1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



63 



omy to give it to our poultry, and pigs, for both of 

 which it is admirable, given in the hull. It is 

 thrashed out with great ease over a bench pro- 

 perly placed, or a barrel. 



It is the first article I plant in the spring. If 

 planied alone, and if planted early as possible, 

 it will be off" the ground before the arrival o!" the 

 ricebird. Like other grain, I have found it supe- 

 rior, when cut (if lor table use,) just before it is 

 perfectly ripe. In this case the straw is cured 

 when s ill green, consequently, highly nutritious, 

 and when cured still retains its color. 



In cultiva'ing this grain, the ground should be 

 turned over in January — harrowed ivilh the fur- 

 row, and the firsr favorable state of the weather 

 and soil in February or March, lay the ground 

 off in drills with a half shovel, for the purpose of 

 having the seed deposited as deep as possible, so 

 that, after it is hilled up, the roots may be deep in 

 the ground, and which, in case of a drought about 

 filing time, will secure it. This last, precaution 

 has been the result with me of several experi- 

 ments. The drills may be as near as eighteen 

 inches apart, if the rice is cultivated alone, and it 

 can be covered with a small board fixed to a scoo- 

 ter plough stalk, or with the hoe or rake. The 

 first is the most expeditious, and requires no other 

 attention than to cover shallow. When six to 

 nine inches in height, plough with a scooter be- 

 tween the rows with a small pony or mule, and 

 fin sh it off wi'h the hoe, drawing the dirt to it. 

 If the land is light and loose, one ploughing is 

 sufficient — keeping the ground loose and clean is 

 all that is required. It is cut with the sickle, in 

 dry, hot weather, and put up in sheaves the next 

 day, and stacked or housed. 



I have had it cut down with the frost twice in 

 the spring, without any bad consequences. I plant- 

 ed once in the twelve days, and made a fine crop, 

 remarkable for weight. It was cut down by frost 

 twice; I was making experiments to defeat the 

 rice bird, but found that planting in February, or 

 even March, and cutting as before stated, will 

 always find the crop in the barn on his arrival. 



I am assured that you will find no difficulty in 

 raising this valuable grain in your vicinity. All 

 difficulty as regards preparing it for table use, is 

 done away, by substituting the wooden block in 

 lieu of the stone — the first being furrowed out in 

 the same manner. Attached to a small horse mill, 

 for my own grinding, I have four pestles, worked 

 in as many mortars, that would clean for a whole 

 neighborhood. 



Where I have ground to put in corn of the se- 

 cond year after being cleared, and especially if I 

 can afford a little manure to the land, I would al- 

 wnvs raise my rice as before stated, with the corn. 

 When the land is not disposed to produce grass, 

 it is made with less labor, for the production, than 

 any crop I know of. 



AGRICOLA. 



Alabama, March 15, 1835. 



SEASON A1VD STATE OF CROPS DURING MAY — 

 PROSPECTS. 



Cold weather has continued to predominate general- 

 ly through this month, though intermixed in the latter 

 half with some very warm. The corn crops are very 

 backward, and look badly. To cotton, in this region, 



the cold weather has been still more injurious. But 

 the great loss of Virginia will be in the wheat crop. 

 The Hessian fly has seized on it every where that we 

 have heard from in the state, (probably in consequence 

 of the frebh state of the plants,) and promises to de- 

 stroy half the remnant that the severity of the winter 

 had spared. The few crops which have come under 

 our personal observation, cannot yield more than half 

 of what might have been expected in a good season— 

 and accounts equally unfavorable — some much more 

 so — have been received in the incidental notices of cor- 

 respondents from every region of the state where 

 wheat is an important crop. After making due allow- 

 ance for the fears of writers being heightened beyond 

 the actual and abundant grounds for despondency, it 

 can scarcely be expected that more than half a crop of 

 wheat will be made. A few extracts from private let- 

 ters will show the kind of information upon which our 

 opinion is founded. 



From Goochland, May 19. "Our wheat crops are 

 deplorably bad on James River — the best low grounds 

 even worse than the high lands. I shall now be con- 

 tent with one-third of a crop. The fly has been com- 

 mitting sad ravages for the last ten days; and at the 

 proper time we may anticipate rust. The corn, so far, 

 does not stand very well — and tobacco plants small for 

 the season, and not very abundant; so that really our 

 prospects are gloomy. The oats and clover alone pro- 

 mise well." 



A correspondent from the same county, (near John- 

 son's Springs,) writes (May 18th,) as follows: "The 

 growing crop of wheat is offered by many of my 

 neighbors for the seed sown, and in some cases less. 

 I hope the fatality has not been very extensive, and 

 that other regions may be blest if we are destitute.*' 



Another from King and Queen (May 10th) speak- 

 ing on another subject, incidentally remarks: "I should 

 like to submit to you and your correspondents, a few 

 inquiries as to the best mode of seeding wheat to pre- 

 vent its being killed by frost, for my crop, although 

 put in with some care, is an entire failure." 



From Fairfax, May 7th. "You may report with 

 safety that not more than a third of a crop of wheat 

 will be made in this county." 



From Fauquier an account equally bad was receiv- 

 ed, but of earlier date. Of the crops of the great 

 wheat growing county, Frederick, something has been 

 stated in the communication (p. 30,) of a "Frederick 

 Farmer" — and a still more desponding view has been 

 given in a private letter from another farmer of that 

 county, dated May 9th. 



The bad state of the wheat crop, added to the high 

 price of cotton, (and perhaps also the rising rage for 

 speculation in general,) have combined to give a new 

 impulse to the emigration of the farmers of this state to 

 the South West — and thereby to increase the drain, 

 always flowing from the heart's blood and vital power 

 of Virginia. No country can prosper while continu- 

 ing to lose annually so much of its accumulated 

 wealth, and so many of its most energetic and useful 

 citizens. It is necessary for those who remain — who 

 will "die in the last ditch" before they will abandon 

 their native land — to use every exertion to aid the ge- 

 neral improvement and prosperity of agriculture, as 

 the only means to arrest general ruin — and this end is 



