474 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 8 



which was cut to drain a natural pond of long 

 standing. The surface oi" the bed is composed ot 

 a crust, a quarter of an inch thici<, of a red color, 

 which, I suppose, is produced by the action of the 

 air on the iron particles (ti)rnierly tlie oxide or 

 protoxide). Within this crust, the sand is of a 

 deep green color, interspersed with shining parti- 

 cles ; which, however, upon exposure to the air, 

 readily forms a crust of a red color. 



IVIy attention was drawn to it about eighteen 

 months ago, by seeing some remarks on green 

 sand in your paper. In September, 1835, 1 select- 

 ed simc samples to carry with me to the Com- 

 mencement at Hampden Sidney, to show to Dr. 

 Dame, the Professor of Chemistry ; but forgot to 

 take them along. On mentioning my intention to 

 him, he observed that he had just received from 

 you samples of shell marl and ii:reen sand, which 

 he showed me. I thought that the latter was ex- 

 actly like my earth. I afterwards sent more sup- 

 posed green sand to him, to compare and ascer- 

 tain its identity, but it miscarried; and now 1 know 

 no olher chance, than that of applying to you, to 

 get you to take upon yourself the same trouble. 

 I am well aware that your multiplied engage- 

 ments must necessarily leave you very little lei- 

 sure to attend to inquiries of this sort, yet I ven- 

 ture to solicit it, upon the consideration of the util- 

 ity of such a disco veiy to the agricultural interests 

 oi'the country adjacent. 



While I am wa-iting, I will add, that I have just 

 finished digging my sweet potatoes. The pro- 

 duct was greater than is usual to obtain in this 

 neighborhood. From three bushels planted on 

 about a quarter of an acre, I obtained 70 heaped 

 bushels, after having used them for three weeks 

 before they were dug. They grew on land that 

 was cleared and planted in corn last year, and 

 manured with stable dung this spring, previous 

 to making the hills for the potatoes. They were 

 ploughed once and hilled twice. I attribute my 

 success to the quantity of seed used for the space, 

 there being two or three times as many put in each 

 hill as is usual. The vines grew more luxuriantly 

 than any 1 ever saw before. They were nearly 

 knee deep over the whole area. As they were 

 not killed by frost, and were much relished by cat- 

 tle and hogs, I have stored them away for winter 

 forage. But several to whom I mentioned this 

 intention, tell me they will kill cattle ; either by 

 poisoning them, or causing them to swell. I should 

 like to know h'om yourself or correspondents if 

 there is any truth in tliis statement ; as otherwise 

 those who grow them on a large scale, might 

 make a very desirable addition to their winter 

 stock of provision for cattle, by taking them from 

 the hills before they were killed by frost. 



Some eight or ten days alter the usual time of 

 planting potatoes, a neighbor gave me ten or 

 twelve red potatoes, which he thought highly of, 

 about the size and length of a finger. These I 

 placed in a flower box, in rich mould, and set it 

 at the south side of the house, in a warm place. 

 They soon sent forth a dense mass of sprouts over 

 the whole area of the box, which I drew, and 

 planted four or five in a hill, in a moist season. 

 The ))roduce fiom the sprouts that first came up, 

 -was^ two bushels of fine large potatoes. They 

 continued to send forth s|)rouls for some time, 

 which I gave away, or neglected to transplant. 

 From this small experiment I am induced to be- 



lieve, that when seed potatoes are scarce, by 

 treating them in this or a similar way, a small 

 (|uantity would plant as much land as a large one 

 docs in the common way, and forward the croj) a 

 week or two. 



Should this, or any part of the foregoing com- 

 munication be deemed worthy a place in the Re- 

 trister, j'ou may insert it, or dispose of it as you 

 think fit. 



S. CARTER. 



[Owing to having mislaid the sample of earth referred 

 to above, it is regretted that no opinion can be offered 

 thereon at this time : but were it otherwise, such ex- 

 pression of opinion would be worth very little. Our 

 general opinions as to the value of green sand, or ra- 

 ther as to the uncertaiiity of its eiiects, have been al- 

 ready stated. We confess our ignorance of what con- 

 stitutes its value as a manure — and have not yet seen 

 any evidence that any others are much more enlighten- 

 ed in this respect. We have made many and large 

 experimenti with this earth, and sometimes with much 

 success and profit — but the results have been generally 

 unfavorable and unprofitable, and are strongly contra- 

 dictory to the received opinions as to this manure be- 

 ing generally useful — and also of its rarely beneficial 

 effects being attributable to the potash contained. 

 We are far from wishing to discourage investigation 

 on this interesting and still mysterious subject : on 

 the contrary, we earnestly desire the increased atten- 

 tion of men of science. But we do desire to repress 

 the general eagerness for this particular substance, 

 which, like the mania for gold mining, causes far more 

 valuable and certain resources to be contemned and 

 neglected. 



As to the means of detecting green sand in any earth 

 where its presence is suspected, it is as much at the 

 command of every inquirer as at ours. As directed 

 more fully by Professor W. B. Rogers, (in his interest- 

 ing communication to Vol. II. Farm. Reg-., and also in 

 Appendix to Essay on Calcareous Manures^) it is only 

 necessary to separate a few grains of the earth on a 

 card, or on firm white paper, and mash them thereon 

 with the moistened point of a knife : if any green sand 

 is present, it will be indicated by the green color 

 marked on the paper. As to the proportion, the exam- 

 iner must judge by the appearance of the mass or sam- 

 ple — unless he can resort to a chemical process requir- 

 ing much care and trouble, and far more knowledge 

 than we pretend to, even if in such a case as this, the 

 object deserved it. After the presence of green sand 

 is proven by the simple process above stated, we ad- 

 vise that the earth be tried as manure on the soil, as the 

 only way (in the present state of ignorance on the sub- 

 ject,) of knowing whether the earth is worth any 

 thing.] 



For tlic Farmer's Register. 



ON SUCCESSIVE CROPS OF CORN ON THE SAME 

 I^ANI). 



A nameless writer in the last number asks, 

 ■' who has cultivated the same land in corn for ten 

 years, and what were the comparative crops ?" 



