THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



Vol. X. 



JULY 30, 1842. 



No. 7. 



EDMUND RUFFIN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 



CHOICE OF LANDS. 



( Continued from page 233.) 



from the South Western Fanner. 

 Poplar, which is common in our river counties, 

 denotes land of the first class — none have stood 

 cropping eo long or retained their /ertiliiy so well 

 among us as the poplar lands. We know of 

 tracts which were opened in the old Spanish limes, 

 and have now been in regular cultivation, with- 

 out rest or rotation, for more than halfa century ; 

 and yet, where level enough to prevent the original 

 surface fl'Om having been washed off, these lands 

 seem scarcely diminished in fertility. The soil 

 where poplar is the predominating growih is an 

 unctuous, black mould, about a foot in depth, rest- 

 ing on a substratum of red clay. It has a suffi 

 cient quantity of sand with much lime in its com- 

 position, and is easily cultivated, and never bakes 

 or becomes cloddy. Tliese lands, however, not- 

 withstanding their superiority for cotton and other 

 crops, are said not to be so well adapted to corn 

 and small grain — being inclined to force up too 

 much stalk and leaf without a due proportion of 

 seed. On the very best lands poplar will be the 

 predominating growih. On that of a medium 

 quality it will be seen mixed with other trees — 

 beech, hickory, oak and even pine. Wherever 

 seen however it denotes superiority, as it never 

 grows on poor land. It never grows either in 

 swamps oroverHowpd bottoms, and therefore indi- 

 cates dry uplands. The tree is not difficult to dead- 

 en ; and the timber is among the most valuable 

 we have — making most superior lumber and 

 working with great ease. The heart, or the black 

 or yellow part of the tree however is the only va- 

 luable part. The sap is hard to be worked and 

 soon rots. The heart is very lasting even in the 

 ground. 



Pine. — Oflhis we have only two varieties — the 

 long leafed and the short leafed yellow pine. 

 L^nd with little or no other growth but pine is the 

 poorest sort ; yet such is the efJect of our climate 

 that even such lands, which in other regions 

 would be nearly entirely barren, here will bring 

 tolerable crops of corn and small grain, and veiy 

 superior crops of that great security against want 

 in our poorest sections — the sweet potato. Scat- 

 tering pines of large size will be occasionally seen 

 on rich lands and heavy bottoms — but a small 

 growth with no other trees intermixed denotes a 

 soil as near sterility as any land among us ev-er 

 approaches. Pine is deadened with difficulty, and 

 unless fired scarcely ever dies completely the first 

 year. The timber is of very unequal value. The 

 long leaf is softer, drier and more lasting and alto- 

 gether the most valuable. The short leal' is more 

 watery, harder to work, and peculiarly liable to 

 rot. 



Persimon, we believe, indicates no particular 

 character of soil. It is seen growing on poor and 

 rich— on high and low alike. 



Pecan, is a Growth found chiefly in swampy, 



subject to overflow ; though it is occasionallv 



Vol. X.-41 ^ 



found on high and dry locations. In such places 

 however it always has a stunted growih. In the 

 swamps it is one of the largest of trees. The 

 timber is valuable for rails and fire wood and is 

 tolerably lasting. It has a texture between that of 

 the hickory and the ash. 



Pawpaw. —This graceful and beautiful shrub is 

 seen only on rich spots. It will not grow on land 

 deeply overflowed, though frequently seen in bot- 

 toms. It bears a rich and abundant fruit of a pe- 

 culiar aromatic and luscious taste, but which ia 

 rejected, we believe, by all other aniraala except 

 man. 



Palmetto. — This is a plant seen tarely oil high 

 land. It grows most commonly on rich bottoms, 

 not liable to deep and regular overflow ; and yet 

 not above it. Palmetto bottoms have been found 

 to be extremely produciive, and it is considered, 

 next to cane, the best indication of good land in 

 theswamps. Palmetto is very useful for makinc 

 most durable and cheap rools lor cabins, and ol' 

 the young leaves, which are white when they first 

 appear, the cheap summer hats and bonnets so 

 much in use are made. 



Rushes, the singular, marine-looking stems 

 without leaves — hollow and of a deep evergreen, 

 which are seen so Irequently in the bottoms of the 

 Mississippi, indicate, like the palmetto, land of a 

 medium elevation. Stock are extremely fond of 

 it, and it is fast disappearing wherever they are 

 becoming plentiful. 



Sassafras denotes, when of large growth, 

 rich land, generally above over-flow. The sprouts 

 are continually shooting up with the persimon, 

 on our thin lands — but they never attain any 

 size, and in old fields, soon have to give place to 

 oaks or pines. The timber is very easily worked, 

 soft and easily split, it is peculiarly valuable for 

 shingles, and is very lasting in any situation. 

 Sycamore denotes low-land, though it is not 

 often seen in the swamp of the Mississippi. It 

 is never seen on poor land. The timber is scarce- 

 ly ever put to use among us. 



Vines. — As a general rule, vines of a large size 

 and plentiful denote superior land. In over- 

 flowed bottoms, the vines of all sorts become 

 more tangled and thick, spreading out nearer the 

 ground, and of a smaller and more spindling 

 growth. The large grape vines, swinging from 

 high branches, clear ofthe trunk of the trees, and 

 li-ee from the tangled branches near the ground, 

 denote very superior land above over-flows. No 

 vines of large size are ever found on poor ground. 

 Walnut, of large size and plentiful, denotes 

 land of the first class. It never grows on either 

 poor or overflowed land. The tree is easily dead- 

 ened, and the limber is very valuable, and lasts 

 extremely well in any situation. We here have 

 only the black walnut. The while walnut or 

 butternut is not seen in our latitude. 



Willow, \\. is well known, grows only on low 

 wet lands. The basket or golden willow is a 

 sort which grows well in almost any situation, 

 and is calculated to be of great value in the 

 manufacture of cotton baskets. 



