FARMERS' REGISTER— CORNSTALKS FOR MANURE— NEW LAND. 461 



PLOUGHING IN CORNSTALKS, THl5" CHEAPEST 

 MODE OF USING THE3I FOR MANURE. 



[The several operations of carting our cornstalks to 

 the barnyards, converting them to manure, and then 

 carrying them to be restored to the soil, require so large 

 a portion of the labor of good farmers, and are so gene- 

 rally neglected by others, that it would be a most desira- 

 ble result to obtain the same benefit for the soil by 

 much less labor. There can be no doubt of the great 

 diminution of labor by the practice described in the 

 following letter, of ploughing in the stalks, whole and 

 unrotted, before sowing wheat. The doubt is, whether 

 the soil receives equal benefit, and whether there may 

 not thence arise some positive damage to the wheat 

 crop. If the practice is beneficial as late as wheat is 

 usually sown, it must be more so earlier, when the stalks 

 retain much of their sap : and, therefore, it would suit 

 well to be used in conjunction with the plan of gather- 

 ing corn before it is dry, as described in No. 1, of the 

 Farmers' Register.] 



Kennon^s, Amelia, November 19/A, 1833. 

 Dear Sir, — I will with great pleasure answer 

 your inquiries respecting my method of plou'^liing 

 in cornstalks — but feel somewhat ashanied that 

 the only communications made for the Register, 

 by me, should be on the subject of cornstalks. 

 The saving of labor in cutting down the stalks be- 

 fore gathering the ears, as detailed in my former 

 letter, I deem of great importance, and legret that 

 so few formers have been prevailed on to adopt it. 

 I assert as the result of experience, that if six 

 hands be necessary to cut down and pick up corn, 

 on tiie old plan, so as to keep ahead of your 

 ploughs, that four inexperienced hands, can, witli 

 the short helved hoe, do it, and with three days ex- 

 perience, three will do the same with ease. But 

 to return to the subject of ploughing in corn- 

 stalks. If the corn has been cultivated on a 

 smooth surface (I mean without beds,) after gather- 

 ing the ears, the stalks are cut with a long helved 

 lioe, so as to cause them lo fall promiscuously over 

 the land. We commence ploughing (say with 

 four two-horse ploughs,) a large land ; (around the 

 tiill, if there he any) after going round twice, 

 one active boy or girl fbilows the ploughs, picking 

 up only such stalks as remain uncovered on the 

 ploughed JafiA, and laying them in the furrow of 

 the last or liindmost plough, to be covered as the 

 ploughs come round again. If your ploughs turn- 

 well, and the land be not very grassy, I tiiink 

 they will cover three-fourths of the stalks, leaving 

 only one-fourth to be picked up, and laid in tlie 

 furrows. I very frequently sow t!)e wheat before 

 ploughing, (guarding against covering it too deep,) 

 and level the land with a bush or light log. If the 

 land be ploughed before sowing the wheat, we har- 

 row, of course, the same way the land was plough- 

 ed, to avoid pulling up the stalks. 



If the corn has been planted on beds, we use 

 the short helved hoe, in cutting the stalks, and lay 

 them in the water furrow, to be covered by the 

 ploughs. The information here given, is designed 

 for your own use. After having tried the system, 

 if approved, your recommendation would have 

 more influence, than fifty of mine. I think the 

 stalks thus managed, improve the land. I am sure 

 you derive all the advantage that the stalk itself 

 possesses. 



The commvmication of Mr. Bruce in the last 



Register, I deem of more importance to the coun- 

 try, between tidewater and the Blue Ridge, than 

 any article heretofore publislied by you. I luive 

 been practising the horizontal ditcliing for several 

 years, and have no hesitation in saying, if the sys- 

 tem had been adopted fifty years ago, that (liat sec- 

 tion of country, now, would be worth fifty i)er 

 cent more, than it is. I had designed a communi- 

 cation for the Register on this subject, connected 

 with the planting and cultivation of Indian corn — 

 but if his, had not rendered mine, unnecessaiy, a 

 communication in the last Register, signed E. R. 

 (p. 340,) in which five or six ploughings, and three 

 or four hoeings are directed, v.ould have deterred 

 me.* After planting, I never plough the land but 

 twice, and this year, used the hoes but once. You 

 will perceive from the many interlineations that I 

 have written in great haste. It is now ten o'clock 

 at night: I cannot copy. You have my best 

 wishes for success in your laudable undertaking; 

 and the proffer of my feeble, but zealous effoi-ts to 

 serve you as you may direct. 



Very respectfully, your friend, j. ii. s. 



ON CLEARING AND CULTIVATING NEW LAND. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Asa subscriber to your valuable publication, 

 and one who wishes it great success, I have thought 

 proper to make a few remarks on clearing wood- 

 land and the first year's cultivation, which may 

 perhaps, be useful to some of your readers. 



I commence clearing about the last of July — 

 cutting down every thing, and cutting the trees 

 into proper lengths. Whatever is small enough 

 to be grubbed up, is cut off eighteen indies high, 

 in order that all may be seen wben grubbing, 

 which is the last thing done. The wood and 

 brush lie on the ground tlirough the summer and 

 fall, which is a great advantage. When the land 

 is afterwards cleared of grubs and brush, the litter 

 whicii is too thick in some places, is spread over 

 others, where the surface is nearly or quite naked : 

 none is burnt. The ploughing is then begun with 

 a two horse bar-share plough. After being well 

 broken, the land is laid off by corn rows, running 

 north and south, five feet wide, crossed by others 

 at three feet distance. Corn is planted in these 

 checks about the tenth of April; and about the 

 25th of May, peas are planted in the middle of the 

 five feet rows — -so lliat a crop of both corn and 

 peas is obtained. When planted as directed above, 

 I have never found that the growth of corn was 

 injured liy the peas — and the product of both will 

 pay the expense of clearing the land. By this 

 cultivation, the land is preparetl for tobacco or cot- 

 ton, and produces belter than in any other way I 

 have ever tried. Such land as our common 

 " ridges," will in this way produce one or two 

 crops of tol)acco without manure, and then is pre- 

 pared for wheal, clover, and the four-shift system, 

 by which the land may be kept in a productive 

 condition. 



It has been customary with us to make tobacco 

 the first crop, on newly cleared land: but the crop 



* Our correspondent has mistaken the purport of the 

 piece he refers to : but even if otherwise, any incorrect 

 opinions previously presented to our readers, would 

 make statements of better practices so much the more 

 desirable. — Ed. Farm. Reg. 



