FARMERS' REGISTER— PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. 



249 



KXTRACTS FROM PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. 



King George, Aug. 20th, 1833. 



My farm abounds in shell marl, but not one 

 bushel has yet benefitted the land. I have within 

 a few days, for the first time, commenced hauliiifj 

 it on my next year's corn field, to be applieil with 

 the manure from the next winter's farm yard. 



I pursue the three shift system, with a standinoj 

 pasture, and make all the manure I can. Sliould 

 my marl prove effectual, it will more than double 

 my resources in this respect, and consequently my 

 speed in tlie march of improvement. 



The Northern Neck, at this place, does not exceed 

 seven miles in width : shell marl is found on both 

 rivers, and I have lately discovered a bed of it at 

 the head of one of the branches leadino; into the Po- 

 tomac, and within a few hundred yards of the di- 

 viding ridge. 



I think Vv^e are awakened in this section of the 

 state to the subject of agricultural improvement; 

 and I know nothing that will operate more as a 

 stimulant, than such a production as the Farmers' 

 Register. 



[The foregoing extract marks the time of the 

 tardy commencement of the use of calcareous ma- 

 nures in a part of Virginia most bountifully sup- 

 plied by nature with the means : We trust that 

 the experience of a few years will produce a great- 

 ly increased estimate of the value of this manure, 

 as well as of the value of the lands to which it can 

 be conveniently applied.] 



, Alabama, August 24. 



* * * But my letter is extending much too 

 far. I will promote the circulation of the Far- 

 mers' Register all I can ; but I have not much 

 hope of seeing improvement in the agriculture of 

 this state. Our planters are guilty of the same 

 profligate system of destroying lands that has cha- 

 racterized their progenitors of Georgia, the Caro- 

 linas, and Virginia, immemorially. They wage 

 unmitigated war both against the forest and the 

 soil — carrying destruction before them, and leav- 

 ing poverty behind : and they adhere to old modes 

 of culture with as much pertinacity, and about as 

 much sense,ascharacterized the New York Dutch- 

 man whom the Yankee met going to mill with his 

 wheat in one end of his bag, and a stone in the 

 other, " to balance well ;" and who, when the 

 Yankee told him to leave the stone out and divide 

 his M'heat, replied, " mine fadder did so before me, 

 and he knows better as I." They cultivate cotton 

 and corn, Irish potatoes and long " collards," ^usi 

 as they did as long ago as my recollection extends. 

 They burn all their cotton and corn stalks ; they 

 let all their stable manure accumuli\te 'till it be- 

 comes a mire in their stables, and huts, and gives 

 the horses the scratches — and then they move 

 these huts, or take some measures to throw it in a 

 gully, so that it may wash off by the first rains, 

 and prevent fleas from being troublesome. There 

 are some more provident and economical, wiio 

 build their stables and huts on hill sides — so that 

 every rain may sweep their yards, and save the 

 trouble above described. I mention one more cha- 

 racteristic fact : they are seen to save seed from 

 the longest stalk'd Colewort, which I presume is 



for the purpose of having the leaves as much ele- 

 vated as possible, to avoid the worms. 



Baltimore, Sept. 1, 1833. 



* * * * The most severe drought, 

 ever known here, has existed for four or five weeks, 

 to the utter destruction of the late potatoe and tur- 

 nip crops, and to the extreme injury of the corn, 

 and possibly to the essential injury of the next 

 year's wheat crops, as it is yet impossible to pre- 

 pare the ground for sowing. The earth is perfect- 

 ly dry in my garden, 12 inches deep, and the leaves 

 of cherry and other trees are falling rapidly for 

 want of moisture. 



Norfolk, Sept. 21sf, 1833. 



Although I have no practical concern with agri- 

 culture, and you have some reason to know, that 

 iheoreiically, \ am entirely deficient, yet I have 

 read, with great pleasure, the Farmers' Register, 

 and take a deep interest in its success. Such a 

 work i)as long been a great desideratum in Virgi- 

 nia; and I think it fortunate that it has been intro- 

 duced under your auspices. Scientific research di- 

 recting and regulating practical experiment — and 

 practical experience tempering and restraining 

 theoretical conclusions — will ultimately furnish a 

 mass of information, which cannot fail to be great- 

 ly beneficial to our state. I have no doubt that 

 there already exists in various parts of Virginia 

 much valuable information on subjects embraced 

 by your work, which if generally known, would 

 be extensively useful. If your work answered no 

 other purpose than to furnish the means of concen- 

 trating, and afterwards diffusing the information, 

 it would give you great claims on the respect of 

 your fellow citizens. But it cannot fail to stimu- 

 late the public more to investigation and experi- 

 ments, the benefits of w^hich no one can foresee or 

 appreciate. 



It affords me great pleasure to perceive, as the 

 Register progresses, that it is appreciated as it 

 should be, and that you are receiving communica- 

 tions from all quarters. * * * 



GAMA GRASS. 



Sept. 21, 1833. 

 I have read, in the course of the last 12 months, 

 so many marvellous accounts of the Gama Grass, 

 that I am strongly tempted to try some of it, if 1 

 could possibly procure any, although I am well 

 aware, that in regard to all such novelties, it is 

 right to ascribe at least three fourths of what you 

 hear to mistake, or to sheer exaggeration. Ap- 

 plying this discount to the asserted product of the 

 Gama Grass, there will still be left a greater crop 

 than any other grass has ever been known to yield, 

 and therefore I have determined so far to subdue 

 my scepticism as to make an experiment, if you 

 can help me to some of the seed, or put me in the 

 way to procure some. * # * 



Fairfax, Sept. 22d, 1833. 



# » # The note you appended to my last 

 communication will be best answered by my send- 

 ing you a coulter plough to Richmond. In our 

 burning climate it has no equal for stirring the 

 earth preparatory to fallow , ( summer falloio) or the 

 cultivation of corn, or any cro]( requiring deep fine 

 tilth. 



