FARMERS' REGISTER— COMMERCIAL REPORT. 



ro9 



The generiil maxims (each of (hem enforcetl 

 by arfTunient and ilhistration which Mr. Blacker 

 Javs down for observance, are in strict accordance 

 with the most Q^enerally received principles of hns- 

 bandry. We shall insert the heads of them, (or 

 ahhono;h they teach nothin<x particalarly new, they 

 are snccinctly and iudicious!}^ arranjjed, and onght 

 to be pressed upon the attention of every farm- 

 er. 



1. The jrround must be thoroughly drained. 



2. Weeds must be destroyed. 



3. Ail cattle must be fed in the iiouse or straw- 

 yard upon good tbod. 



4. Two successive crops of the same kind not 

 to be taken. 



Under this head are the following observa- 

 tions: — 



"I am fully sensible, however, that a system of 

 over-cropping with grain will extract every kind 

 of nourishment from the soil, and leave it so ihat it 

 will not even yield grass. This is the case with 

 land which is left to rest, as it is called, by those 

 who take three or lour grain crops in succession, 

 and the phrase is well applied, ibr the land is real- 

 ly not fit to do any thing. The error of this class 

 of persons is, that they turn the land to grass at 

 the end in place of the beginning of their course. 

 Had grass-seed been sown with the first crop of 

 grain, there would have been a good crop of hay, 

 and good after-grass, and the second crop of grain 

 woukl have been as good as the first; and this is 

 what ought to have been done by those Avhose 

 land is not suited to clover, or who from poverty 

 are not able to buy clover seed; and even wliere 

 two grain crops have been taken, it would be bet- 

 ter to sow it with rye-grass, which will yield a 

 crop on very poor land, rather than to leave the 

 ground to be possessed by weeds and such herbaije 

 as may naturally rise. The fact is, the last ex- 

 hausting crop should only be put in upon that por- 

 tion of tlie farm which is intended lor potatoes, 

 and other green crops, the succeeding year, which 

 crops then give the manure to restore it to a pro- 

 ductive state; and by this means there is no land at 

 all lost by what is called resting it." 



5. The place for manure should be so contrived 

 as not to be exposed to any accumulation of rain 

 water; but should receive the contributions from 

 the sewers of the house, stable, cow-house, 

 &c. 



6. Advantage of straight fences. 



7. Levelling of unnecessary ones. 



8. The absurdity of keeping horses on small 

 farms, and the superiority of spade husbandry. 



9. Formation of ridges. 



10. Impropriety of selling straw ofi" the farm. 



# # « * * 



We are sometimes gravely told that there is no 

 use in sowing turnips in many parts of Ireland, 

 where they would be assuredly stolen. As Mr. 

 Blacker does not touch upon this objection, we are 

 bound to suppose (giving him due credit for strict 

 honor and impartially in the advocacy of the above 

 case,) that the people around him are not disposed 

 to pilfer turnips to any sensible degree; and indeed, 

 we happen to know perfectly well that a crop of 

 turnips is as safe from spoliation as a crop of beans; 

 but that if either of these be a solitary and unu- 

 sualcrop in a neighborhood teeming with children, 

 a desire to taste it may lead to the abstraction of 

 an inconsiderable portion of them, but the novelty 



soon wears off, and the eating of raw turnips or 

 beans brings Avith it the sure penalty of indiges- 

 tion and all its painful concomitants, Avhich eflec- 

 tually prevents a recurrence of the practice. 



This matter reminds us of a story somewhere 

 told of alarmer in the northern part of Scotland, 

 some forty years ago, when turnip culture was be- 

 ginning to creep into the country:- — He sowed a 

 Tiead ridge /(ir the vse of the public; and put up a 

 label with this inscription, " F(;U. are requested to 

 steal out of this spot.'''' This hint may be service- 

 able. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 MONTHLY COfllMERClAL, REPORT. 



Money has recently become very abundant in 

 the large cities, and the consequence is that stocks 

 of almost every description have advanced in 

 price. Exchange on England has risen to 8^ to 9 

 per cent, premium. The cause of this influx of 

 money is not very apparent here, but could no 

 doubt'be explained'by the capitalists in the large 

 cities, where investments to an unprecedented ex- 

 tent are made in real estate, and in rail road and 

 other stocks of a similar character. 



Speculation will, as usual, probably be earned 

 too far, and when a reaction takes place, it will be 

 ruinous to many. 



Agricultural products generally bear high 

 prices, with the exception of grain and flour, 

 which requires a greater Ibreign demand than has 

 existed for two years j^ast to take off' the surplus, 

 created chiefly in the northern and western states. 

 Flour commands .S4f to 4| except that of the city 

 mills, large shipments of which are seeking a 

 market in South America. 



The price of tobacco is fully supjwrted — the 

 most inferior at ,^4.25 and ranging as in quality up 

 to .99. The finer sorts do not yet begin to appear, 

 and will not to any extent until June and July. 



Cotton has again advanced, and is now higher 

 than at any period during the last twelve months. 

 Crops embracing good and common qualities sell 

 at 16 cents, and selections at 16^ to 1(3 J cents. 

 The quantity brought to market in Virginia will 

 be one-third less than in the last season, and may 

 be estimated at about 28,000 bales, allowing 4000 

 bales yet to arrive. The estimate of the crop of 

 the United States which at one time was as high 

 as 1,300,000 bales, is now reduced to 1,200,000, 

 and it is believed that this quantity will not be more 

 than sufficient to meet the demand. 



X. 



March 25th, 1835. 



For tlie Farmers' Register. 

 ON THE PASrUNKY MODE OF MAKING CORN. 



However '-'strange it may appear" to W. B. H. 

 [No. 8 Farmers' Register, p. 466.] "that any one 

 should think the Pamunky mode of making corn 

 the cheapest, or most labor saving," there are 

 some people who still adhere to that opinion. The 

 two or three weedings with the hoe in the Pa- 

 munky way, are not more than equal to one in the 

 common way of working corn, and the plough is 

 the chief implement in its cultivation. 



But if W. B. H. has been able to dispense en- 

 tirely with the hoc, and substitute the plough al- 



