438 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 7 



Slh section of the bank act, "declarino; directors 

 and capital distinct and separate;" and, tiiat the 

 bank "shall never be liable fur the debts of the 

 *' rail-road company; but the rail-road company 

 <' shall be liable far the bank in case of failure;" 

 and, then add, in nearly General Hayne's own 

 words, how, after all the dramatic management 

 in Nashville and Columbia, the aPi'air of the bank 

 was concocted. Eitiht millions were to bo sub- 

 scribed by the 31st December, 1837, to secure the 

 charter. After Tennessee had assented and paid 

 to the amount of .9650,000 for roads in her own 

 state, the subscription amounted to but -95,300,- 

 000. The only means of effecting this import- 

 ant object, was the purchase of the Charleston 

 and Hamburg road, the stockholders of which 

 becoming subscribers in the Louisville, Cincin- 

 nati and Charleston road, added a subscription of 

 20,000 shares, leaving a deficiency of only 7,000 

 shares, or .s700,000, to make up the 88,000,000. 

 But .98,000,000 were necessary for the first in- 

 stalment due to the Charleston company. Of 

 this sum, there was borrowed ^700,000 of the 

 banks, and -9100,000 city stock was liberally ad- 

 vanced by the corporation of Charleston. 



The company have restricted themselves to 35 

 cents per 100 lbs. for 100 miles, as charge for 

 freight. In Georgia it is 50 cents. Thus, a bar- 

 rel of flour by the Carolina road, will, lor 400 

 miles, pay but 92.80— by the Georgian 94.00. 

 Now, the Pensylvanians bring flour from Pitts- 

 burg to Philadelphia fbr91.12|. What will be 

 the freight when the iVlercer and Pennsylvania 

 canals, the Baltimore and Ohio rail-road and the 

 James river improvements are completed? What 

 too, will be the diflerence of the shipping expense 

 on the Patapsco and the .Tames, and at Charles- 

 ton and Savannah? These, which I take to be 

 facts, give us the reason why Georgia can go to 

 New York and get money at five per cent, and 

 South Carolina be compelled to go to England, 

 and possibly for — nothing. 



President Hayne, in his call, (1838,) talks of 

 lower rates. "The charge, (he adds,) for cotton 

 " from Hamburg to Charleston, has never, we 

 " believe, exceeded 25 cents (per 100 lbs. or (or a 

 *' bale, 91?) f^'i'l has been as low as 18 cents, (or 

 " 75 cents per bale,) or one-half the rales allow- 

 " ed by law." (pp. 14, 15.) Now, what says 

 President Tupper? He states the power on the 

 road to be equal 10 the business, "except cotton 

 " down, ichen the steamers were stopped for the 

 " want of ivater. Their charge was 75 cents; 

 "that of the rail-road in 1837, 91.50 cents— of 

 " course, the latter never carrying any important 

 " amount. For the last three months, we have 

 " been obliged to send up empty cars to bring 

 " down cotton, there not being up-freight enough. 

 " This has increased the expense without ade- 

 " quale profit, the expenses being about equal 

 " to the amount received, ivhen the cars are only 

 " loaded loith cotton down.'''' (Report 1st January, 

 1838.) The cost of the Charleston road was 

 ^125 per share in old stock, (now worth 9112,) 

 25 per cent, on new stock payable for every share 

 sold, in one share in the Louisville, Cincinnati and 

 Charleston company's stock, with £5 paid there- 

 on.* The balance one-third in cash, one-third in 



* By the 8th section forfeiture is allowed. General 

 Hayne, in his 1S36 address, said, "Ac ivitl always be 



one year, and one-third in two years with interest 

 and mortgage. The property apparentlj^ not yet 

 rendered. G. L. C. 



From the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 CULTURE OF ONIONS. 



The townof Wethersfield (Conn.) has long been 

 famous for the large quantities of onions which 

 are annually raised and exported to the West 

 Indies and the southern states. !t has been super- 

 stitiously supposed there is something in the soil 

 of Wethersfield peculiarly adapted to the culture 

 of onions ; and this whim has no doubt discour- 

 aged many from attempting the cultivation of this 

 valuable root, in other sections of the country, 

 equally favorable to its growth. It is true the soil 

 of Wethersfield is a rich gravelly and sandy loam^ 

 well adapted to horticultural purposes ; but the 

 success of" its inhabitants in the culture of onions, 

 is attributable in a much greater degree, to a 

 particular virtue in the fingers of its females, 

 than any peculiar properties in its soil. 



The business of raising onions in Wethersfield, 

 is reduced to a perfect system. The following is 

 the method of cultivation. Early in the spring 

 the land is manured by ploughing in fine manure 

 from the stable or barn-yard, in the proportion of 

 about ten loads to the acre. That of neat catile is 

 preferred, as that of horses is considered of too heat- 

 ing a nature. After the manure is ploughed in, 

 the land is well harrowed and laid out into beds 

 five leet wide. The beds are laid out by turning 

 a furrow towards them each way. This raises 

 the beds above the aisles and gives an opportunity 

 for the water to run ofl' should there be occasion 

 for it. They are then raked with an iron-tooth, or 

 common hay- rake, and the aisles suffered to remain 

 as left by the plough. Thus prepared, the beds 

 are ready to receive the seeds. 



As early as the season will admit, the seed is 

 sown in the following manner. A rake, with teeth 

 a foot apart, is drawn crosswise of the beds, for 

 the purpose of making drills for the reception of 

 the seed. The seed is then sowed in the drill, 

 with the thumb and fingers, and covered with the 

 hand. From ten to twelve pounds of seed is put 

 upon an acre. After the plants come up they are 

 kept free ol' weeds, which generally require four 

 weedings. A hoe of a suitable width to pass be- 

 tween the rows is used in weeding, which saves 

 much labor. When ripe they are pulled and the 

 tops cut off with a knife. A sufficient length of' 

 top is lelt to tie them to the straw in roping. They 

 are then roped, or bunched in ropes or bunches of 

 3.\ pounds, as required by the law of the state. 

 A"n ordinary crop is from 6000 to 8000 ropes to 

 the acre. The quantity annually raised in the 

 town, is estimated from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 ropes 

 which are sold at an average price of 92 a hun- 

 dred, amounting to from 920,000 to 930,000. 



Most of the labor in raising onions in Wethers- 

 field, is performed by females. The cultivation 



at liberty to forfeit his shares;" so tfiat the Charleston 

 and Hamburg rail-road company may do the same. 

 In three years they will get .$-2,400,000, and $5 per 

 share, reducing it $100,000 — but what is obtaining 

 $12.5 for what is worth but $1 12, and clear of a crazy 

 concern? 



