FARMERS' REGISTER. 



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a single stalk no! nearer ihan eiirliteen inchei? and 

 not iiiore than tliree leef. The al'ier culiurc is 

 pcrCornicd nearly altogether with the skiiiinier, 

 which shaves the surl'ace of the tieds, throwing a 

 hlllc earih up to ihe coUon. 'J'he lioe Ibllows, 

 nierel}' going over the lops of liie beds, and ilio>?e 

 spots where ihe skimmer has not worked well, or 

 cannot approach. A skiinnier does three acies 

 per diem. An ahle hodied hand will do liom fili}' 

 to one hundred rows of two hundred and ten Icet 

 in length, accordmg to the grassmess, &c. of the 

 fields. The fields arc gone over I'rom every ten 

 to fifteen days. The Petit Gulfscef], as we have 

 elsewhere said, alone is planted. The yield from 

 this is an average of one thousand pounds of cot- 

 ton per acre. From thirty-five acres Col. Wil- 

 liams has gathered two thousand one hundred 

 and ninety-six pounds per acre. The pickings 

 are usually accomplished in from one to three 

 times going over. The ginniuir is done on one ol 

 the plantations by water power — on the others 

 by animals. Houses lor the recepiion of the 

 cotton are built in several parts of the diflerent 

 plantations, especially when distant Irom the main 

 settlements. 



Corn. — In the rotation ndapied by Col. W., 

 corn usually Ibllows cotton. The lurrows arc 

 run across the beds, and so deep as to bring the 

 bottom of them to a level with the alleys. The 

 corn is planted exactlj' where these furrows inter- 

 sect the old beds, and where there is a quantity 

 of manure remaining from that used for the cot- 

 ton. Sometimes addiiional manure is applied. 

 This most generally (ifnotalways) is cotton seed, 

 whose vegetative powers have first been destroy- 

 ed,) in quantities of about a pint, which is put in 

 the holes. If the fields have been resting, (he 

 whole ground is broken up completely and turned 

 over. It is then laid off five by six, and the corn 

 planted, and when up thinned down to from two 

 to three stalks. The first working is performed 

 with the bull-tongue plough, by which the ground 

 is thoroughly and deeply broken up. h is after- 

 wards culiivatec) quite shallow, with the scraper, 

 which is run botii ways. When laid b}', it re- 

 ceives a slight hilling but not before, 'i'hc usual 

 product is thirty bushels per acre, and sixty bushels 

 have been gathered. We have already described 

 Ihe variety of corn cultivated by Col. Williams, 

 which he has brought to its present productive 

 state by long and carefiil selection. In producing 

 many ears, it resembles the "Uaden," but the 

 stalks, ears, and grain, are infinitely larger, and in 

 this respect diliers not materially from the corn 

 usually cultivated in the state, but in productive- 

 ness far exceeding. We counted on a dried stalk 

 eeven large shucks, (the corn had tieen taken out 

 to plant.) This corn is not purely of one sort, but 

 seems to be a mixture of several, (or among ii you 

 can find all of (he varieties of grain from pure Hint 

 to Tuscarora. The ears differ also in ei/,i', having 

 from eight to sixteen rows. The grains arc usual- 

 ly of good size. We hope the colonel will carry 

 his selections still (Liriher, and get rid of all (he 

 email sized ears, unless he dicovers that these are 

 the most productive — then of course net ritl of the 

 other. That which is best should be retained, 

 and the rest discarded, lor they cannot all be 

 equally good. A lact was mentioned to us, which 

 was certainly unknown, not only to ourselves, but 

 to all the planters o\ ihi^ section of the state, with 

 whom we have conversed on the subject. It is, 

 that the/irs/ •suckers from corn, if left undisturbed, 



will always produce ears on the stalk, similar to 

 the parent stalk, and not an abortion on the ends, 

 as we so olien see in our fields ; and in confirma- 

 tion of this, we were shown !our dried stalks, 

 which had grown in such close proximity, as to 

 hove all the appearance of being the parent stalk 

 and suckers. It was out of the ground, and di- 

 vested of soil, but the mass of roots was so thick 

 that vvc could not ascertain positively, without 

 separating and thus destroying the specimen, 

 (which we were not willing to do,) whether they 

 proceedeil from one or more roots — the appearance 

 decitledly was, that the whole sprang (rom one. 

 We counted on each of these stalks (wo large 

 ears, wiili no greaier difierence between them 

 than might be Ibnnd between adjoining stalks. 

 Col. Williams first mentioned the /itcl to us, and 

 in conversing on the subject befire one of his 

 overseers, (who had, by-the-bye, been with him 

 a number of years,) the latter oliserved that he 

 thought every person knew it. 'J'he abortions we 

 have on our suckers are attributed to their not be- 

 ing the original or first, but such as had been 

 thrown up a second lime by the plant which is 

 said not to produce ears at the sides, but merely 

 a few scattering grains on the tops of the stalks. 

 We have mentioned these facts to many of our 

 planters in tliis section of country. None have 

 made observations siifiiciently accurate, to speak 

 positively on the pubjeci, though the general opi- 

 nion is, that such is not the case in the lower 

 country, /s it not one of the peculiarities of tlie 

 corn cultivated bij Col. IViUiamsl We would be 

 glad to receive communications on the subject 

 from some of our friends. 



Oats are principally cultivated for turning under 

 as manure, and seldom more is saved (han will 

 answer for seed (he ensuing season, unless (here 

 appears likel}'' to be a deficiency in the corn crop. 

 When this is apprehended, as much is gathered in 

 as it is supposed will irieet it, which is done, not 

 by cutiintj and thrashing in the usual way, but 

 the hands are sent in and merely strip ofi' the 

 frrains (iom the stalk, leavinir the latter standing. 

 In this way each hand gathers sixteen bushels 

 per diem, and on one occasion tweni3'-fbur wen; 

 gathered. This is supposed to be fully equal to 

 cutting down and thrasbincr it out ; and there is 

 this advantage, that lhes(ubble is]el( on (he field 

 (0 be (urned uinler as manure. 



7?(/c. — This is only sown for early pasturage, 

 and as (here is generally more sown (han can be 

 ea(en down, a considerable quatitity runs to seed, 

 on which the hoes are turned as soon as it is ripe. 



Peas are very little attended to, a small quantity 

 being planted near the settlements, into Avhich the 

 cows are turned after h;irves(ing (he crop. None 

 are picked except Ibr seed. 



S.ccct Potatoes. — Not cultivated as a crop. A 

 small quantity is usually cultivated, which is given 

 to the negroes as a luxury, and never forming any 

 portion of their week's allowance. 



IJay. — It is seldom that any attention is paid to 

 the making of hay, as it is never considered worth 

 the attention of the planter, it being too cosily to 

 send it to market, and there being usually as many 

 corn blades or leaves as will suffice for Ihe use of 

 the plantation, corn boing planted in large quanti- 

 ties. We still, however, hope to see it yet supply- 

 ing the place of northern iiay in our market. 

 When the groimd is broken up in JMny and .liine, 

 the growth of crab or crop grass is very heavy, 

 bein" lour (o five rec( high. Col. Williams lad 



