1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



209 



zaiion, without ihe aid ofa microscope ; and others 

 30 feel ill circumference. "The leaves ol" the bu- 

 joor palm of India (corypka data.) often measure 

 30 leet in circumliirence, and have a stalk to sup- 

 port them 12 feet long; so that it placed on tlie 

 irround, one of tiiesc enormous leaves would be 



undisturbed, on the banks of the Rappahannock, 

 while gold mines are sunk in the bowels of the 

 earth, and the thoughts and hands of all the peo- 

 ple, are engaged in counting mullicaulis or bass 

 buds, as the case may be. 



From my experience in cultivating corn, on the 



(our times as high as a tall man. There is no ma- ! light and truly corn lands in the lide-water district 



chine of human invention, however extensive and 

 complicated, which can for a moment be compar- 

 ed, with such a natural apparatus as this tor won- 

 derlijlly elaborate mechanism, lis digeslinir cells 

 are infirfitely more immerous thiui all the Iiouses of 

 London and ils environs; and all llie sireets, alleys 

 and passages of that huge metropolis, shrink into 

 insii,'iiificance, when contrasted with the myriaii 

 ramifications of ihe veins of such a leaf." 

 ( Tu be continued.) 



of Virginia, the culture so successfully pursued by 

 JMnjor Steirer of Amelia, would not answer with 

 them, unless where the land was extremely rich 

 so as to force the corn forward faster than the 

 grass. On land making from four to five barrels 

 per acre, 1 have invariably found it necessary to 

 use cultivators, skimmers, or hoes, and more fre- 

 quent ploughings, in order to keep under the grass 

 until harvest ; directly after which, it is generally 

 the cus;om to run over the corn lighily for the last 

 lime. I would recommend the mode of culture 

 spoken of by Mr. Hill in the third No. of the 7lh 

 volume of the Register, as much to be prelerred to 

 that of Major Steger, as mentioned in the same 

 number by VVni. 11. Harrison of Amelia, on all 

 such lands as are usually found on our tide-water 

 'ivers. Very rich land, in good tilih, will make 

 Your April No. of the Farmrrs' Register lias ! (;orn with almost no working at all; but iii(i;rior land 

 been read with pleasure, gieaily enhanced by ihe i to make a ^ood crop and a saving crop, requires 

 valuable ariicle of Comnu>dore Jones. This gave 1 judicious nursing. My experience in llie Mary- 

 me the more pleasure, as it was an example in 



RUM AUKS ON THE 1 31 PUOVKM CNT OF X.AM), BY 

 MME, &C. Cl'LTIVATION OF CORN. 



To tlio Editor of tlie Farmers' RegisttT, 



Fredericksburg, jJpril 2nd, 18.39. 



proof of a llict which I had stated m an account 

 current in the first No. of this volume of your woik. 

 In (he name of Siaffard, ami the environs of Fre- 

 dericksburg, I ihaiik Com. .Jones ; audi sincerely 

 liope liis example may be profitably lljllowed ; nut 

 only by (hose fioldeis of poor laial 1 lake ihe li- 

 berty of rejueseniing in Slaflbrd, liom my pre-emi 



y experience in iiie ivjary- 

 land corn, agrees with the staiement of Mr. H. 

 It will make more on rich land ; on thin land it ia 

 very iiilerior to the more common produclhe sorts 

 of corn in gener.il use. 



This hasty scrawl is really so unconnected and 

 desuliory, that I am at a loss to know what to do 

 wiih it — whether to pul il in ihe tire or trouble you 

 with it ; "ill for a penny in lor a pound," however. 



nence as the owner of the poorest ; but by all in i I will give you some further staiemenis, and then 



ihe poor old state of Virginia. I have been lor 

 some lime gathering leaves, turf, and mould, li-oni 

 the woods and fence rows, on a piece of land des- 

 tined lor a truck patch. This vegetable mailer, 

 atier being scattered, I intend to lime with aboui 

 70 bushels to the acre, and plaster wiiii at leasi 

 one, before turning in. I hope to make someihing 

 from it this year, hut shall calculate on a fine re- 

 turn next year, when all will have decomposed 

 and become mixed with the soil. The result ol 

 this application I will actjuaint your readers wiih 

 in December, if I am then in the land of ihe living. 



In corroboration of the article of Mr. Newton, 

 and in direct contradition of the statement he re- 

 futes, I can s^y, tliat in 1830, I limed 16| acres of 

 land with 100 hogsheads of shells, well burned, 

 and applied according to the directions of F. Ijcw- 

 is, es(j. of Weyoke — scatieriiig the lime on the 

 land alier it was ploughed, and harrowing it both 

 ways, the belter to mix if. The crop of corn im- 

 mediately liillowing the applica.ion, was much bel- 

 ter than on the adjoining lands, and all cro|)s iiave 

 continued to improve on it from ihat day to this. 

 Tile land is of a darker and richer color, and is in 

 every respect improved by the application of ihe 

 lime. What will become of our marl if shell-lime 

 is not valuable? 1 may stale here, however, lhat 

 I have invariably seen much greater effects, fiom 

 the application of eocene marl, than Irom the ex- 

 periment with lime spoken of above. Indeed, I 

 have witnessed eH'ects from this invaluable sub- 

 stance truly magical ; and I hope to see the whole 

 tide-water district of Virginia blossom as a rose, 

 under ils application, and your auspices. 



This substance rests in a great quantity, entirely 

 Vol. VII— 27 



et ils fiiie be decided l>y yourself; hoping that you 

 will not occupy valuable room in your paper witfi 

 suchsiuf]', unless you really deem ii of some value. 



J^et me recommend rooi-cullure to all my broth- 

 er fiirmers. 1 have never had to regret any labor 

 besiowed in this branch of liusbandry, but have 

 ahvays reaped a (lill reward for it. More especi- 

 ally, let me recommend the Jerusalem artichoke, 

 as a very valuable root for the Iceding of hogs and 

 cows, especially if well steamed or boiled with a 

 lilile mixture of grain or meal of some sort. It ia 

 valuable becf.use very productive; because very 

 easy to cultivate; because sure to yield a crop in 

 all seasons ; becaufje easily harvested, and because 

 eaten greedily by swine and neatcatlle, very much 

 to the advai:l;ige of bolh. 



In coniieciion wiih asteamer, let me recommend 

 I wo implements, by no means in general use. 

 Green's straw-culler, the very best machine I ever 

 saw lor culling hay, straw or Ibilder; and an Eng- 

 lish malt-mill. 1 got one some ycais ago from 

 Thomas A. Rust, uf Richmond, and find it inval- 

 uable liir chnjjpiiig corn, pea?.', rye, &c. into a fine 

 small hoininv Ibrlieeding. 1 1 will make good meal, 

 but then the labor is considerable; but one good 

 hand will grind a quantity of fine hominy, or chop, 

 in a sliort time and wiih ease, it is valuable any 

 where, but on a large fiirm where there is a great 

 deal of trash corn, wheat, peas, rye, &c. and at a 

 place inconvenient to a mill, it is particularly so. 

 The cost of each is about $1.30, and I think it is 

 money well laid out, if they are carefully and ju- 

 diciously used after they are procured. 



VViih earnest wishes for the continued success 

 of your Register, I am your 



CoASTAxT Reader. 



