42 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 1 



witli brick, (mortar would be equally good, per- 

 haps preferable,) and covered over with dirt about 

 a foot thick, to prevent the escapinir of the heated 

 air, and injury from weather, There should be 

 two fire-places to a twenty foot house, which 

 should be walled with stone ; the flues of which, 

 should extend around the house about tour feet 

 distant therefrom — meeting on the oppo-^iie side. 

 After getting three leet in the house, I make holes 

 on each side of the flues, three inches square, 

 eighteen inches apart, through which the heated 

 air will escape, and being done horizontally, will 

 be regularly difiused through the house. These 

 holes should not be opposite each other, as that 

 will prevent in some degree, the heat fiom escap- 

 ing regularly. 



The bottom log or sill of the house, should be 

 at least two feet above the top of the flues, to in- 

 sure a non-communication of fire : that being se- 

 cure, very little li?ar of fire need be apprehended 

 from any other source. The space from the flue 

 to the log should be filled with mud. A house in- 

 tended for flues (for obvious reasons,) should be 

 set on a hill-side. 



I would now observe that Mr. Gay commenced 

 the use of these flues in 1824, without a knowledge 

 of their previous existence ; and from actual and 

 repeated experiments, considers them perfectly 

 safe from fire. Sparks are not very common ob- 

 jects of perception in the house : and 1 believe a 

 torch is necessary to set tobacco on fire. That 

 heat and smoke cannot exist together, (when 

 coming in immediate contact,) has been most hap- 

 pily illustrated b}^ the liict that the latter becomes 

 very nearly extinct in passing the flues belbre en- 

 tering the house. 



I saw some of Mr. G's tobacco a few days since, 

 and from its fine appearance and flavor, concluded 

 that it had not been subjected to the deleterious ef- 

 fects of smoke. That the time and labor required 

 in attendence, is less than in the common mode 

 cannot be doubted — when I say that one hand can, 

 with ease, keep up the heat of three or four hous- 

 es, were they half a mile apart — his only care 

 being, to replenish the fire-places with fuel. I 

 would here remark, that tobacco should never be 

 suffered to pass through a sweat while undergoino- 

 the process of yeUoiuing j and this should occupy 

 a day or two. I believe the primary cause of good 

 tobacco curing of a dark color, arises from the ab- 

 sence of the requisite quantum of air at that crisis. 

 It would therefore be prudent to remedy the evil 

 by removing the cause, which should "be done 

 [by making openings] about five or six feet above 

 the base of the house. Perhaps openings in other 

 parts of the house would be equally eflectual. 



This subject seems to merit some additional re- 

 marks: but feeling a disposition t5 advert to the 

 practice of another very intelligent and practical 

 farmer, the imitation of which, I think would be 

 attended vvith profit to the fraternity generally', 

 must desist. Inconsequence of a great press "of 

 business in September 183t, (which is common to 

 all industrious planters at that juncture,) his to- 

 bacco enjoyed the privilege of'remaining in the 

 field about two weeks later than was iirtended. 

 Having by this time built a house and completed 

 other requisite operations, the weather admonish- 

 ing him that fi'ost was approaching, he went into 

 his field and uttering the injunctionto " cut boys, 

 and E!j>are not," which was rigidly enforced, very 



few plants escaped the attack. It was in every re- 

 spect ripe for the knife. He realized the excellent 

 price of S19 per cwt. for his best, and !#10 for his 

 lugs ; while the maximum price of that of his 

 neighbors, produced on equally good land, did not 

 exceed ij>9 or i^lO. It is a notorious laet that ma- 

 ny planters cut their tobacco through fear of a 

 fi'ost, when it is improving more rapidly than at 

 any former period. I think this course unwise, 

 believing he would be a gainer by suffering it to 

 stand till thoroughly ripe ; even were he to lose 

 one crop entire out of six or seven. Judging from 

 past experience, I think no planter should make 

 more than two, or at most three cuttings under or- 

 dinary circumstances. In support of this practice, 

 I would only add a few remarks ; though it would 

 justify many. In the first place, its quality and 

 quantity is greatly enhanced. This is a very di- 

 rect and effectual method to increase the price as 

 shown above. The open space caused from one 

 large cutting supersedes the necessity of carrying 

 the tobacco to the edge of the field, as a cart may 

 pass and receive its load, without the remainder 

 sustaining much injury. It is obvious that time and 

 labor will be economized. It enables the planter 

 to fill a house, or houses, from a single cutting. The 

 advantages derivable from this circumstance are 

 numerous and apparent to every curer of tobacco, 

 and need not a comment from me. 



I will mention one more advantage attending 

 this plan — and leave others to be supplied by the 

 reader. Tobacco cures of a much better color af- 

 ter the middle of September, than earlier. I beg 

 leave to make assertions without proof, as the me- 

 thods recommended, will, (when tested) be found 

 correct. To obviate the necessity of cutting the 

 plants topped first, sooner than those subsequently 

 topped, I would recommend that they be crowned 

 with a greater number of leaves. "Solid and 

 practical wisdom consist, in pursuing valuable ends 

 by the most appropriate means." 



ROBERT D. KEY. 



For the Farmers' Resistcr. 



THE WEST. 



Glencoc, Jllahama, } 

 April 4, 1836. \ 



Agriculture. 



Agriculture in new countries is carried on in an 

 exhausting and improvident manner. To an in- 

 habitant of an old state, where economy is better 

 known, it is quite shocking to observe the prodi- 

 gal waste of timber consumed in clearing a wes- 

 tern plantation. Entire primitive forests, girdled, 

 wither, and rot away — food for the woodpecker 

 s[)eci(^s which is very numerous in this country — 

 or are at once fijlled with the axe, and burned in 

 heaps. Thus, millions of stuidy oaks and giant 

 hickories through whose tops the winds of many 

 winters have whistled, are trauslormed in a brief 

 hour to thin blue smoke, and mere volatile gas. 



The land once cleared, is exhausted by an un- 

 interi'upted succession of crops — until, the product 

 yearly growing less and less, the propricitor be- 

 comes dissatisfied, and sells out to some less opu- 

 lent or less avaricious neighbor, and removes to 

 some new elysium in the west. 



There is nothing new under the sun : — the same 



