1839] 



F A R M E R S ' REGISTER 



455 



Alabamn, 55 in Louisiana, 50 in Tennessee, 15 in 

 Florida, 13 in Viririnia, 10 in North Carolina, and 

 (liree-fburlhs of a liiillion in Arl^ansas. 



The next year (1834) the crop had increased to 

 457 1-2 milhons, and was grown as follows ; 85 in 

 Mississippi, 85 in Alabama, 75 in Georgia, 65 1-2 

 in South Carolina, 62 in Louisiana, 45 in Tennes- 

 see, 20 in Florida, 18 in Virginia, 9 1-2 in North 

 Carolina, and in Arkansas one-halfa million. Sub- 

 sequently, no certain data are in our possession ; 

 but the estimate at this time, is 550 millions as the 

 whole crop of the Union. 



Thus it will be seen, from 1791 to 1826, South 

 Carolina was the most abundant cotton growing 

 elate in the union. In 1826, Georgia took the 

 lead, and held it till 1834, when Alabama and 

 Mississippi took the front rank. At this time, 

 Mississippi is perhaps the most extensive cotton 

 growing state in the union. South Carolina and 

 Alabama are next. North Alabama is begining 

 to deteriorate as a cotton country, while the worn 

 lands in middle Tennessee are thought to improve 

 for this culture — maturity, the vital desideratum, 

 not being so easily allowed in the rank luxuriance 

 oi"the fresher soils. 



When iris remembei'ed that (he ^rs^ cotton 

 plant ill the United States were raised in 1787, 

 surely our readers will find reason for surprise at 

 the wonderful increase that has accrued in liitle 

 more than filiy years! Bold, indeed, must be the 

 man who would venture to predict the wealth, 

 greatness, and power, likely to become our national 

 attributes through the agency of cotton. 



KEGLECT OF AGRICULTURE IN GUILFIELD, 

 N. C. RECEJST DISCOVERY OF LIME. 



Guilfield, N. C, Dec. ^ith, 1838. 



We have great need of information on agricul- 

 tural subjects in this part of the country. The 

 county of Guilford has a population of 20,000 

 eouls, and I do not know of but two other gentle- 

 men in the county, besides myself, who take an 

 agricultural newspaper. There may be others of 

 whom 1 do not know, but it is certain, the number 

 is but small. This county in regard to original fer- 

 tility, has been one of the finest in the western part 

 of the state. The county lies on the head branches 

 of the Cape Fear, one large branch of which, the 

 Haw, runs across it on the north side, and Deep 

 River on the south, which together with the nu- 

 merous tributary streams emptying into them, have 

 afforded in times past large bodies of beautiful 

 lands lor cultivation ; but the hand of man has 

 been too successful in its destruction. Here we 

 have no judicious rotation of crops ; but one year 

 in corn and the next in small grain ; and this in 

 continual succession has been, with liiw exceptions, 

 the general system of cultivation. But little at- 

 tention has been bestowed on making n^anures, 

 and no matter what may be the demand and the 

 need for that commodity, the supply usually con- 

 sists of what is made in the stables in a natural 

 way, perhaps even without a necessary supply of 

 litter. 



Lime has heretofore been beyond our reach and 

 beyond our hopes. But from the accidental burn- 

 ing of the soil of a neigiiboring county (Stokes) 



in the course of the last year, we now entertain 

 the belief that it may ultimately be furnir-^hed in 

 such quantities and for such prices as will justifv 

 its application as a manure (or lands. The soil 

 was underlaid with a species of rock that no per- 

 son had ever dreamt of being lime-stone ; but the 

 first rain that fell after the fire, the rock slacked and 

 furnished a quantity of fine lime. The quarries 

 from which the rock were obtained are about thirty 

 miles west of this place, and are said to be inex- 

 haustible. 



I think I can perceive the commencement of a 

 better and more enliirhlened system of a<rriculture 

 than we have heretofore had. Improvements have 

 already begun, and I have no doubt will be suc- 

 cessfully carried on. There seems to be a desire 

 Rir asricultural information pervading the country, 

 which I hope will be the means of causing the peo- 

 ple to procure and read agricultural papers. In- 

 dustry is not wanting. And I have no doubt when 

 knowledge and information are added to the in- 

 dustry which our [teople possess, that it will be the 

 means of making our country, what it ought to be, 

 prosperous, wealthy and happy. 



[The foregoing extract was marked for publica- 

 tion, at the time when receceived, but by accident 

 the letter containing it was mislaid, and was not 

 recovered until now. — Ed.] 



HUSSEy's REAPING MACHINE. ILL EFFECTS 

 TO DESERVING INVENTORS OF THE PUFF- 

 ING SYSTEM. 



As far back as in our second volume (at page 

 593,) we published an account of the operation of 

 Hussey's reaping machine, which then was receiv- 

 ing favorable notice in the papers of the day. But, 

 like nineteen-twentieths of what are called agri- 

 cultural improvements, afler so much early eulo- 

 gium, it seemed to pass into oblivion, and we 

 heard nothing more of it lor some years, and natu- 

 rally inferred that it was like so many other novel- 

 ties (or supposed novelties) which are continually 

 sent forth, under a cloud of bought and begged and 

 false commendation, and which after effecting as 

 much as possible their object, to deceive for gain, 

 had sunk into merited contempt. But this machine 

 has recently been again brought to public notice, 

 ri.i in such manner as to induce the belief that it 

 IS likely to be a very valuable agricultural improve- 

 ment. In addition to several newspaper articles, 

 one of which will be copied below, we have the 

 following statement, in a short postscript to a pri- 

 vate letter from S. Hambleton, esq., of Talbot, 

 Md., from whom we shall be pleased to receive a 

 much more full and particular account, for our next 

 number. 



"I am running, with much satisfaction, Hussey's 

 wheat reaper, "it works well and with expedition. 

 Two horses, one driver and a raker attend it. It 

 keeps eight bindeis pretty well emi>loyed," 



