1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



575 



eold I'rom twelve acres oC land fieven hundred and 

 fifty dollars worth ; and I ihinU it very probable 

 that others did eijually as well, iCnot better. 



Cotton as a sale crop has been almost abandon- 

 ed in onr county. The low price and the unsuita- 

 bleness ofour climate to its production, I have no 

 doubt, will ultimately drive it back to the more 

 genial and sunny regions of the south. 



If may probably e.xcite the risible faculties of 

 the large wheat growers and tobacco planters of 

 the upper regions of our country, to hear us lovv- 

 landers prating about our sweet potatoes, water- 

 melons, and other small matters ; but whilst we 

 are permitted to enjoy the valuable profits arising 

 from their culture, and the oysters to boot, they 

 are perfectly welcome to tlie full benefit of the 

 laugh. 



When I commenced this letter, I did not design 

 to go further than simply to give you a statement 

 of the condition of our crops; but having a little 

 space left, I will say a few words more. The 

 science of agriculture, the natural employment of 

 man, seems to be making rapid strides towards 

 improvement in many parts of our country, and I 

 hope I may (without the imputation of boasting,) 

 be permitted to say, that lew regions are more 

 alive to the great improvements of the age than 

 the county of Nansemond. Her citizens, after 

 slumbering for ages, over almost unrivalled ad- 

 vantages, have at last roused up from their lethar- 

 gy, and seem disposed to appreciate and to profitjby 

 the many advantages that surround them. With 

 a climate mild and temperate, a tolerably good 

 soil, and a vast abundance of all the elements ne- 

 cessary to make it permanently rich and fertile, and 

 a convenient and ready market lor every species 

 of produce, down to the very smallest article, 

 surely, her citizens have every inducement to "go 

 ahead " in that career of improvement, which is 

 abroad in the land. 



We have established an agricultural society, in 

 the neighborhood of Chuckatuck, and placed at 

 its head one of our most intelligent and enterpris- 

 ing farmers. It is the first society of the kind that 

 ever had existence in our county. They are gene- 

 rally the harbingers of improvement and useful- 

 ness, by the rivalry which they excite and the 

 valuable intbrmation which they collect and dis- 

 seminate. Joshua M. Harrell. 



[We entirely agree with our correspondent in 

 his high estimation of the advantages of the lands 

 of Nansemond. We have long entertained the 

 opinion, that if a single preliminary improvement 

 were made, these lands would be among the best 

 situated in the U. States, for desirable residence, 

 for the enjoyment of all the comforts and many 

 of the luxuries of life— for agricultural profit— and 

 particularly for increasing that profit by cheap fer- 

 tilization. The one great improvement which we 

 deem so desirable, is to cut every mill-dam, and 

 dry every mill-pond in the county and its vicinity. 

 That one improvement, by adding to health, phy- 

 sical power, and happiness, would double the 

 value and the income of the lands, and even make 

 meal itself cheaper, by increasing the corn. — Ed. 

 Far. Reg. 



From tlic Hi\k Grower. 

 SILK-CULTURE. 



j]fcf>sr3, Editors — The worms of my second 

 feeding have just done winding. They are the 

 two crop variety, and were produced I'rom worms 

 fed in the early part of the season, exclusively on 

 the white or Italian mulberry, of four or five sum- 

 mers' growth. They did well, but the expense 

 and trouble of collecting leaves was great, and 

 the cocoons small. But my second crop, as be- 

 fore stated, the product of these first worms, led 

 entirely on the niorus multicaulis, of but one sum- 

 mer's growth, and made cocoons a third, or at 

 least a fourth larger, and more in proportion to 

 the worms hatched. Their being longer going 

 through the various stages, was owing to the late 

 cool weather. 



After my first crop of worms had deposited 

 their eggs, I removed them to an ice-house, which 

 is necessary only to produce simultaneous hatch- 

 ing. In a few days they were brought out to the 

 warm air, and as the young ones came they 

 were separated from the eggs, and removed to 

 the feeding shelves, by means of leaves cut in 

 small strips, to which they immediately adhered. 

 In this vvay each day's hatching may be removed 

 to the shelves allotted them, and kept separate 

 with great facility. The advantage of keeping 

 the worms of each day's hatching by themselves, 

 is great. After being removed, they are sufl^ered 

 to feed on the shelves for a week or ten days, af- 

 ter which hurdles of netting are placing above 

 them, over which fresh leaves are sprinkled, to 

 which they immediately attach themselves, if 

 done in the morning, or when they have eaten 

 their previous food. After this they are regularly 

 cleaned, by means of the hurdle, each succeeding 

 day until they commence rising. As far as my 

 experience extends, I can say that the worm ap- 

 pears to prefer this leaf to all others, is less liable 

 to disease, grows larger, and produces larger co- 

 coons. James B. Hooper. 



uillentown, N. J., Oct. 6, 1838. 



From the Sillt Grower. 

 REMOVING MULBERRY TREES. 



Mulberry trees which are to be taken out of the 

 ground before winter can be ploughed up easily 

 and expeditiously. Attach two horses to the 

 plough, one before the other; turn a furrow from 

 one side of the row of trees, then run the plough 

 on the opposite side under the roots. They can 

 then be removed by the hands without injury to 

 the plant. Ten thousand can be taken up in this 

 vvay in an hour. 



From t!ie Maine Farmer. 



Soup is one of the cheapest, and, to some pa- 

 lates, the most agreeable dish that can be set upon 

 a table, and the following is the most convenient 

 Wily of preparing it we know of. After taking 

 your meat, potatoes and cabbage from the pot, 

 put into the liquor a little thickening of meal or 

 flour, previously stirred up in cold water, and let 



