522 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



mud and eiflthty-four of compost to the acre was 

 applied. The product was not only as large as 

 that of any olher poriion ofhis crop, but, alihough 

 eight years have since elapsed, the field so boun- 

 tilully assisted at that lime still displays its grati- 

 tude to its cultivator by the abundance ofits li-uits. 

 In 1837, one oCtlie committee, in order to ascertain, 

 whether an unusual fjuaniityof compost manure 

 was unfavorable to the production ol'cotlon, or had 

 any ed'ect in bringing about a new growth in the 

 plant, tried the following cxpcriuient. On twenty- 

 lour acres of high, sandy land, a part of which vvas 

 very light, there were put about twelve hundred 

 ox-cart-loads of well rotted substances, (of which 

 marsh formed the principal pari,) fiom the stable 

 and cattle pen. These v/ere thrown broad-cast, 

 and the land immediately listed. The rest of the 

 crop received of compost twenty horse-cart-loads 

 per acre — or of mud, (ifieen cart-loads — of marsh. 

 five carl-loads. The spring was cold and wet, 

 and from three gales of wind great injury was 

 sustained. Early in Aujiusi, all of the cotton, 

 except the ticcnin-foar acre field, took a second 

 growth. That sutlcred in no respect, save from 

 wind. It matured very rapidly, and the yield was 

 over two hundred pounds to the acre. The re- 

 mainder of the crop, cxcej); H, from which was 

 picked about one hundred and twenty pounds per 

 acre, produced on an average fifty-five pounds to 

 the acre. In reference to these and other instances 

 of large returns from increased quamiiies of ma- 

 nure, it has been said, that three and a half or four 

 acres to the hand cannot be assisted to the same 

 extent. Granted. But may not one half or per- 

 haps two-thirds of that number be? If so, the 

 path of our duty is plain. If the owner of thirty 

 laborers makes annually two thousand cart-loads 

 of manure, is it better that that amount be placed 

 on one hundred acres, or on seventy or eighty 

 acres'? That is the question to which a thousand 

 well directed experiment?, and every yefir''s expe- 

 rience on our part, arc ever ready to reply. The 

 committee will conclude their remarks on this 

 head, by recommending, that the practice of an 

 equal division of our plantations be continued, but 

 that only two and three-quarters or three acres to 

 the hand be hereafter cultivated. In this way, 

 there will remain in every enclosed field probably 

 a large space of ground, which, in effect, will be 

 an addition to the landed capital of the planter. 



The ill success frequently attendant on compost 

 manure, arises chiefly from itsimproperdistribution. 

 Instead of being strewed in the middle of the al- 

 ley, it shouM be used broad-cast. In no other 

 mode can it l)e thoroughly incorporated wilh the 

 eoil. By the old practice, cotton sufl'ers in drought 

 from the healing cfl'ectsofthe mass through which 

 the tap-root passes. In sudden wet alter dry 

 weather, the excess of stimulus, which the plant 

 from the position of its trunk is obliged to imbibe, 

 deranges its functions, and brings on disease, and 

 hence a shedding of its fruit. 



Whether manures should be put on or under 

 the listing, ia yet an undetermined point. In this 

 eeciion of the State, the latter is considered the 

 preferable plan. Manures are lost by evaporation 

 nnd infiltration. Ifto the gases belong their more 

 nctive insredients, it follows, that under the list- 

 ing is their proper place ; if to the salts, then they 

 should be covered very shallow. Manures near 

 ihe surface certainly promote the growth of our 



staple crop, when young, to a greater decree than 

 where deeply buried ; and as tlie season of spring 

 is now invariably cold., it m;iy not be an injudicious 

 method. Every allenlive observer, however, no 

 doubt has remarked, that the result is in iLivor of 

 the manures below the lisiing. The product of 

 cotton, in the few instances known to the commit- 

 tee, being greater, though the plant itself was not 

 always taller. From this an inference may be 

 drawn, thai the manure, which f.ouj its proximity 

 to the surlijce, first displays its power, is the first 

 and the soonest eventually to pan wilh ii ; in olher 

 words, tliut by evaporation the greater loss is sus- 

 tained. 



The committee are now prepared to invite the 

 attention of the society to the Ibllowing means of 

 renovation, which, if discerningly used, may be 

 instrumental in restoring to our soils the vegeta- 

 ble mailer of which it has been deprived by a long 

 course of mismanagement. For the sake of con- 

 venience, they will be denominated positive and 

 negative means, and first of ihe latter. 



Ji.ulaiion of crops. — On this subject there ara 

 two theories. 1. That whilsi the continuous cul- 

 tivation ol any one croji deprives the soil of tiie 

 specific aliment essential to its fruciification, an- 

 other |)lant, requiring some oiher food, may be ad- 

 vantageously substiiuied. 2. The celebrated bo- 

 tanist, De Candulle, says, '-ofthe nutriment which 

 veiretables receive an ! digest, they exude an in- 

 consumable or innutrilive portion by their roots. 

 This cxcremcntitious matter is supposed to unfit or 

 poison the soil for a second crop ofthe same kind, 

 until it is either consumed or neutralized by culd- 

 vation." May not this be the true reason vvhy il is 

 so dillicult to "set cotlon" on land planted for three 

 or more consecutive years'? As soon as Ihe plants 

 recover from their sickly state, and ihis takes place 

 when the poisonous substance discharged from 

 their roots is destroyed by tillage, the crop grows 

 as vigorously, and the product is usua'ly as good 

 as on rested lands, where the same amount and 

 kind of artificial nourishment have been applifd. 



Tlie soils best adapted to cotton are cultivated 

 every alicrnate year : the low black or dark gray 

 lands being appropriated to corn. Guided by the 

 lights of ex|)eriencc, it may with confidence be 

 stated, that the two crops cannot, under any cir- 

 cumstances afiecting seasons or management, pro- 

 fitably succeed each other. W, however, in the 

 inclosed field, there be any number of acres soiled 

 to the raising of cotton, not desired to lie fallow, ihe 

 sowing of oats, rye, Indian corn, in the drill, but 

 especially peas, is strongly recommended. Whe- 

 iher Ihe benefits of the two first proceed from the 

 levelling of the ground, or that the quaniiiy of 

 nutriment is greater than thai arising from grasa 

 and weeds, is unimportant; it is enough to know 

 that the soil is thereby very considerably improved. 

 Peas, called by an old planter of a sister slate, 

 the clover of the soulhern country, where an ac- 

 cession of vegetable matter is tlie primary object, 

 should be put in the ground early in April and 

 hoed but once or twice. A small product only 

 will be the result. The growth of grass, how- 

 ever, which at a lale period will be more than 

 oniinarily abundant, v;ith the increase nf the leaves, 

 stems, and ungathered portion of the pea crop, 

 (seed only being saved,) will give double the 

 amount of soluble substances, which, if the land 

 had been at rest, it could have produced. Peas 



