FARMERS' REGISTER. 



119 



be in market a glut of silk-worms' eggs, of some 

 kind or other— and of ail prices from ^2 to 830 

 the ounce. Still, for want of a proper system 

 being established, as to demand and supply, and 

 the general want of knowledge and rare lor the 

 preservation of eggs, even when of good and 

 healthy slock, probably nine-tenths of all the good 

 eggs will be spoiled, or lost by hatching on the 

 hands of the holders, and yet perhaps nine-tenths 

 of all buyers be supplied with such as were dis- 

 eased, if not worse than worthless. Under exist- 

 ing circumstances, therefore, any person who has 

 the proper knowledge and known ability, will 

 render an important public service who will sup- 

 ply purchasers with good eggs at moderate prices. 

 We have urged and induced our friend Thomas 

 S. Pleasants to undertake this business to such ex- 

 tent as he can furnish a supply of eggs that he 

 knows, and can warrant the good quality of. In 

 pursuance of this suggestion, his advertisement 

 will appear on the cover of this number. To all 

 who know Thomas S. Pleasants, personally, or 

 by report, it is totally superfluous to say, as we 

 here do for the benefit ol" strangers, that any one 

 who may send an order to him, either special or 

 general, may rely, vvith entire confidence, on his 

 careful attention and correct judgment, as well as 

 in regard to the more important qualities to jusiify 

 such reliance. — Ed. Far. Reg. 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF IRISH AND SWEET 

 POTATOES. 



To tlie Editor of tlie Fanners' Register. 



Beanfort Co., N. C, Jan. 30th, 1840. 



Having been successful for the last five years in 

 raising tjood crops of Irish and sweet potatoes, I 

 have concluded to accompany the subscription 

 money with a short description of ihe mode of 

 culture, &c., of those roots; which, if you think 

 it will be of any benefit to potato growers, you can 

 publish in the Register. 



The ground preferred for Irish potatoes, and 

 such as I have experimented on, has been stubble, 

 grass, or old field, which for many years have 

 been uncultivated and considered too poor (without 

 manuring) to pay for working it. Early in the 

 winter, or as soon afier Christmas as possible, (he 

 ground is broken with a lar^e Iwo-liorse plough ; 

 the first of March it is again ploughed into three- 

 feet beds with a small No. 2 Freeborn plouffh ; a 

 deep furrow is then opened on the beds, which 

 being nearly filled with manure taken from the 

 compost heap, composed of leaves, virtrin mould, 

 or swamp mud, and a small quantity of barn- 

 yard manure, the seed is deposited 8 or 10 inches 

 apart, taking rare to select fjood seed, and leaving 

 from 2 to 3 eyes on each piece ; afier the droppino: 

 is completed they are covered by running a Hirrow 

 on each side with the same ploujrh ; a's soon as 

 they come up and get 4 or 5 inches hich, ihev are 

 again ploughed, and with the hoe carefully "ridged 



down," leaving the top bud out. Nothing more 

 is done to them until we commence digging, which 

 is generally about the 15lh of May. 



Many of my neighbors say this preparing com- 

 post manure is too much troul)le. But permit me 

 to say to those who have never tried the experi- 

 ment, that the potatoes grown in this kind of ma- 

 nure are so much superior in quality they will never 

 regret the trouble. I do not recollect of ever see- 

 ing a single potato with a black ball in the middle 

 of it, which we too well know is olien the destruc- 

 tion of whole crops raised in stable manure. 



The sweet potato 1 have generally planted on 

 the same kind of soil, which I prefer having bro- 

 ken up in the fall. The 1st of May the ground is 

 again ploughed, forming lands by throwing 5 or 6 

 furrows together, and with the hoe we lorm a ridge 

 or hill from 18 to 24 inches in height. The last 

 spring I tried an experiment with manure fi-on) 

 the drill thrown on the shore by the storm of 1838. 

 The lands were opened by running a deep fijrrow 

 with a large plough, the river grass and drift were 

 placed in small piles two and a half feet apart, 

 and over which a hill of earth was drawn. VVhen 

 ready for planting, a deep hole was opened in the 

 top of the hill, and too good pieces ol' the plant- 

 ings placed in it, taking care to separate the seed 

 2 or 3 inches in the hill. If a heavy baking rain 

 should fall on the hills before the earth becomes 

 settled on the top of the hill, we draw a small rake 

 across the top, which breaks the clods and admits 

 the tender bud to make its appearance. Before 

 adopting this plan I had been often disappointed 

 in my potatoes not coming up. The manure was 

 put in every other row, and if 1 had not been pre- 

 sent this liill when they were dug from the ground 

 I could not have believed the small quantity and 

 qualify of manure could have made such a dilier- 

 ence. I think the quantilj' was nearly double 

 from the manured row over those having none ; 

 and I fiaiter myself the next crop of corn on these 

 manured potato rows will be equally good. From 

 !his experiment I have come to the conclusion that 

 coarse unroited manure will return us more profit 

 in applying it to the potato crop than any other, 

 and will leave the ground in a fine stale for corn 

 the next year. J. B. M. 



ON THE PROFITS OF SILK-CULTTRE IN VIR- 

 GINIA. 



To tlie Editor of tlic Farmers' Register. 



I will venture to give your readers anoiher short 

 comnnmicaiion on (he subject of silk culture; but 

 as I lear many of them regard this branch of hus- 

 bandry as a "duck and chirken" aflair, and are 

 indisposed lo give it a careful examination, I now 

 promise that they shnll not hear Iron) me again 

 until January or February, 1841, when I hope I 

 shall be able to communicate the knowlediie de- 

 rived li-om another year's experience. I do not 

 wish to cive to this business an importance ihat 

 does'^not belonir <o il; but with Virginians, it seems 

 lo me, it sliould occupy the next place to wheat 

 and corn, and that it should sup[)!ant tobacco. 

 Abundant crof)s of wheat and corn are indi>;pcn- 

 sable lo our safety and prosperity, "'ierchanls, 

 manufacturers, mechanics, and professional men, 

 carmot prosper if the crops of these nccessart/ 

 grains fiul; and Ihey should all unite cordially with 



