88 



FARMERS' REGISTER— ON THE CULTURE OF CORN. 



lo the comnuinify. By this niifjrntioiijboth the 

 county -tthicii they left and the county which they 

 joined Averc enriched under their respective cir- 

 cumstances. Tlie larniers are now men of wealth, 

 spirit, and ac^ricultural science, and in every point 

 among the lirst in Europe; Avhile, for the care- 

 worn petty farmers of ibrmer days, who v/cre kept 

 g;rovel!ino; in poverty and dirt, we find cotters em- 

 ployed by the former, contented, tidy, respectable, 

 and well to do. 



The subdivision of jAinds and Cabin System in 

 Ireland^. 



If the same chani;-e, sir, were to take place in 

 Ireland, why should not the same results follow.' 

 While the supernumeraries would augment the 

 towns, and thus keep creating an additional quan- 

 tum of emplo3'mcnt according to a constantly in- 

 creasing average; the cultivators left beiiind, Irom 

 having a full quantum of employment, witli the 

 increase of the means, would gradually imbibe the 

 spirit of saving, and with an insreasing capital 

 would become vigorous and scientific farmers, 

 while the persons employed by them would be 

 either house-servants properly fed and paid, or re- 

 spectable cotters, wlio would feel they had a stake 

 in the tranquillity of the countiy. 



In that infinite subdivision of lands, which ob- 

 tains in most parts of Ireland, Ave have the great 

 source of her poverty and of the disorderliness of 

 so large a portion of her loAver ranks. There are 

 no doubt assisting sources, but this is the princi- 

 pal one; indeed, that to Avhich most of the others 

 OAve their existence. And were it removed, all 

 the rest Avould be found lobe softened or diminish.- 

 ed greatly. The lands are divided and subdivided 

 into portions, that are utterly incapable of sup- 

 porting an individual and his family. lie is thus 

 kept in a state of the most abject poverty. He 

 gets into debt. His scanty furniture and clothes 

 are seized, and he is turned out of his hovel a beg- 

 gar. Where can he go to.' His relations and 

 friends can give him no assistance. They are 

 most of them in as wretched circumstances as him- 

 self. Thus, in a state of misery and exasperation, 

 and in his desperate condition reckless of conse- 

 quences, as no cliange can be worse, he is ready to 

 listen to the most atrocious suggestions. The grand 

 object Avhich he noAv cherishes, is revenge on those 

 who have made his distress greater than it Avas be- 

 fore. 



In such a state of society, how is it possible that 

 an increase of population can produce its usual and 

 natural effect.' It tends only to subdivide the lands 

 and the means of employment still further, Avith- 

 out augmenting them. Increasing poverty must 

 be the necessary results of such an unnatural state 

 of things. 



Even the potato, Avhich is so admirable a root 

 to a belter organized popiuation, becomes, from its 

 estimable qualities lo Irishmen, an additional source 

 of poverty and distress, llcing so productive, and 

 of course so cheap a food, it diminishes the stimulus 

 on the caljin-man to exert himself to get out of his 

 wretched condition. And further, cheap as it is, 

 instead of enabling him to save in his circum- 

 stances, it really diminishes his means of income, 

 for it diminishes his power to charge. It enables 

 him to subsist by tlie smallest quantum of emi)loy- 

 ment; and thus he both inipoverislics himself and 

 his neighbors. The greater the variety of articles 



any individual, class, or nation uses, the higher 

 must they ch.arge; but then by creating more em- 

 ployment, tlie more capable are all the individuals 

 rendered of paying the higher charge. 



Oil tlic Culture of Corn. 



From tlie Somheni Asricullui-alist. 



Dear Sir., — When I saAV the annexed para- 

 graph in a ncAvspaper, I Avas induced to Avrite to 

 Mr. Megginson, and inquire his mode of cultiva- 

 ting a corn crop. I received, in ansAver, the sub- 

 joined letter, Avhich I place at your disposal ; Avith 

 my best Avishes for the success of your very useful 

 journal. Respectfully, your obedient servant, 



J. CLARKE. 



"Mr. A. B. Megginson, manager upon a plan- 

 tation in the county of Amherst, (Va.) raised the 

 present season, on one acre of land, one hundred 

 and eight and an half bushels of sound corn, and 

 two oif' inferior quality. This acre received no 

 other cultivation than the rest of the field. The 

 same manager had frequently made one hundred 

 bushels of sound corn, and some of inferior, upon 

 an acre of land on Pleasants' Island, in the county 

 of Goochland." 



Buckingham, Va. March 24, 1832. 

 Mr. J. Clarke : 



Sir, — Your favor of the 24th of January, I have 

 just received, and am sorry it Avas so long reaching 

 m.e ; I, lioAvever, lose no time now, in giving you 

 the information asked for, Avhich I do with great 

 pleasure in my lame manner. 



I prepare my land for corn in the fall, if I can, 

 Avith a tAvo horse plough, by throAving it up into 

 beds of five feet, (Avhich is the distance I cultivate 

 my corn rows apart, either upon high or flat land ;) 

 but, if out of my power to do it then, at any time 

 before I commence planting. I drill altogether 

 with a machine, or what Ave call a "corn planter," 

 made for that purpose, and leave the corn thin or 

 thick, according to the strength and moisture of 

 the land. If remarkably rich, and sufficiently 

 moist, I leave a stalk every six or eight inchest 

 apart; if less rich, but still of good quality, about] 

 tAvelve ; and I think, two feet to one stalk, far! 

 enough apart for any land that Avill produce at all.' 

 In moist land I plant on the bed, and in dry thirs- 

 ty land, in the sink or finishing furroAv, by throAV- 

 ing doAvn a little of each bed into the sink with a 

 small plough, for the purpose of getting a bed to 

 plant in. I plough our broken land horizontally, in 

 order to hold as much moisture as possible for the 

 crop, and also, to preserve it from Avaslung rains. 

 If I break it up in the fall, I plough it again just 

 before I plant it, by reversing the beds, as I think 

 it A'ery important to prepare the land before Ave 

 plant it. After planting, I keep it Avell stirred 

 Avith a Coulter plough; (three fixed in a frame,) 

 for one horse to pull, that Avill always finish a roAV 

 at the third, and very generally the second furroAV, 

 imliis it gets large enough to bear the dirt from 

 the mould-board, I then commence giving it my 

 last ploughing Avitli a small turning-plough, by 

 running two furroAvs on each side of the corn, first, 

 and then commencing again, and finishing out the 

 middle of the roAV. As soon as it Avill do to thin, 

 hoe it, and then thin it, and if it should require it, 

 hoe it again. I think avc should stop Avorking corn, 

 as soon as it avUI shade the earth enough to keep 



