708 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 11 



of our eyes, ami we becrin to doubt vvheiher the 

 " old beaten track" is best. The ci.'Uivator is be- 

 coming more in use among us, in Heu oi' the 

 plough, and we think it a valuable improyen)ent 

 in our husbandry, as our corn crop can be tilled 

 with less than one-half tlie labor. By the by, I '11 

 give you ihe result of an experiment, made the 

 last season, to ascertain the dillerence between the 

 plough and cultivator, in the cultivation of corn. 

 Though the experiment was not in every respect 

 a liu'r one. lor the measuring tub was not used, 

 yet it. was sufficiently so to satisfy all who saw the 

 standing crop, that nothing was lost, by the use of 

 the cidtivator. Two lots of land were selected, of 

 ■nearly equal fertility, (the ditference, if there was 

 any, was in liwor of the cultivator,) and planted 

 at the usual time, and both received the same 

 number of workings over, with the plough and cul- 

 tivator, also the same number of hnnd-hoeings. 

 The season was certainly a bad one lor the culti- 

 vator, for with it the surftice is always kept level, 

 and notwithstanding the heavy inundating rains, 

 the lot on which the cultivator was used, produc- 

 ed one-third the most; but the diflerence in pro- 

 duct I am willing to credit to the superior {i?rtilify 

 ■of the land, rather than to the cultivator. As a 

 labor-saving implement, there should not be two 

 opinions, for the work of one corn-row may be 

 done by twice rimning, or two 'bouts, while the 

 plough requires lour, if not five, 'bouts ; thus it is 

 one half the labor, at least, is saved, and if the 

 work is well done, and adapted to the growing 

 crop, a great object is acc()m|di«hed in the'cnltiva- 

 tion of tiie most useful of all grains, to wit, Indian 

 corn. 



By the way, I had like to forgot mv experiment 

 crop for last year, that I think will say much for 

 the cultivator. The lot on which it was made, 

 contained six acres, enriched principally by clover, 

 iime, and plaster, one acre of which was " bottom 

 land," originally fertile, but the heavy in'mdating 

 rains compelled me to abandon it, when but five 

 acres were left. The corn was planted in drills 

 on a level surface, in rows five feet apart, and as 

 thick as it could well grow, say from 12 to 18 

 inches. When the corn came in-),"the new-ground 

 coulter was used by niniiing ns near as possible, 

 and as deep as one horse could pull it. The re- 

 mainder of the work was done with the cultivator, 

 except three hand-hoeings which was criven it — 

 the quantity gathered was ninety barrels. This 

 experiment was made with a two-fold object, first 

 to ascertain the "speed" of the land, and spcond- 

 !y to convince some of my incredulous neighbors, 

 that land here can be made to produce as much, 

 of any crop that the climate is adapted to, as the 

 lands of the "fiir west ;" and that we have only 

 to set to work, the ri^ht way, to improve if. 



My mode ol'improvincjland, I think, differs from 

 the majority of my aLrricultnral brethren ; nor do 

 I pretend to say that it is Itetter — only that it is the 

 most convenient, and offers a surer guarantee for 

 a certain renmneration, with the least labor. My 

 manor farm consists of about four hundred acres 

 of arable land. A division fence makps two fields 

 of two hundred acres each. One of these fields is 

 cultivated in corn in alternate rotation, whilst the 

 other is eufii^red to lie out, without the tiixaiion of 

 either tooth or hoof. My manure annually, which 

 generally amounts to from one to two thousand 

 good cart loads, is generally applied to froiTi 12 



to 18 acres of land, spread on the surface after 

 fallowing, and made rich at once, and then set in 

 corn, to })repare the soil for clover. After clover, 

 with any thing like "iiur play," the land will con- 

 tinue to progress in improvement. By this sys- 

 tem, in fifteen years, should my quantity of ma- 

 nure not increase, I shall be etiahled to manure 

 the four hundred acres over, at the rate of one 

 liundrcd cart loads per acre, and my crops in- 

 crease annually, having already about fifty acres 

 completed. 



Our crops, the last season, both of corn and 

 oats, in this and the adjoining count}'. Princess 

 Anne, were unusually heavy, and we only n^ed 

 "active hands,'' and " understanding hearts" to 

 do nearly as well as we deserve. True, we have 

 to work hard lor all we make; but. where is die 

 land or country where the firmer is not compelled 

 to live " by the sweat of his brovvl" If our state, 

 or its legislature, would but show our prolc'ssion 

 " fur play," protect our property and o\ir riofhts, 

 and thereby prove to us that we were recoiinized 

 and honored as a profi^ssion, as one of" the princi- 

 pal pillars of the country's prosperity, by hearken- 

 ing to our petitions, and honoring our representa- 

 tives — then no "sod" on earth would be as fond- 

 ly loved, as that of the old dominion. I do not, 

 Mr. Editor, often complain, thv well I know com- 

 plaints are often ill-timed; but in this case every 

 iiirmer should "cry aloud and spare not,'" — should 

 thunder forth their wrongs and grievances, " with 

 the voice of a trumpet," nor cease till a hearing 

 was o-ranted us. If, indeed, it would oppress any, 

 by doing us justice, then would we be silent; but 

 when no profession will be harmed, but rather, all 

 be benefited, and the vital interest of the state 

 improved, it seems to me to be the most reasona- 

 ble request that could be made — yea fiirther, our 

 duty to make it, and their imperious duty to attend 

 to it. But here I owe an apology to my friends 

 lor not meeting them at the last agricultural con- 

 vention: however ottering a legal excuse, "having 

 married a wife," I hope for pardon. Notwithstand- 

 ing, so delicious as is the "honey moon," I should 

 have attended, but for the obstruction of the river 

 by ice so as to prevent navigation. But had I at- 

 tended, so imbecile would have been any aid I 

 could have afforded, that I am sure my seat in the 

 chimney corner, at home, was filled with better 

 grace than it could have been in your convention. 



AG. S. FORE3IAIV. 



FLORIDA COFFEE — rOTATOES. 



To tlie Editor of tlie Fainieis' Register. 



Fayettevilh, N. C, February 14, 1837. 



I promised in a former communication to let 

 you know the result of my experiment with Flo- 

 rida cofi'ee. The imposition practised upon the 

 public, recommending that offensive weed, was 

 too great to be referred to in good temper. Suf- 

 fice it to say, that the loss of the .^2, paid for the 

 pound of seed, the use of an acre of land, and the 

 expense of cultivation, were not so mortifying to 

 my pride, as being made the dupe of a knave. 



Do not omit sending me the missing numbers of 

 the Register: although no Iiirmer, I have derived 

 too much pleasure and information from that vai' 

 uable publication to lose any part of it. 



