1836] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



555 



on my notice, and I (ear you will have cause to 

 regret tliat there are not still combatanis on 

 the arena, fiotn \vI)ose. ohservation I might 

 willingly hide my diminished head. And yet, 

 having made agriculture my profession li-oin 

 the outset of a business life of more than twenty 

 years, I teel more unwilling to acknowledge igno- 

 rance than 10 expose, as I may do, the iaiperiec- 

 tions of a practice, which has not been wilhout its 

 success. Not entering on the wide field of the 

 vexed question ol rotation, hirther than h must 

 necessarily he involved in t!i»'='. tendency of my 

 remarks, [ shall content myi«elf wiih defending 

 that which I have practiced Jbr 15 years — avoid- 

 iwn any altack on other systems ;- aTi<l thu-?, Mr. 

 Editor, I hope to escape the i.ing!oved handling to 

 which a ditlerent course might subject me. 



Although staiding umJcr tlie shadow of. a 

 name vvlii?h would give but little weight to the 

 manuscript that has so long laid on the sheW, I s!ill 

 feel a repugnance at the ego'ism oi" entering so 

 minutely and personally into details that, may af- 

 ford little, or 110 benefit to your readers — and 

 therefore, as some apology, (though at additional 

 expense to your columns and their patience) have 

 ushered it in with this exordium. 



It is not unimportant to mention thai four fifths 

 of the arable lands of- the firm which is the sub- 

 ject of this communication, consist of what is de- 

 nominated, above the fidls of James River, first 

 and second lowgrounds, which beinix level or gen- 

 tly undulating, with generally a deep soil, admit 

 of the advantageous use of four-horse ploughs--- 

 not admissible on rollinir, or shallow lands. This 

 farm was put under a three-field course in the au- 

 tumn of 1882. Field No. 1. being then sown in 

 wheat was laid down in dovcr, for ike first time, 

 in January following. Nos. 2 and 3 taking their 

 rounds in corn, &c. wheat and clover, it will be 

 seen that No. 1, comes under cultivation for the 

 crop of 1835. The ^over having been very fine, 

 without a hoof, and scarcely a scythe put into it, 

 the land was in a condition to give its best re- 

 turn. 



As in the preparation for, and cultivation of the 

 corn crop, it involves many of the details of the 

 three-field system, and from its intrinsic value 

 and the labor usually expended on its culture, con- 

 etilutes as important an item in Virginia husban- 

 dry as any other--! will submit my plan cf man- 

 aging It throusrh all itsstanrcs. 



The above field, (No. 1.) was laid into beds of 

 14 feet width, by (bur-horse Loudoun bar-shares, 

 carrying furrows fi-om 8 to 12 inches deep, (ac- 

 cording to depth of soils,) and 17 wide. The 

 corn, and tobacco lands being selected, as well for 

 their fertility as level surface, on account of the li- 

 ability of broken lands to wash in hoa-crops. were 

 first ploughed. This being done before the new 

 year, they were put in the finest tilth by the agen- 

 cy of fi'ost, assisted by the opening e^'ect of a 

 clover ley and deep ploushing, with its necessary 

 adjunct, cross-draining, by deep-grips. 



As soon in March as it is perfectly dry, the corn- 

 field is harrowed diagonally across the beds with 

 heavy wheat-drags. At the time of planting, 

 when the earth is warm and buds begin to spring, 

 (regardless of dates,) the same drags arc i;assed 

 three times lengthwise the bed — three rows being 

 laid off on each, with a single mould-boJird plough, 

 carrying a clear furrow from 2 to 3 inches deep'. ; 



The seed corn having been steeped in licjuor from 

 tlie (arnirpen, one night, and rolled in plaster the 

 Ibllowing morning, is dropped by hand, trom 4 to 

 6 grains in a place, (as I am opposed to re-plant- 

 ing.) at the distance of eighteen inches. It is 

 then covered with an implement — being a frame 

 with two coulters placed side Ity side — the (i'ame 

 so closed as to bring the coulters ji/si within the 

 laying off furrows. Tiiis raises a slight list over 

 the grain which prevents the taking effect of the 

 hasty rains, and acts as a cultivation. Hoes fol- 

 low after, brushing off the clods that ma}- be left 

 on the list and covering exposed grains. When 

 the corn is about six inches high, single horse 

 mould-board ploughs are introduced — commen- 

 cing their operation in the miiidle of the balk with 

 the bar next the com, flushing the whole and fin- 

 ishing as near as they can be gotten to the row. 

 A coulter follows in this finishing fu.row, with the 

 foot of it so turned under, as to move every plant 

 in passing. Then come the hoes trimming down 

 this narrow ridge, and thinning to one stalk, ex- 

 cept where there are missing hills, in which case, 

 leaving two or more stalks to make uj) the defi- 

 ciency. I al«o leave two stalks in every alternate 

 or third hill, in. extra rich parts of the field. As 

 soon as the stalk.will bear a heavy earthing with 

 the same ploughs, the balk is thrown back. On 

 account of leaving the field in the dryest slate for 

 wheat sowing, I give the water-flirrow rows 5 

 feet distance — laying by the three last fiirrows 

 with a two-horse mould-board plough. This ope- 

 ration finishes the working of ihe field. Mv rea- 

 soning on which jiractice is, that a heavy clover 

 ley being made by four-horse ploughs, beyond the 

 reach of disturbance from the smaller ploughs, or 

 the deleterious iniluence of the suiij afibrds a rich 

 moist pasture for the roots of this greedy and 

 thirsty plant, which 1 have observed, will main- 

 tain its color in almost any drought, on this system. 



I would not recommend beds of 14 feet width on 

 wet lands — nor do I think tl.iem as suitable (or corn 

 alone, as nariower beds with two rows, as the 

 middle row has the advantage of the others, and 

 will keep it throughout its growth. i3iit (or wheat 

 and clover, I give that width the decided prefer- 

 ence. In ploughing such beds for wheat, afifer 

 corn, they cannot be reversed with fewer than 

 four horses, v/ithout leaving them too low in the 

 middle. 1 therefore raise them with two, by first 

 throwing out the corn stubbie of the inside row, 

 u'ith a wide furrow, then filling it by running 

 wide on each side ; this gives to the beds a hand- 

 some arch, without leaving them too high. 



To return to the corn crop, however, I housed 

 from fifty nine acres of the low ground division of 

 the first field, (which is inferior to a large propor- 

 tion of the second lovv grounds of the same,) 740 

 barrels of sound and large ears — the average yield 

 being reduced, by the balance cf that division 

 having been taken ofi' for tobacco, which requires 

 the richest land. The advantage to the crop of 

 corn from further working than is here stated, 

 would, I think, be- trifling; yet on account of the 

 succeeding Avheat crop, I would give about har- 

 vest, or iminedialely after, a very shallow brushing 

 over with cultivators or hoes. But having under 

 my system fall crops of corn, tobacco, and oats, 

 besides timothy meadows, all pressing at that sea- 

 son, it would certainly be injurious to bestow 

 more labor on that one. In coauiiendation of a 



