492 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 8 



and the roots ami seeils ol' weeds, be completely de- 

 composed, and until (hey emit a fonl putrid Binell, 

 by v/hich time they reach their greatest degree of 

 strength, and arrive at the state of spit-diing. 



6. To keep the dung in an equal state of mois- 

 ture, so as to prevent any portion of tlie heap from 

 becoming fire-fanged. If the fermentation be too 

 irapidj heavy watering will abate the heat; but it 

 will afterwards revive with increased Ibrcc, unless 

 the heap be either trodden firmly down or covered 

 with mould to exclude the air. 



7. To ferment the dung, if to be laid upon arar 

 ble land during the autumn, in a much less degree 

 Jhan that to be applied before a spring sowing. 



8. To lay a larger quantity on cold and wet lands 

 than on those of a lighter nature, because the for- 

 mer require to be corrected by the warmth of the 

 ,dung, while, on dry, sandy, and gravelly soils, 

 the application of too much dung is apt to burn 

 jup the plants. Stiff' land will also be loosened by 

 the undecayed fibres ol' long dung, which, al- 

 though its putrefaction will thus Ite retarded, and 

 jts fertilizing power delayed, will yet ultimately 

 fiff'ord nourishment. 



9. To form composts with dung, or other ani- 

 mal and vegetable substances, and earth, for ap- 

 plication to light soils. 



10. To spread the manure upon the land, when 

 carried to the field, with the least possible delay; 

 and, if laid upon arable, to turn it immediately 

 into the soil. 



11. To preserve the drainage from stables and 

 ,dung-hills in every possible way, and, if not ap- 

 plied in g. liquid state, to throw it again upon ihe 

 mixen. 



12. To try experiments, during a series of years, 

 upon the same seils and crops, with equal quanti- 

 ties of dung, laid on fresh, and afterwards rotted; 

 in order to ascertain the result of their application 

 to the land. The whole quantity to be first 

 weighed or measured, and then divided. 



The fermentation of farm yard manure is, in 

 S'act, a subject of fiir greater importance than is 

 generally iniagined, for on a due estimation of its 

 value mainly depends the individual success, as 

 well as the national prosfierity of our agriculture. 

 The experiments Jo which we point, cannot there- 

 fore, fail to cjme home to the interests of every 

 rnan; they may be made without expense, and 

 without any other trouble than the mere exercise 

 of common observation and intelligence. Leav- 

 ing, however, aside; the discussion concerning the 

 disputed won h of fresh or fermented — of long or 

 short dung — let the farmer sedulously bend his at- 

 tention to the accumulation of the utmost quantity 

 that it may be in his power to procure. The 

 manner and the time of using it, in either state, 

 must, however, be governed by circuruslances 

 whicli may not always be within his control; and 

 every judicious husbandman will rather accommo- 

 date himself to the exigency of the case than ad- 

 here strictly to his own notions of what he con- 

 ceives to be the best practice. In fine, whether 

 favoring the one or the other side of the question, 

 let him collect all he can, apply it carefiilly to his 

 .crops, and then trusting to events, "let the land 

 and the muck settle if." 



SCRAPS OF INFORMATION IN REGARD TO THBJ 

 CULTURK OF THE CHINESE MULBERRY. 



In the present unparalleled and general excite- 

 ment, in regard to the speculations in purchasing, 

 and intended culture of the morus multicaulie, no 

 apology need be offered to our readers for giving 

 to that, and to kindred subjects, so much space in 

 this publication. Indeed, whether viewed as a 

 valuable fiiture improvement in the agriculture 

 and industry of this country, or as a subject of na- 

 tional mania, the subject is one of intense interest 

 to almost all who read agricultural publications, 

 and to even most persons who read nothing, AU 

 most every one of our subscribers, stimulated by 

 some one or other motive, will desire to cultivate 

 at least a few plants; and ail are but slightly in- 

 formed on the subject. Therefore, in addition to 

 the valuable general directions for the culture giv- 

 en by G. B. Smith, Esq., in the last No. we 

 shall add here some interesting extracts from seve- 

 ral private letters from T. S. Pleasants, an exten- 

 sive cultivator of some experience, and whose 

 general intelligence, and correctness of observa- 

 tion, deserve the fullest confidence. These let- 

 ters were designed only for our own perusal and 

 use; but considering the suggestions as interest- 

 ing, and likely to be usellil to many others, we 

 have asked and obtained permission to share the 

 benefit with our readers. 



To these extracts will be added other scraps of 

 information received from various sources, and 

 principally from the Rev. Sidney Weiler, of Hali^ 

 fax county, N. C. 



It is gratifying that the favors of fortune, in 

 this sudden and surprising mulberry madness, 

 have fallen in some cases upon most worthy re- 

 ceivers ; and there are none in whose successful 

 and profitable cultivation we are more grati- 

 fied, than in the cases of the individuals named 

 above. In general, these unexpected visitations 

 of good fortune have fallen upon a class of culti- 

 vators, who usually work more for the public bene- 

 fit than their own, and whose improvements, or 

 schemes, subject them always to ridicule, and of- 

 ten to loss. These are the book-farmers and ex- 

 periment-makers — and especially the regular and 

 devoted readers of the Farmers'' Register, or other 

 agricultural periodicals. To this last fact we desire 

 particularly to call attention; and would be much 

 benefited jf it could be presented fully to the view 

 of all who have made nothing from this golden 

 harvest, simply because they had read nothing 

 concerning the cultivation which has produced it. 



We shall take the liberty of speaking more fully 

 of Mr. Weller's case, because it is one of peculiar 

 interest. He settled himself on a piece of mise- 

 rably poor land, and with very little prospeet, as 



