518 



FARMERS' REGISTER-DRAINING IN VIRGINIA. 



prcssions by SasiTil : '• know that soils are very 

 di.Terent and various in their qualities ; some are 

 cold, some dry, some moist, others are compact, 

 and others ap,ain are loose and porous in their tex- 

 ture. All which formers outjht to know, tofjether 

 with the different plants that suit each respecfively, 

 and their amelioration under culture ; this latter is 

 the very acme of ao-ricultural science, and the per- 

 fection of the art of husbandry." 



jJdnii, of praiseworthy memory, says, " land 

 which is of a dark brown color, imbibina: 

 easily the water from rain or from irrip;ation^, 

 without becoming; like clay prepared for makinf^ 

 bricks, but reipaining porous enoug-h for any per*- 

 son to squeeze out the water, should he press a 

 clod of it between his hands, may be considered 

 the best of all." Accordino^ to 'Vambuchad, tlie 

 most valuable land is that which, in its color, ap- 

 proaches most the violet. This color is mostly 

 found in land that has been left for some time co- 

 vered by sweet water, the sediment of which has 

 been incorporated with the soil. In the Nabathean 

 Ao;ricullure, we read; that when rain water re- 

 mains for a time sta^rnant in bottoms, after wash- 

 ing down from the hio;h lands, much of the surface 

 sod, the land contracts a violet .color, which is 

 always a sign of fertdity. But should this water 

 have stood too long, and the earth have become al- 

 most blue, it will be .some time before, under the 

 influence of the sun, and good tillage it can, with 

 the assisUince of God, be made to resume i'ts fer- 

 tility. The land next in quality after the violet, 

 says Vambuchad, is that which, in color and sub- 

 stance, resembles ashes, and whose dust is sweet 

 without mixture of other tastes. Next to this 

 comes what Adan, of praiseworthy memory, calls 

 hot soil, one of whose qualities is, that it easily 

 crumbles under the plough, and which is neither 

 loo much contracted by heat, nor too much swelled 

 by moisture. Then comes the hind of a lio-ht 

 gray color : such land is rather hard, yet docile 

 under the plough ; with dung, it will bring tolera- 

 ble crops of grain, but it is not good for fruit trees. 

 ;Sagrit,however, is of another opinion, in this re- 

 spect, ihr he says, that such land is well fitted for 

 fruit trees, which succeed well and bear excellent 



fruit. My own experience contradicts him. 



Red land, especially when it has water conve- 

 nient for artificial irrigation, m dry weather, is 

 good for all sorts of grain, vegetables and fruit-trees 

 except the palm tree. Such land as farmers call 

 crummy is also good for all kinds of grain and fruit 

 trees, but is unfit fijr garden vegetables. The au- 

 thor of the Nabathean A griculture, says : crummy 

 land, is that which holds the medium between fat 

 and meager land, which we call sahalaf, (docile or 

 improvable,) and also: such land as has the ap- 

 pearance in hot weather of being sprinkled with 

 white dust, is commonly salt, and consequently, 

 only fit lor palm trees, or at most, for barlev' 

 beans, peas and the like. Soil which, on triaY 

 proves to be of a disagreeable taste, may yet be fit 

 for vines, such as melons, pumpions and other plants 

 that are creeping on the ground ; nav, fruit trees, 

 have been known to grow well in it, as well as 

 grains ; for garden vegetables of the finer sorts, 

 and odoriferous herbs, it may not be so suitable. 



These are tlie distinctive signs of the good or 

 bad quality of land, which nmst be chosen or re- 

 jected, according to the convenience and profit of 

 him who wishes to cultivate it. Let it be under- 



stood, however, that any soil may be rendered pro- 

 ductive in time, under a good system of tillage and 

 manuring. 



[We feel confident that many of our readers, whether 

 agriculturists or not, will feel obliged to Professor Blset- 

 termann, for the foregoing translation, as well as for 

 the short passages from the same work, which we took 

 the liberty of publishing in No. 8, (page 492) from his 

 private letter in answer to our inquiries. It is true, that 

 no instruction can be expected from such antique works 

 on agriculture— but it is still highly interesting to learn 

 what opinions prevailed in early ages, and among a 

 people so different in manners and rehgion from all the 

 now civilized world, and who then possessed all the 

 refinement and learning in Western Europe. The 

 "Boke of Husbandry" (extracts of which we presented 

 in No. 6,) which is a similar literary curiosity, was writ- 

 ten 400 years after this work of the Mahometan author, 

 who wrote at a time when our English ancestors were 

 so sunk in ignorance, that to be able to read was a dis- 

 tinction which but few possessed, who were not educated 

 specially for the service of the Church.] 



NECESSITY FOR A LAW TO PERMIT DRAIN- 

 ING IN VIRGINIA. 



Tn the Editor of the Farmers' Rea-ister. 



I have seen and read with considerable pleasure 

 in the seventh number of your valuable Register, 

 a piece " On .Draining, addressed to Young Far- 

 mers." This is a subject which has engaged much 

 of my time and attention for several years past, as 

 you may suppose from the publication I now send 

 you. It was written in 1826, and inserted in the 

 Petersburg Intelligencer of that year. I submit- 

 ted if to the inspection of my worthy friend , 



who at that time was a member of the Virginia' 

 Legislature, and who is yet living, and in the full 

 enjoyment of a high and responsible station. Here 

 follow my publication and his remarks. 



" When v/e call to our recollection the great 

 and rapid internal improvements which have been 

 made within a few years in the United States; 

 and when we cast our eyes to some of the northern 

 states. New York in particular, our minds are en- 

 livened with delight and admiration at the inge- 

 nuity of man. The name of Clinton wdl be as- 

 sociated with that of Fulton, and they will live 

 with time, and be reverenced as benefactors of 

 their country. 



The spirit of internal improvement has com- 

 menced in our state, and within a few years, con- 

 siderable industrious exertions have been made by 

 our citizens towards internal improvement. What 

 seems to occupy the most of our attention on this 

 subject, is rendering our rivers navigable and 

 turnpiking our public roads. This certainly is of 

 great importance, and whenever completed, will 

 add much to the advantage and wealth of our state. 

 But this is not all to be expected or required — this 

 is not all we believe can and should be done. To 

 all of us who reside contiguous to rivers, creeks or 

 smaller tributary streams, it is well known that 

 we have observed the great quantity of low land 

 which is at present rendered the nursery of mos- 

 chetos and miasmata. In its unreclaimed situa- 

 tion it can be of no possible advantage to its own- 

 ers, and never will be, so long as it remains in this 

 state. 



