THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



251 



been discovered, as recently announced, in the 

 use of lime, il is perfectly certain iliat in growing 

 silk, we may very soon compete with, and proba- 

 bly excel, any other people. IT by means of ice 

 the worm can surely be retarded until the most 

 critical periods of our other crops have passed, a 

 crop of silk may be made which would be almost 

 clear g&in to the planter. 



I have enumerated some of the most promi- 

 nent of our productions to which we may resort 

 when no longer able to grow to ad vantage the great 

 staple, which for flie last 40 years has absorbed all 

 our husbandry. But why, when this event is 

 made maniCeat, shall we confine ourselves strictly 

 to agricultural pursuits, possessing, as we do, so 

 many other resources, inviting and rewarding as 

 amply here as elsewhere enterprise and industry ? 

 An all bountiful providence has blessed our la- 

 vored region with mineral wealth of incalculable 

 value. In many places within our stale vast 

 quantities of iron ore have long been known to ex- 

 ist, and within the last lew" years much enterprise 

 has been exhibited and heavy expenses incurred to 

 turn it to account. Already forges, furnaces, blooin- 

 eries and rolling mills, have been put in opera- 

 tion, and with every prospect of complete success. 

 No coal has yet been found in the vicinity of any 

 of these beds of ore. That is a discovery, howe- 

 ver, which the geological character of the country 

 gives ground to hope may be the reward of future 

 research, while for a long time to come the im- 

 mense forests near at band will render it unneces- 

 sary. The consumption ofiron of all kinds, exclu- 

 sive ofcutiery, in South Carolina, must, ifshe con- 

 sume in equal proportion with the other states, 

 exceed $2,000,000 per annum ; and this sum kept 

 among us would not only enrich the, explorers of 

 this hidden treasure, but contribute through a thou- 

 sand channels to enrich the state. Veins of gold 

 have also been opened, and some of our mines have 

 proved more profitable, I am well informed, than 

 any in the union — perhaps in the world. Quar- 

 ries of marble, too, have been discovered, and 

 beautiful specimens extracted : and granite forms 

 the basis of one third of our state. Salt has been 

 manufactured also on our sea coast, and there it 

 no reason that it should not be made to any extent 

 required. 



GLEANINGS. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 King fVilliam county, May 18, 1S42. 

 Peas may be successfully grown among corn, 

 especially in light land, planted in every row, be- 

 tween every other hill, where the distance of the 

 corn is o|- by 3 feet ; but much of the profit will 

 be lost, if the old method of gathering by hand- 

 picking be pursued. If planted before the Ist of 

 June, after throwing the first furrow to the corn, 

 the crop will have so nearly ripened by the middle 

 of September, that the vines may be pulled up 

 and hung on the stalks for a (ew days, when all 

 the peas will be dried, (the few unripe ones dried 

 green not injuring the sale.) Then they may be 

 hauled to the barn-yargi early in the morninc, and 

 after a {g,\v hours' sun, trod out with very little 

 trouble. This method 1 have adopted from a 

 neighbor, the profit of whose pea-crop for several 



successive years has exceeded hifs wheat. There 

 were shipped from our county town. Ayletl'e, the 

 past season, 10,000 bushels, at the average price 

 of SI; and though my crop raised among the 

 corn was but a very small part of this quantity, 

 yet, at ^1.12^ per bushel, 1 felt it, as a ihrilly 

 housevvile with her good floor cloth of refuse rags, 

 as so much "clear gain." 



On the corn crop and its culture. — While I am 

 satisfied by experiment that we have seVeral kinds 

 of yellow corn more productive on thin lands than 

 the Maryland twin, 1 am not prepared to pro- 

 nounce on the best for all lands. Our mode of 

 culture I think about the best. Alter preparing 

 the land well with plough and harrow on single 

 beds, the grain is covered, and as soon as well up, 

 with the single plough a list is thrown into the 

 water furrow, leaving a space sufficient lor a four- 

 tooth cultivator, which leaves very little work for 

 the hoe hands, except thinning the corn. We 

 next throw a fiirrow on each side to the corn, lap- 

 ping the dirt very moderately, and now the peas 

 ^small black-eyed) are planted ; another fiirrow 

 on each side over the whole field, and lastly the 

 middles thrown out, wliich, on account of the list 

 first thrown back, leaves a small water-furrow, 

 and the land sufficiently level. A very slight 

 weeding completes all necessary labor on that 

 crop ; for I have gleaned the fact that working 

 corn, with almost any implement, after it tassels, 

 is injurious rather than beneficial, while late work- 

 ing, in ordinary land, so etrcctually prevents the 

 springing of grass, that there is nothing to be re- 

 turned lor the benefit of the succeeding small 

 grain. Suggesting this idea to an observing 

 farmer, who was in the practice of working his 

 land too early and too late, a cold livery soil, rea- 

 dily liquidizing in winter, (excuse me /or coining 

 the word, which will, however, be very intelligi- 

 ble to the unfortunate owners of such lands,) he 

 confirmed its correctness, by informing me that in 

 a severe drought, fearing to break the roots on 

 both sides of his corn, he passed his cultivators in 

 a part of his field along every other row. The 

 corn was no better than where they were not 

 used ; but in the succeeding spring,' the wheat 

 appeared a high bed and a low one, discoverable 

 at a considerable distance. But I learned with 

 surprise from my friend Braxton, not long since, 

 that on Pamunkey it is a conceded point that 

 wheat will not succeed after crab grass, which I 

 believe almost invariably follows corn of the same 

 year. We on IVlaltaponi have opposite experience. 



Roots. — " The difference in the value of our 

 roots fed raw or cooked" is so inconsiderable, ex- 

 cept the Irish potato, or as a condiment for less 

 savory food, that I doubt if the gain is equiva- 

 lent to the cost of boiler, fuel and attendance. 

 Grain is more digestible when cooked, but meal 

 or fine hominy I think more valuable ; for I have 

 often observed whole grains of corn, although 

 boiled, pass undigested even from ruminatiug 

 animals. 



tSassafras. — Being much annoyed at a former 

 residence by sassafras bushes, I was informed by 

 my old friend, the late Mr. Henry (Speaker) 

 Robinson of Hanover, suffering with the like pest, 

 that by leaving the original sassafras trees in 

 clearing land, or turning out young ones in old 

 land, the bushes would disappear. I accordingly 

 had young trees trimmed and suffered to grow at 



