1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



557 



takes; and much ihat. it has absorbeJ from water 

 and the atmosphere. However, a lew general 

 remarks are necessary before I give you ''my say." 



Ii seen)R (hat near every exhausted soil in this 

 slate, there is some material in approximation to 

 revive it — that is, clay or marl, high saiuly lands, 

 and vegetable matter in a state of" nature, or to be 

 producetl by culture, nigh all of them. And to 

 one or more ofthese materials, must wc look (or 

 the renovation of the soil. By mechanical or 

 chemical combinations, it may be made susceptible 

 of improvement; but after all, vegetable matter in 

 decomposition, or any substance that, when 

 decomposing, will give out the elementary princi- 

 ples oi'vegetables, siich as carbon, hydrogen, and 

 oxygen, constitute the food of plants. Moreover, 

 it will be found in the culture of corn and cotton, 

 or in any other crop planted in as large quantities 

 to the hand, as we do, the soil must be invested 

 by some material in approximity, or the yield will 

 not pay for the cost of manuring. Manures that 

 act as chemical agents, that is, that induce the de- 

 composition ofthe vegetable matter, may be fetched 

 from a distance; but it will be found that, fur any 

 other purposes, their expensiveness will not pay 

 the planter in the yield of short cotton. If these 

 premises be correct, of which my attention to ma- 

 nures has assured me, the first questions for the 

 owner of poor lands to ask of himself are: — 1st. 

 What is the nature of my soil? — is it chiefly clay, 

 or marl, or sand; or combined of those three ori- 

 ginal earths'? 2dly. What vegetable matter 

 have I nigh me, or if none, or not in sufTiciei]t 

 quantities, how shall I procure it '? 



To the first inquiry, after he is answered, he will 

 then say — tliat soil vjliich absorbs most moisture 

 from the atmosphere, and readily gives it out, is the 

 best for cultivation; and that a due admixture ol 

 clay, sand, and marl, presents the soil desired; and 

 if there is no marl at hand, clay, mixed with sand, 

 and gravel or sand mixed with clay, he may use as 

 next in value. Now, to make these combiiiaiions 

 of soils, eitiier oftwo plants inay he selected. The 

 first and most eflectual would be,to cart into the field, 

 that one. or more of "the original earths" required, 

 and ploutrh them in : the second would be to mix 

 them in the cow-pen and stable with the manure, 

 to be carted out. Having in this waj' created a 

 soil susceptible of being improved by manure, the 

 planter should then look to the second question: 

 which, because of its importance, I shall dwell on 

 somewhat at larse. 



To the second question. If the planter has an 

 abundance of dry leaves at hand, he may use 

 them; if not, he may plant rye or wheat; v\hich, 

 being winter growths, can be turned under for the 

 spring crop. And as I am satisfied that the 

 planters of short cotton in the middle and upper 

 country will sooner or later have to use dry or 

 green vegetable matter as a manure, to tlie relative 

 value of each, let me call your altentien. I must 

 also request you to bear in mind, that ! intend my 

 remarks to be applied chiefly to the middle coimtry, 

 the dry vegetable matter of whose hiixh lands is less 

 decomposable than that of the sea-board; and, 

 therefore, nuist be used with more preparation for 

 instant crops. 



I have used dry leaves both for corn and cotton 

 beneficially on sandy lands: how much more so 

 then would they be on cold, stiff, moist soils, von 

 miy easily conceive. I have noticed that those 



leaves wliich produced the most/?o/a.s7tor the most 

 gum, are best. Not because of the greater pro- 

 portion of ligneous matter in them, but, because 

 such leaves are more readily decomposable than 

 others, and their nutritious particles more soluble 

 in water, in which form, the roots of plants con- 

 sume them. The gum \eni',for a present crop, is 

 the first, then the iiickory, then the oak; and, 

 lastly, pine trash. The leaves of the yellow pine 

 cannot be used for a present crop, for tiiey aie 

 resinous, and i'or nearly a year insoluble in water, 

 or, in other words, indecomposable. Dryleav.fs 

 yield one-seventh of themselves in manure, warm 

 he earth in their act of decomposition, and, by 

 opening fissures in it, admit air to the roots of 

 plants. Yet, they are by no means so valuable as 

 the turning under of green vegetable matter; be- 

 cause, they cost more and do not afford the same 

 nourishment. 



I selcctod the best hand on my place, the driver 

 himself, and ordered him to see how many loads 

 of gum or oak leaves he could rake and cart in 

 one da}^; and though the leaves were close at 

 hand, the result was but five loads, lie min-ht 

 have carted more, but the difficulty was in llie^fil- 

 ling ofthe cart. We have no utensil, and, indeed, 

 it would be difficult to invent one, with which to 

 load; so in "my parts," we have to use a basket, 

 trample the leaves in it, and then in the cart. 

 With pine trash, we might use the ordinary fork, 

 but the oak leaves fall through its prongs. I al- 

 low then that the driver, horse and cart, are worth 

 fifty cents a day; I would not hire the same under 

 one dollar. Now I am satisfied by experiment, that 

 not less than one hundred cartloads of leaves to tl e 

 acre will benefit cotton land, so as to make an im- 

 pression on it; and to cart these, it would take twen- 

 ty days, and therefore cost ten dollars. 



Now, let us plant rye in September, to be turned 

 under in June or July, while in fairer, wiih a 

 broadcast of peas; and these to be plouo-hed in 

 b^More hard frost, for the spring culture. 



One singl'-plough, planting an acre 



or more per day, is . . ^ 371 



Half bushel of rye to the acre, or less 50 



One single-plough, to plant peas 



broadcast, - - . _ . 371 



One bushel peas, or less, - - 1 QO 



One double-plough, to turn under pea 



stubble, - - . - _ (591 



S2 871 

 ^2.87 deducted from ^10 leaves a balance 01"$ 7 

 12^ in liivor of green vegetable matter. And 

 this is not all, it has been discovered by die n)ical 

 analysis, that while green vegetable matter con- 

 tains one fourth af manure, dry vegetables contain 

 but one-seventh. 



But let me take another view. Suppose that l)y 

 some invention or improvement in the construction 

 of the cart and fork, a hand might increase the 

 number of loads carried in a da), could one have 

 the smallest hope that he would arconn>lish twen- 

 ty?— or if he did, that is, reduce the price of carting 

 leaves to ^2 87^ the acre, Avould it be as valuable 

 as green vegetaiile matter, which turns out neary 

 double the quantity of manure ? But it maybe 

 said, that one hundred cartloads of leaves, iliouiJi 

 containing reZrt/;'i'e??/ less, will turn out on account 

 of bulk, or quantity, or weight, more manure ilmn 

 ,1 crop of rye to tlie acre. To this I reply, that !o 



