FARMERS' REGISTER— SHIRLEY FARM. 



100 



The highlands around Williamsburg, are also 

 of acid and light soil, and generally poor, and bro- 

 ken by ravines. The land however is no where 

 so light as that above. Marl of the best quality, 

 and in abundance, is found about Williamsburg, 

 and has been generally used for some years with 

 good effect, and in some cases over extensive sur- 

 iaces. Still, land near the town shows the same 

 general and strange depression of price — notwith- 

 standing valuable and profitable improvements 

 having been made by some farmers, and similar 

 means being at the command of all. 



# # ^ # # ^ 



Manure from Castor Beans. Dr. T. G. Peachy 

 of Williamsburg carries on the manufacture of oil 

 from the castor bean (palma christi) which is rais- 

 ed for sale on many farms hereabout, and is culti- 

 vated still more extensively lower down the coun- 

 try. The " bean-pomace," or the solid parts of 

 thebeans, remaining after the expression of the oil 

 by a powerful hydraulic press, has been found to 

 be one of the richest of manures. Dr. P. applies 

 only fifty bushels to the acre, which he thinks in- 

 sures to him twenty bushels of wheat (in good 

 seasons) from the poorest land of his farm, which 

 without the manure, would not bring more than 

 fivebushels. Its effects however are soon at an end, 

 and are not expected to last longer than on a sin- 

 gle crop. But clover sowed on the wlieat so ma- 

 nured is found to " stick well," which ought to 

 show those who use this manure how to prolong its 

 short lived effects. Dr. P. applies to his land all 

 the bean pomace yielded by his press, and would 

 not sell it at twenty-five cents the bushel, as he 

 considers its use worth more. It could formerly 

 be bought at the oil-works at Hampton and Nor- 

 folk at five cents the bushel, then at ten cents, and 

 now not at any price, all being engaged by con- 

 tracts. Mr. D. Gait, (who though a new comer 

 to Williamsburg and a novice in ii\rming, has al- 

 ready made great improvements and {)rotits on his 

 newly purchased land, by marl and other ma- 

 nures,) brings from Norfolk to this place all the 

 bean pomace which a manufactory of castor oil 

 there yields. It is a pity that those who can ob- 

 tain this very rich manure do not always use it on 

 marled land, and sow clover afterwards. Even of 

 those who use marl largely and value it highly, 

 there are few who will attend to its quality of fix- 

 ing putrescent manures — and by that neglect, fail 

 to profit by its most important benefit. 



The use of bean manure must necessarily be 

 confined to a small space, on account of the limited 

 supply. But I am induced to believe, that the ex- 

 perience of the introducers of this manure, will 

 prove valuable to the very extensive district in 

 which cotton is cultivated and the seeds used as 

 manure. If cotton seeds were mashed, instead of 

 being fermented for manure, as is usual, they pro- 

 bably would be found riclier than the pressed 

 beans. The oil alone must be the sole enrichnig 

 property of both — and the beans, after being press- 

 ed with such an enormous force, cannot retain as 

 much oil as the cotton seed have, before losing any. 

 I have heard the value of cotton seed estimated as 

 high as twenty-five cents for manure, and wonder- 

 ful products are stated to have been obtained by 

 using them " in the hill" for corn. But without 

 denying such effects, it is certain that they are not 

 general — and there seems to be as much due to 

 luck as judgment, when this manure is very pro- 



ductive. If the seeds are used without being fer- 

 mented, they sprout, and I suppose that their oil is 

 thereby changed to something else more fit for food 

 for the young cotton plants, and is lost as manure for 

 the soil. The plants so produced are tneeds to the 

 crop intended to be manured, and as troublesome 

 to destroy, as they are useless if left to remain. — 

 To avoid this, the seeds are usually exposed in 

 heaps to the \\ cather, and pass through a violent 

 fermentation, which destroys the power of germi- 

 nation, and leaves the mass a rich manure certain- 

 ly — but much less so than the oil alone would have 

 been without fermentation. I am ignorant as to 

 what are the chemical changes thus produced — but 

 doubtless they are considerable, and destructive of 

 mvich value in a mass so rich in oil, and so pu- 

 trescent. When at Mr. Hank ins' farm, I saw 

 preparations to grind cotton seed in a common apple 

 mill, to be used for manure. 



A GLEA3VER. 



Believing that such information will be both interest- 

 ing and valuable to others who design similar improve- 

 ments, we have asked, and expect soon to receive from 

 Mr. Carter an account in detail of the embanking and 

 draining of his marsh, the cost of the original work, and 

 the difficulties of its preservation, together with a state- 

 ment of the crops and probable profits secured. We 

 also hope to obtain from Dr. Peachy the information he 

 can furnish respecting the novel practice of manuring 

 with the refuse parts of castor beans. Both these com- 

 munications will be presented to our readers as soon as 

 possible after their arrival — which we hope will be early 

 enough for them to be included in this number of the 

 Farmers' Register. — [Editor. 



Market for Cocoons. 



The public will no doubt be gratified with the 

 information that a silk filature is to be established 

 in Baltimore, and that a market for cocoons will 

 thus be secured. Mr. Hitchcock, the proprietor 

 of the American Farmer, is authorised to pur- 

 chase cocoons for the filature, and to pay from 

 twenty-five to fifty cents a pound for them, ac- 

 cording to quality. This is the full value of co- 

 coons, and editors in the interior will no doubt do 

 the country and the cause essential service by giv- 

 ing circulation to this paragraph through the me- 

 dium of their papers. This may also be consid- 

 ered an answer to numerous inquiries where a 

 market for cocoons can be found, and the price 

 they will command. — {^^merican Parmer. 



Siiii«Fiowcr Oil. 



This article is beginning to attract attention in 

 the west. Messrs. Prouty & Co. of Whartons, 

 Ohio, in a letter to the editor of the American 

 Farmer, state that they are now engaged in the 

 manufacture of sun-flower oil, and that they could 

 forward to Baltimore eight or ten barrels immedi- 

 ately, if there was a prospect of its meeting a ready 

 sale. Sun-flower oil is used in York, Pennsyl- 

 vania, in paints, in lamps, and as a sutjstitute for 

 olive oil on the table. We use it, and prefer it 

 on all occasions, instead of olive oil. We would 

 recommend a 'air trial of it by the painters, and 

 hope the manufacturers will not be discouraged by 

 the want of a market. — llbid. 



