106 



FARMERS' REGISTER— SHIRLEY FARM. 



three grain crops may be made in each rotation of 

 four years, and yet the land be kept improving in 

 product. 



The general soil of Shirley is a dark lirown 

 clay loam, deep, and originally very rich, and pos- 

 sesses in a high degree the valuable qualities of the 

 low level tracts on the tide water of James river, 

 which seem to have been originally formed l)y al- 

 luvion. The higher part of the farm is of a diffe- 

 rent and inferior soil. Mr. C. received the estate 

 greatly impoverished by the usual management 

 of overseers during his minority — and since, has 

 restored it to nearly or quite its former fertility. 

 The soils naturally the poorest, he supposes are 

 now more productive than at first. Fortunately for 

 the success of his labors, tlic surface was too level 

 to be much hurt by being washed, (the most ef- 

 fectual means for destroying land,) and yet it is suf- 

 ficiently undulating to be kept perfectly drained — 

 and great care is used for this purpose. The fields 

 are kept in beds of fifteen feet — and that lately 

 sowed in wheat has every Avater furrow well and 

 neatly opened and cleaned out by the ploughs, and 

 small shallow ditches (or grips, ^ cut across the 

 beds in every depression of the surface, so as to 

 draw all surface water from the furrows, and dis- 

 charge it from the field. These grips" are opened 

 by ploughs and spades after sowing and covering 

 the wheat, and are so small as not to obstruct tlie 

 future tillage. The most productive crop of wheat 

 yet made by Mr. C. (though not the largest) was 

 some years ago, before his present rotation Avas 

 completely in operation. From 110 acres of wheat 

 on clover lay, and 80 more succeeding oafs and 

 corn, he reaped and examined 5322 bushels, or be- 

 tween 27 and 28 of average product to the acre. Of 

 this, the part succeeding clover Avas of course much 

 the best, and some acres of it probably brought 40 

 bushels. The wlieat after clover in the present 

 rotation is usually double as much as the same 

 land will bring two years after, when succeeding 

 oats. Besides the objection to this rotation of be- 

 ing too exhausting for most lands, I should have 

 supposed that it would keep the soil full of weeds — 

 as there is no cleansing or horse-hoed crop intro- 

 duced. But this evil docs not seem to exist here : 

 for though Mr. C. complains loudly of his annoy- 

 ance from blue-grass, and partridge peas, the ap- 

 pearance of his fields when seen vuider grain, and 

 the amount of crops reaped and sold, sufficiently 

 prove that these pests must be kept from doing- 

 much injury. The deep and effectual plougliing, 

 rapid succession of crops, followed by a heavy 

 smothering crop of clover, must be the means 

 which serve to keep down the growth of weeds.* 



Gypsum acts here well on clover, and has been 

 used extensively — but is not continued to be ap- 

 plied to every crop of clover. It is used however 

 whenever the young gi'owth is endangered by a 

 dry season. Stone lime (from Maine,) to the 

 amount of 500 casks Avas used a few years ago, (in 

 such a mode of application as to be mostly carbo- 

 nated, or made mild, before acting) — and Avith 

 great benefit to the first crop, Avheal", Avhich I saAv 

 when nearly ripe : of course the benefit Avill be 



* Since these notes Avere written, I liave learned from 

 Mr. C. that I was mistaken in this respect. Tlie in- 

 crease of blue grass is so great, and its growth is so 

 destructive to the clover crop, and impedes so much the 

 preparation of the land for Avlieat, that some horse-hoed 

 crop, or cleansing tillage, must be adopted. 



permanent. The lime Avas bought at a price unu- 

 sually low, (less than sgil the cask,) and the effects 

 so Avell paid the cost, that like applications Avould 

 have been made every year since, but for the 

 liigher price of stone lime. The scarcity of fuel 

 forbids the burning of oyster shells for manure, as 

 is done so beneficially on some of the estates loAver 

 doAvn the river. Mr. C. proposes now, as cheap- 

 er tlian lime in any Avay, to give calcareous ma- 

 nure to his fields, by bringing marl across the ri- 

 ver, from the beds in Prince George county. 



The deep ploughing of the clover lay, and the 

 sod not being turned back by a second ploughing, 

 prevents most of the clover seed from coming up : 

 and to avoid any risk of loss by relying on the vo- 

 lunteer groAvth for a crop, a full alloAvance of seed 

 is soAved at the proper time in every course of 

 crops. The thicker the clover plants may stand, 

 the more seed Avill be made to the acre : this Avas 

 to me a ncAV fact — and is directly opposed to opi- 

 nions that have been published. 



The partridge pea is one of the Avorst pesfs on 

 such soils as that of Shirley, and I have found it to 

 increase so much on sandy land after marling, that 

 it seemed that Avheat culture Avould ultimately be 

 rendered altogether unprofitable. These Avorst evils 

 Avere experienced after early soAving. Any soil 

 over Avhich this plant has once been spread, is so 

 filled Avith its hard and almost indestructible seeds, 

 that the most careful tillage Avill never remove 

 them. Every deep ploughing brings to the sur- 

 face a ncAV supply of dormant seeds, which Avill 

 sprout as soon as the first cold Aveatlier in October 

 begins, and not before. To keep this groAvth in 

 check, IMr. C. harroAvs his clover lay after the 

 deep ploughing, and does not soav the Avheat until 

 the Avealher has been cold enough to sprout most 

 of tlie plants near the surfli.ce. This may be ex- 

 pected to take place from the 10th to the 20th, on , 

 land ploughed not less than fifteen days before. — 

 Then, a very shallow ploughing, or repeated har- 

 roAvings, serve to cover the seed Avheat, and at the 

 same time to destroy every plant of partridge pea 

 in their then tender state — and not enough plants 

 will again rise to materially hurt the crop ot' 

 wheat. Thus the partridge pea makes still la- 

 ter soAving necessary than the Hessian fly. My 

 OAvn practice of ploughing (on corn land) deep and 

 well, and then soAving and harroAving in the seed 

 Avheat Avith as little delay as possible, is no safe- 

 guard whatever against this Aveed — as every seed 

 l^rought up by the plough, is left to spring up Avith 

 the Avheat. At Curies' Neck, I Avas shoAvn a piece 

 of excellent land under Avheat soAved early last 

 month, and on Avhicii partridge pea had sprung in 

 abundance, although in the course of the rotation, 

 three previous successive groAvthsofthat plant had 

 been brought up by the plough, sprouted, and then 

 destroyed by tillage. The individual plants of 

 partridge pea are as easily killed by the plough 

 and harroAv, as any plant Avhatever — but the suc- 

 cession of plants is endless. 



Mr. C. has usually kept 20 horses, about 100 

 head of horned cattle, and a sufficient stock of 

 hogs for home consumption. He has also 200 

 sheep, but not here, they being kept on a poor 

 firm a few miles distant, the cultivation of Avhich 

 has been abandoned. With the stock above nam- 

 ed, and the vegetable materials for litter fur- 

 nished by the crops of grain and hay only, there 

 are annually manured about fifty acres. Very little 



