4 



FARMERS' R E G I S T E H 



[No. 1 



ularly every year — and that too, without eniigra- 

 tion; for they have ahiioi^t without exception, re- 

 mained to;r?.iher in the same siiuaiion as at firsi 

 placed, to ihis day. Idleness, poverty, and di.^si- 

 pation, are the agents which continue to dimin- 

 ish their numbers, arul to render ihem wretched in 

 the extreme, as Vv-eli as a ixreat pest, and heavy 

 tax upon the nei2;hborhood in which they live. 

 There is so little of industry, and so much (lissij.ia- 

 tion amoni];st them, that it is impossible! that the 

 fema.les can rear their families of children — and 

 the consequence is, that they prostitute themselves, 

 and consequenth', have fevvchildren — and the ope- 

 ration of time, profligacy and disease, more than 

 keep pace with any increase among them. 

 Whilst they are a very crreat yicst and heavy tax 

 upon the conminnity, it is most obvious, they 

 themselves are infinitely worsled by the exchange 

 from slavery to liberty — if^ indeed, their condition 

 deserves that name. 



JAT.IES MADlSOJf. 



[The facts stated in the foregoing communication 

 are both interesting and important. We are greatly 

 indebted to our esteemed and vvpII informed correspon- 

 dent for Ids compliance with our request, and have only 

 to regret that he did not enter more into the details of 

 so fair and decisive a trial of the effects of negro eman- 

 cipation, made under the most favorable circumstances. 

 In this case, the slaves who were emancipated had 

 been trained to labor — they were abundantly provided 

 with fixed farming capital — and they had, and their 

 descendants still have, in addition, a continual demand 

 fortiieir labor, in the boating on the Appomattox — an 

 employment which they prefer to all others, because it 

 is the nearest to idleness. Yet with every advantage, 

 and through a long course of time, their prosperity 

 and even their numbers have been diminishing, and 

 their condition has gradually become worse. A more 

 full experiment cannot be adduced, nor a more deci- 

 sive result.] 



For tlic Farmers' Rrsristcr. 



riACKSERRT 

 IJ 



rJlOPOSED 



FOR LIVE 



I doubt much whether a live fence can be made 

 proof against hogs. At ;my rate, it is not proba- 

 ble that fi^ices of this descri|)tion will be much at- 

 tempted in Virginia [\n- a long time to come. I 

 have long thouglit that the hackberry tree j)ro- 

 naised lo answer the purpose better than any other 

 that 1 have seen. It will grow to a very laru;e 

 tree, under favorable circumstances— but when 

 browsed down by stocA-, it makes the most dense 

 and unyielding shrub I liave over seen. I know 

 several bushes of it through which it would be 

 <1ifHcult for a sparrow to creep. About twenty 

 years ago, I sowed a small lot with the berries; 

 Ihey vegetated very well— but were ploughed up, 

 through mistake, by a servant, in my absence. 

 There are no bearing lree.s in my 'immediate 

 neighbor! lood; and (hough anxious to try a<rain, 

 I have been unable to procure fresh berries. "Na- 

 ture has SI) formed such seed, that they will never 

 vegetate afier once drying; were it otherwise, the 

 power of man coilW not prevent their takiii"- pos- 



session of the caiih. This is the case with the 

 sp(\! <,f thi" hawthorn, the rose, and in some mea- 

 sLii-e, with the grarcviiie and the apple tree. 



M. 



CLOVER AXD GYPSUM NOT SUFFICIENT FOR 

 DURAllLH fMrROVEMEXT. VALUE OF EAS- 

 TERIS' J^nOIli:: LA?JDS. 



To the Editor of tlie Fanners' Register. 



jOastarn Shore cf Maryland, ) 

 Fsbrvanj I5lh, 1836. 5 



I regret to find by }'our address to readers and 

 correspondents, in your No. for February, that 

 you have cause to complain of the want of co- 

 operation. You would find it difficult by your 

 ovs^n exclusive efforts, to keep sucli a work as 

 yours in successful operation. I owe something 

 more than my annua! subscri|)tion to the Register, 

 and desire to make suitable returns. I may aid in 

 fillini; your columns, but I fear j'ou will find my 

 contributions of but little value. 



Some of your correspondents, seem to enter- 

 tain the opinion that clover, in conjunction with 

 g}'psian, is a means of solid and permanent im- 

 provements. My expei-ience has led me to a dif- 

 ferent conclusion. Many years ago, I purchased 

 a small farm— the soil had been originally fertile, 

 but reduced in its early cultivation by tobacco — 

 afTerwards, by the improvident three-field system. 

 This farm was cultivated by my directions — my 

 vocation not peruutting much of my personal at- 

 tetion. I had it divided into five fields, one culti- 

 vated in corn, two in wheat, one of those I sowed 

 in clover, and plastered the first and second year, 

 after gathering the wheat. The growth of clover 

 was rich and abundant. My clover fallow pro- 

 duced crops of wheat far beyond expectations. I 

 expected progressive improvement, and the means 

 to be so easy that [ paid but little attention to 

 collecting putrescent manures. I succeeded well 

 for tvro rounds; but my crops of wheat greatly 

 diminished in the third — though clover still con- 

 tinned to flourish, and Indian corn grew well. 

 This system had been an innovation in the neigh- 

 borhood. I had been a little proud of success, 

 but I deemed it unwise to pursue it at a loss. I 

 abandoned clover and plaster, divided the farm 

 into five fields, and sought improvement by marsh 

 mud and putrescent manures. This fiarm now 

 produces good crops of wheat and corn — though 

 not so abundant as under the first impulse of clo- 

 ver and plaster. Whether gypsum be a stimu- 

 lant, or an alterative, I do not know; but I am sat- 

 isfied it may be pushed too fiir — and like shell 

 marl, does mischief, by an injudicious application. 

 I commenced marling this farm last fidi, and in- 

 tend, with caution, to try gypsum upon my marled 

 grounds. 



For the last four weeks the winter has been 

 rigorous. Crops of wheat liave aflbrded but a 

 smair supply of straw, and till the grass springs, 

 the cattle must suffer. Duty and interest incul- 

 cate that every creature over which we exercise 

 dominion ought to be supplied with food suited to 

 their wants. My cattle generally get on tolera- 

 bly well, till the warm days in February, with 

 corn cops and wheat straw; they then seem to 



