1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



191 



gypsum, which, from present indications, promise 

 to realize the most valuable results. 



I have sowed about six bushels and a half of 

 clover seed, (a large quantity for this section of 

 country,) on aboui eighty acres of land, the greater 

 part of which exhibits a luxuriant growth — that 

 particularly which was sowed early, on land in 

 wheat. That which was sowed with clover late 

 in March, and harrowed, is not so good. 



I have made an experiment with plaster and 

 ashes mixed, with ashes alone, and plaster alone; 

 the latter is evidently the best; the mixture next, 

 and the ashes alone about equal to half of the 

 quantity of the mixture. The experiments were 

 made on an equal number of corn hills, with a 

 given quantity of each of the manures, and on dif- 

 ferent soils. 



I propose carrying out the experiments to the 

 gathering of the fodder, and grain, the final re- 

 sults of which, with a more detailed statement of 

 facts, I will furnish you. 



The prospects for crops are, at this time, 

 gloomy. Wheat (though better than some ac- 

 counts state it to be in other part's of the country,) 

 is far from being good. Mine is considerably 

 blasted, and otherwise injured in the heads; per- 

 haps by the chinch bug. Corn and cotton are 

 generally unpromising, particularly the latter, 

 which came up badly and stands worse. From 

 present appearances, we calculate on a very short 

 crop. Oats generally good, though suffering for 

 rain. 



Yesterday I cut my skinless oats, which were 

 sowed a few days before I sowed the ruffle and 

 common oats — none of which will be ripe enough 

 to cut in a fortnight. To-day I have sowed a ihw 

 of the skinless oats, cut yesterday, for the purpose 

 of testing whether two crops of it can be made in 

 this latitude in a year. 



Only one of my pine nuts came up, and I fear 

 that one will die. * * * * 



W. B. LOCKHART. 



Northampton Co. N. C, Jane 23, 1835. 



EXTRACTS FROM PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. 



Bertie. County, June 1835. 



Our crops at this place present a gloomy as- 

 pect at present. We have not had a "season" 

 for four weeks. Our oat crop will be entirely cut 

 off. Our corn is smaller for the present than I 

 have perhaps ever seen it. Our cotton has come 

 up badly. Some persons have had to plough up, 

 and plant again. 



Nanseinond, June 18, 1835. 



I thank you most sincerely for the present you 

 sent me the other day, of your second edition of 

 Calcareous Manures. So far as I have examin- 

 ed it, I find that the doctrines therein advanced 

 are supported by my observation and experiments 

 made with marl and lime, and I am clearly and 

 thoroughly of the opinion, that we have within 

 our reach anin exhaustible treasure — that our lands 

 may be so improved as to yield an abundant pro- 

 fit, for any reasonable man. Let an unreasonable 

 one go to the south, and speculate in the visionary 

 schemes of the day, and either make his fortune, 

 or get broke. ***** 



You can have no idea of the prejudices of many 

 of my countymen against the improvement of the 

 soil by means of calcareous earth, and though I 

 have now a crop of wheat growing (upon land 

 that would formerly bring nothing of value like 

 wheat,) that would do any man good to look at, 

 yet the people (save a few) will not believe that 

 marl or lime had any agency in it — they say it 

 was stable manure. What I shall make to the 

 acre I cannot tell; but I verily believe 20 or 25 

 bushels to the average, and some 40 to the acre. 

 It certainly is the best wheat I ever saw, either in 

 eastern or middle Virginia, and gentlemen who 

 pass the road from the mountains, say it is the 

 best they have seen this year. 



Brunswick, Jane 2Qih, 1S35. 



I am much indebted to you for the second edi- 

 tion of your .Essay on Calcareous Manures; and 

 whilst I am almost compelled to admit, that the 

 position maintained in your 4th proposition on the 

 different capacities of soils lor receiving improve- 

 ment appears to be tenable, that your reasoning 

 seems to be sound and your conclusions just, I am 

 not a little troubled with the conviction that the 

 section of country in which I reside, cannot enjoy 

 much of the benefit which will be derived from 

 the information contained in your very useful 

 Essay. And since I am so much troubled with 

 the above conviction I should like to know 7 of you 

 with what effect clay ashes might be employed as 

 a substitute for calcareous earth. 



MISTAKES. 



It is earnestly requested that all subscribers, after 

 making payments, will examine the next printed list 

 of receipts, and will immediately make known any 

 omission or mistake that may be found. If this was 

 done, with our course of procedure, there could not 

 possibly be a mistake of two months duration. As it 

 is, we are sometimes first apprised of them, when nearly 

 two years have passed after the subscribers interested 

 had the means of correction afforded them. Such oc- 

 currences are always unpleasant — and however prompt- 

 ly the few mistakes on our books have been rectified, 

 when the proper information was offered, we have not 

 always escaped giving offence, when entirely free, per- 

 sonally, from even the fault of neglect or carelessness. 

 With every care to avoid such occurrences, we have 

 not escaped making mistakes — nor can an entire ex- 

 emption from them be expected under any circum- 

 stances. But our individual share of such errors is 

 very small — and the means of speedy correction has 

 always been offered in the list of published receipts. 



But our subscribers make many more mistakes than 

 all justly chargeable to us, or to former agents: and 

 among them, there have been more overpayments of- 

 fered, than all the overcharges caused by mistakes on 

 our books. When second payments have been thus 

 offered, the sums have been sometimes returned, and 

 at others, entered to the subscribers' credit for a year 

 later than they had stated. At other times, money has 

 reached us for orders that could not be executed, and 

 which were so carelessly expressed, that it was difficult 

 to know where to return the sums. We now hold $10 

 thus sent three months ago, (from persons in Bucking- 



