

 of the fallowed land (the hardest and foulest) think- 

 ing a turning-plougli necessary, 1 put in the wheat 

 Avith one-horse, and in a very lew cases, with two- 

 horse ploughs: but here the work went slowly on. 

 Luckily there was but little so to be done. By 

 thus adapting the ini|)Iements to the nature and 

 preparation of the land, great despatch was ob- 

 tained. The whole operation was completed by 

 opening the cross drains and cho]}ping over, where 

 necessary, with the hoes. 



Some time having now elapsed, I determined 

 to return to the bottoms in the cornfield; intending 

 to plough and grip the wetter spots', and let them 

 lie unsown until in good, or at least in better order. 

 This was partially, and I regret not more exten- 

 sively done, as I was tempted, much to my regret 

 afterwards, to sow some too wet, from an appre- 

 hension of rain; though no one can be more sensi- 

 ble than I am of the impropriety of cultivating 

 land on the principles of brick-making. At this 

 advanced season, land ploughed and gripped, and 

 left exposed to the action of the sun and air, will 

 dry more in one day, than in many days if allow- 

 ed to lie unbroken under a thick coat of grass. 1 

 would, however, only recommend it late in the 

 fall, when time becomes precious, and the ground 

 is not likely, if let alone, to get in order, nor so apt 

 to bake. By lying thus, previously to being 

 sown, the loose earth on the surface dries and 

 forms a warm and friable bed for the reception of 

 the seed. I wish it however to be understood, 

 that this is only proposed as a resort in case of ne- 

 cessity. If the sun has power enough to dry the 

 earth without such aid, it will certainly be prefera- 

 ble to let it lie undisturbed. 



The beds in the bottoms were formed by the 

 union of two corn rows; and to raise them more, 

 the first four furrows were thrown up with three- 

 horse ploughs. In the foul condition of the bot- 

 toms, it would have been preferable to have 

 ploughed them throughout Avith four horses, 

 Avhich would more thoroughly have subverted the 

 luxuriant grass, have formed higher beds and 

 deeper water-furrows, and from such \arse ploughs 

 being less likely to be choked and otherwise ob- 

 structed, would have involved very little, if any, 

 loss of labor. It may be laid down as an axiom, 

 that the cheapest implement is that which is ex- 

 actly adequate to the object in view. Could I con- 

 trol the order of succession in which the several 

 portions of land should be sown, it would be as 

 follows: 1st. The low and wet valleys, for greater 

 security against fi-ost and moisture. 2dly. The 

 hi]l-sides,that the wlieat plants, while the weather 

 was still warm, might grow quickly, cover the 

 earth, and bind it together to prevent, with the as- 

 sistance of deep ploughing and graduated drains, 

 injury from hasty showers. And 3dly. The ele- 

 vated plains, not likely to be washed or drowned, 

 or afflicted by frost. I endeavor to put a fJiurth 

 more seed on low than on highland of equal fertil- 

 ity, and a proportionately larger quantity on stiff 

 than on light land; and the seedsmen alter their 



hands according to the varying quality of the soil. 

 The quantity of seed too, should increase with the 

 advance of the time of sowing. A bushel in Octo- 

 ber is considered equal to five pecks the conespond- 

 ing day in November. For the more regular distri- 

 bution of the seed. I usually harrow before sowing- 

 A very successful flirmer ol"my acquaintance, who 

 was in the habit of giving but two harrowings, 

 preferred that one should precede the sowing. 

 When cross harrowing is practicable, this prelimi- 

 nary operation is unnecessary, as that prevents the 

 wheat from being drilled along the fiuTows. I 

 much prefer it when it can be done, which, owing 

 to the shortness of the turns, and filling up of the 

 water-furrows, is rarely the case. 



A word at parting, on the preservation of seed 

 wheat. It should be cut ripe, thrashed early, and 

 kept dry, in a secure place at some distance from 

 the thrashing room. Soon after the introduction 

 of the famous v.^hite flint, then in great request, 

 I had several hundred bushels of superior quality, 

 which was put in a loft immediately over the ma- 

 chine. Some of the other wheat being smutty, 

 the subtle poison ascended, and thoroughly infect- 

 ed the fine sample above, though lime had been 

 put with it. I have now a well floored and well 

 ventilated room in the roof of a detached building, 

 appropriated, for the time, exclusive!}^ to the seed 

 wheat, which is well cleaned, spread 18 inches 

 thick, and occasionally examined and stirred. I 

 have never in a single instance, had wheat, of my 

 own saving, that failed to vegetate well, though I 

 have bought it. 



To some of your readers, parts, or indeed, the 

 whole of this article may tippear neither novel nor 

 important, but I Avill remark that I write for the 

 unlearned, not for the learned. What is flmiiliar 

 to one man may be new to another; and the as- 

 sumption of the contrary'' does much to obstruct 

 the diffusion of agricultural knowledge. 



A PLANTER OF TIIK LOWER JAMES. 



OX THE EFFECTS OF HEAT OK SOIL. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Fife's, Goochland, March 7, 1835. 



In a communication signed John Robert Wal- 

 lace, found on pasre 618 of the March No. of the 

 Register, is the following ob.servation. "Heat is 

 the great destroyer of the vegetative or nutritious 

 principles of the earth." Then follows an illus- 

 tration: "make the richest earth" says he, "into 

 bricks, then pulverize them, and you will find that 

 seed will not sprout in the dust," &c. I know it 

 has often been brought forward as an objection to 

 the fallowing of lands in summer, that the heat of" 

 the sun killed them. Still, facts to the contrary 

 appear, Avhich may lead at least, to a few inqui- 

 ries. I would humbly subnn't to Mr. Wallace 

 some difficulties that lie in the way of his proposi- 

 tion, and illustration. I could, for example, select 

 lands in the torrid zone, exposed to the heat of a 

 vertical sun, and producing largo crops, notwith- 

 standing the frequent stirring in the hottest time 

 of the year. How is this if the sun kills the nu- 

 tritious principles of the earth? Again, if a farmer 

 will fii.llow a field for wheat in summer, his stir- 

 ring that field often does not destroy its vegetative 

 princijile. If he plough one-half of it twice, and 

 file other half of^ it three tin)es, he will find the 



