18350 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



507 



and that corn land, or corn and tobacco land. Un- 

 der the other system, you would have 160 acres in 

 wheat; 80 clover fallow; 16 or 18 tobacco land, 

 and the balance corn land. Clover fallow will 

 double corn land upon an average in wheat. The 

 crop of wheat from the 160 acres will more than 

 double that from the 100 acres. Take a tract of 

 land of 800 acres; divide it into two tracts of 400 

 acres each; place two farmers equal in manage- 

 ment, one on each, one pursuing the four-field 

 system, the other the five, and without any hesi- 

 tation I would say, that in less than ten years 

 the profits of the fi ve-field farmer would exceed that 

 of the other at least one-third — their capital 

 being equal when they commenced. The great 

 secret as to the best mode of improving lands, al- 

 though an extensive subject, may be expressed in 

 a very tew words. First lay off your land into a 

 sufficient number of fields, use clover and plaster 

 freely, plough well graze but little, raise as much 

 manure as possible, and apply that judiciously. 



Pursue this course and your land will be im- 

 proved, and your purse be filled. The cost of this 

 system is as follows: one gallon of clover seed, 

 average cost 75 cents; one bushel of plaster, half 

 bushel first and half bushel second spring afler 

 seeding clover, average cost a little less than 50 

 cents, say 50 cents, added to cost of clover, make 

 $125 per acre— the whole expense. Such land 

 as had usually brought eight bushels to the acre, 

 would bring an increased crop of from four to six 

 bushels, from the first clover fallow, and a regular 

 increase afterwards — the system being kept up. 

 Here then the expense is .$1 25 per acre; increased 

 crop from four to six bushels of wheat per acre, 

 say four bushels at $1 per bushel, is $4; take off 

 the expense, $1 25, and you have a nett profit of 

 $2 75 per acre, a little upwards of 200 per cent. 

 on the expenditure. This is not at all, your land 

 is in much better condition, being in a rapid state 

 of improvement. You will also have received 

 considerable benefit from grazing and clover hay. 



Gentlemen, this is no theory, no book know- 

 ledge: make the experiment, and give it a fair tri- 

 al, and you will more than realize all that I have 

 stated. There are many other points that deserve 

 consideration — the best way of preparing land for 

 the reception of seed, management of stock, &c, 

 but I fear I have already descended too much into 

 detail for an agricultural address, and that it has 

 more length than interest — but the great interest 1 

 feel in the cause, is my apology. 



From the Newbern Spectator. 

 A PROPOSITION TO EXCLUDE ANONYMOUS 

 WRITERS. 



[It is a rare occurrence for us to quote any remarks 

 of our editorial brethren of the political press, unless 

 relating more to our department than to theirs. The 

 following proposition, however, though designed for 

 political newspapers, if adopted, would have effects of 

 uncalculable amount and value on the morals and the 

 interest of our country at large.] 



"The editor of the Newbern Spectator (says the 

 People's Press,) proposes that the editors in this 

 state "close their columns forever against anony- 

 mous writers. 1 '' This would prevent the indul- 

 gence of a rancorous spirit through the newspa- 



pers; and although some disadvantages would at- 

 tend it, in preventing the modest aspirants for lit- 

 erary fame from making their debut, yet as a 

 whole it would be far preferable to the present sys- 

 tem. We say aye to the proposition." 



We are pleased to see that our proposition 

 meets with favor, and we thank the independent 

 Editor of the "Press" for his support. There 

 can be no more doubt that editors will feel relieved 

 by the adoption of the rule, than that the journals 

 of the state will be rendered more, dignified, moral 

 and efficacious. All of them must have felt the 

 disagreeable necessity of offending acquaintances 

 by rejecting communications that had no other 

 ends in view than the gratification of the writers' 

 embittered feelings, and the mortification of those 

 of their opponents; and all of them must some- 

 times have felt, as we have often done, extremely 

 chagrined tosee columns of insipid, ungrammatical, 

 and prosing stuff presented to their readers by 

 anonymous savans, which delicacy forbade them 

 to reject, though they well knew its worthlessness. 

 All this "gnashing of teeth" will be avoided by the 

 establishment of the rule which we propose, viz., 

 to admit nothing which is not subscribed with the 

 real name of the author, and only as much of that 

 as we shall deem worthy. 



What say ye, Registers, Recorders, Stars, 

 Suns, Watchmen, Examiners, Heralds and Jour- 

 nals? Will you aid in this effort to retrieve the 

 character of the press of the state? 



For the Facers' Register. 

 RAIL ROADS IN VIRGINIA. 



The first rail road undertaken in Virginia, was 

 from the coal mines in Chesterfield to tide-water, 

 opposite Richmond — a distance of twelve miles. 

 On the completion of this, about five years ago, the 

 stock advanced to more than 50 per cent, premium, 

 and a large portion of the capital has been re-fund- 

 ed to the stockholders, exclusive of the payment 

 of interest on the investment. 



The second undertaking was on a much more 

 extensive scale, and its successwas considered, at 

 the time, very problematical, as it had not the ad- 

 vantage, like its predecessor, of the certain trans- 

 portation of a vast mineral product, but was de- 

 pendant on that of agricultural produce of foreign 

 goods in return, and of passengers. This work 

 was the Petersburg and Roanoke Rail Road — 61 

 miles in length. It was steadily persevered in, 

 and struggled through the difficulties attendant on 

 new undertakings, but was completed in about 

 two years at an expense of $600,000 — including 

 ample means lor transportation, and has divided 

 10 per cent, annually. The tardy movement of 

 three or four days by wagons, was thus reduced to 

 five hours, and the expense diminished more than 

 one-half. The termination of this road on the 

 Roanoke, is at the village of Blakely, immediate- 

 ly below the falls of the river, and from whence, 

 it is navigable for steam boats to Albemarle Sound. 

 The prospect of success exhibited by this work, 

 caused a rival one to be undertaken, before the 

 former was completed, commencing at Ports- 

 mouth and to terminate at Weldon on the Roanoke. 

 This work has been about three years in hand, and 

 is advancing to completion. 



A third work, (called the Greensville and Roan- 

 oke Rail Road, eighteen miles m length) termi- 



