622 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 10 



of rain to transplant whatever pprouts are large 

 enough, that is a ievv inches high. The nursery 

 bed will soon ajxain be covered with a new set to 

 plant at the next suitable weather. Potatoes pro- 

 duced in this manner, are generally smooth and 

 well formed, and the crop very abundant. Every 

 facility afforded, ilir the extended cultivation of 

 this invaluable root, is undoubtedly a great advan- 

 tage ; for it is nutritive and vvholesonie in a high 

 deij-ree. I'.Iany planters in this state feed their ne- 

 groes lor several months exclusively on sweet po- 

 tatoes, and during that period, they are all, yountj 

 or old, healthy and fat. I have very little doubt 

 but it niiijht be advantageously cultivatecLlbr the 

 manufacture ol' suirar, which it would probably 

 produce in greater abundance than the beet ; lor 

 not only suirar can be extracted from its ready 

 formed saccharine matter, but also from the starch 

 which It contains in great abundance. This is, at 

 least, well worth the trial. 

 I am, very respectfully, sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



N. HERBEMONT. 



THE PROPER DISTANCES FOR PLANTING 

 CORN. 



To tlie Editor of tlie Farmeis' Register. 



I hold it to be an axiom, that any subscriber to 

 a useful and punctual periodical, who does not con- 

 tribute to its support, by paying his subscription, 

 and furnishintz: any usei'ul facts or theories of which 

 he is in possession, is worthy of any punishment 

 which a jury ol" editors would inflict. 



Not choosing to subject myself any longer to 

 the penalty due to such an offender, 1 send you 

 niy subscription and my mite of matter. The 

 first will, I hope, justify you in paying the post, 

 whether the latter is worth printinjj or not. 



In this world of fancies and Yankee notions, 

 each man has his hobby. Some ride to the south, 

 some glide swiftly on the bosom of the smooth 

 canal; some fly through the air in balloons; some 

 rattle on a rail road, and I, JMr. Editor, ride info my 

 cornfield, and speculate on the value, while I am 

 enraptiu-ed by the beauty of that queen of plants. 



While all the world is agog for cotton, the poor 

 corn is neglected by all but those who eat it. Let 

 us turn our eyes to it, while I giye you the results 

 of some experiments and calculations on its cul- 

 ture. 



On the Eastern Shore of Virginia (that most 

 prosperous of all corn countries,) I am told it is 

 the habit of the planters to plant their corn four 

 feet each way — a single stalk at a place. When 

 I first commenced ftuniing, my impression was, 

 that the most economical method of cultivating 

 corn, all things considered, was to plant it so as 

 plough it both ways, and thereby dispense with 

 the hoe-work. I tried it. Experience and reason 

 have changed my opinion. In 1835, I cultivated 

 a light sandy field in corn, (much such land as 

 that on the Eastern Shore, bat not so good.) Part 

 of it I planted 5 by 8, and part (the best land) 

 4 by 4 l(;et — bnth were ploughed both ways, and 

 received tlic same culture: the cut 4 by 4 was 

 favored rather the most, because it seemed to suf- 

 fer. The result was, the corn 4 by 4, suffered lor 

 distance, while that 5 by 3, had a plenty of room, 

 and WAS a good crop. This set me to thinkino- — 



and the result of my cogitations amounted to the 

 conclusion, that corn must have a plenty of dis- 

 tance one way; else why was the corn 4 by 4 too 

 thickj while that 5 by 3 had distance enough — 

 when there vvere more stalks on an acre of the 

 latter, than on one of the former — which rennnds 

 me, that many persons, and they intelligent and 

 educated liirmers too, think — no, conclude without 

 thinking — that because 4 and 4, and 5 and 3, and 

 5| and 2^, 6 and 2, and so on, when severally 

 added, make 8 — that, therefore, there are the same 

 number oi' stalks on an acre, planted in either 

 way. 



This you know is not the fact — on the contrarj^, 

 the number of stalks is inversely as xhe product of 

 the two numbers. For instance, the number of 

 stalks on an acre 4 by 4, is to the number on an 

 acre 6 by 2, as 12 is to 16. The reason is this — ■ 

 more land can be contained in a square, than in 

 any other rectangular figure — consequently, there 

 are lewer squares in an acre, than there are of any 

 other rectangular figure — so, also, the nearer these 

 figures approach to a square, or the farther they 

 are removed from one, the less, or the greater is 

 their number.* 



This important consideration, together with the 

 lact above stated, resolved me to cultivate my corn 

 this year on a different plan. 



I accordinirlv planted it 5^ feet one way, and 

 1^ to 2| feet the other, according to the quality 

 of the land. My corn was as good, and better 

 worked in this way, and I cultivated it with as lit- 

 tle trouble. By using an X wooden drag, twice 

 in a row, about a week after each ploughing — first, 

 when the grass begins to spring, you leave your 

 land as level, and keep it as clean, as you can by 

 cultivating it in any other way — hoe or no hoe. 

 Moreover, the greater the distance one way, the 

 less your corn will be ridged by ploughing; and, 

 therefore, the more dirt 3"ou can throw inmiediate- 

 ly around it without injury. If I am wrong in 

 any of my deductions, I hope you, or some expe- 

 rienced corn planter, Avill | ut me right: for, until 

 experience or reason chanijcs my views, I will 

 plant any land 6 by 2, which^ accortling to old 

 style, would be planted 4 by 4. There are ^ more 

 stalks on an acre of the former, than on one of 

 the latter. I contend the last is the thickest. In 

 the mean time, 



I am, yours, &r. 



SIX AND TAVO. 



OROrVOKO AND PUYOR TOBACCO. 



To tlie Editor of tlie Fanners' Register. 



TVard's Fork, Charlotte. 

 Having made some experiments, during the past 



* The proper and simple rule for comparing spaces, 

 or distances of platnts, is to multiply the length and 

 breadth together, and tlius ascertain the number of 

 square feet given to each plant, or station. Thus 4 by 

 4 feet, makes Ifi square feet, and 6 by 2, 12 feet onl}'. 

 Yet simple and obvious as is this truth, it is both true 

 and surprising, (as stated by oiu- correspondent,) that 

 many old and experienced corn planters still compare 

 the spaces, afTordcd by these and other different dis- 

 tances, by adding, instead of mulfiphjing (he length and 

 breadth together. — ed. 



