FARMERS' REGISTER— DEVON & DURHAM CATTLE— DRAINING, &c. 643 



scene of poverty. Old fields, g^allcd hill-sides 

 and gullies, constitute liis estate. To us improve- 

 ment is a matter of absolute necessity ; we must 

 fertilize our lands, or abandon our homes. It was 

 not my pur{)0se to apprize you of our wretched 

 system of agriculture, but to obtain from you, or 

 your intelligent correspondent, information as to 

 the proper time of fallowing oats, &c. At 

 what i)eriod of the year will the earth receive most 

 nutriment from fallowing oats.'' Do the seed or 

 straw impart most strength to the land.' Will not 

 rye answer the end of oats.'' Or do oats contain 

 a property peculiarly propitious to the growth of 

 tobacco.' AVill land possessing fertility sufficient 

 to bear, and receiving the benefit therefrom, pro- 

 duce tobacco.' I hope yoiir correspondent will not 

 content himself with a simple response to my in- 

 terrogatories, l)ut will furnish you with his system 

 of cultivating tobacco. I contemplate making an 

 experiment with cotton seed and swamp mud, and 

 will ac(|uaint you with the result. Accept my 

 best wishes. A planter. 



for the considerable expense they have been at, in 

 introducins: tliem araong- us — which is the wish of 



A BUCKIIVGIIAM FARBIER. 



DEVOIV AKD nURIIAM CATTLE. 



To the Editor of llie Farmers' Rep-ister. 



Jiuckingham County, Feb. 11, 1834. 



As the improvement of our cattle is oi much 

 importance to tlie agriculturist, and having lately 

 .seen a most beautiful cow and CJilf, of the North 

 Devon breed, I thought it would be gratifying to 

 you, to bring them to the notice of the public, 

 through your useful paper. 



This cow is owned by Richard G. Morriss, Esq. 

 of Buckingham county, who j)urchased her last 

 spring, from Henry Thompson, Es<|. of Baltimore. 

 Although she is only two years and eight months 

 old, she has a fine calf, upwards of three months 

 old, by her side, both of them of a mahogany red ; 

 and for perfect symmetry of form, I have never 

 seen any animals that surpass them. 



This breed of cattle is remarkable for hardiness, 

 and is .said to make the best work oxen. 



The cows give large quantities of rich milk, and 

 although not as large as the Durhams or Here- 

 fords, yet of sufficient size and early growth, for 

 a farming community. 1 have seen Avell authen- 

 ticated accounts in the American Farmer, of bulls 

 under three years old, weighing from 1.300 to 

 1400 lbs. The owner informed me, that both cow 

 and calf, are of genuine North Devon blood, being 

 across from the importations of Henry Thompson, 

 with a descendant from those sent as a present from 

 Mr. Coke of England^ to Mr. Patterson of Balti- 

 more. 



This gentleman, has also a very fine bull of tiie 

 Devon and Alderney breeds. 



There is also in this county, a noble looking bull, 

 belonging to Col. Thomas M. Bondurant, which he 

 purchased at Mr. Meade's sale, of Frederick. 

 This bull's sire, was a full blooded Durham, and 

 his mother supposed to be a Hereford; he is of 

 fine form, and the largest bull of his age, I have 

 e\er seen. • 



As our citizens have given over to a considera- 

 ble extent, the culture of tobacco, and are turning 

 their attention more to wheat crops, and improv- 

 ing their lands with clover, blooded cattle will 

 be found to be a considerable auxiliary : and if the 

 advantages of having blootled stock, be duly ap- 

 preciated, those individuals will be amply repaid 



JDRAIiVING AND CULTIVATING LOWGROUNDS. 



To tlie Editor of the Fanners' Register. 



The piece of lowland, which furnishes tiie sub- 

 ject of the following observations, is the bottom of 

 what formerly was an old Beaver pond, on the 

 Birchen creek, and containing from twenty-five to 

 thirty acres. 



The land is very fertile, with a soil from two to 

 three feet deep, of a chocolate color, and oily ap- 

 pearance. No limber is on it. Several species of 

 grass, interspersed with shrubs, arc its natural 

 growth, affording in the winter season, plenty of 

 wild duck and muskrats for the sportsman ; in the 

 spring, earl)'^ grass, to bring trouble and loss to the 

 herdsman; in summer, swarms of moschettoes to 

 disturb our children ; and in the autumnal season, 

 it produces the miasmata of bilious fevers. 



The main ditch is on the south side of the flat, 

 ten feet wide, and three i'eet deep, (whicli is almost 

 deep enough for any ditch having suflicient fall,) 

 with its bank thrown towards the land drained, 

 leaving sufficient space for the water to pass in our 

 largest freshets, l)y which the bank is protected, 

 and the reclaimed land rendered secure. The 

 streams and springs which flow into the bottom 

 from the hills on the north side, are intercepted and 

 carried off, by two smaller ones ; one of which 

 crosses at the ujiper, and the other along the lower 

 edge of the land. The latter, which conveys a 

 considerable land stream, is four feet wide, and 

 three deep. The upi)er side ditcii is two feet wide, 

 and two deep. Besides these, there arc tv/o small 

 ditches, running north and south, (dividing the 

 land into three parts, not far from equal in width,) 

 and these are mlersected at riglit angles, by ano- 

 ther passing east and west through the mid- 

 dle of the land, and opening into the upper side 

 ditch. These interior ditches are two feet wide, 

 and two deep ; and all serve to draw the surface 

 water from the land, and from the side ditches, and 

 convey it into another ditch, running along the 

 north side of the lov.er part of the bank, and thence 

 into the main ditch at the lowest extremity. The 

 interior ditches all open into each other — but not 

 into the main, or the side ditches, except at the 

 lowesTt point, wiiere the water is all discharged. 



No bank to these inside draining ditches is ne- 

 cessary, as we should jdant and cultivate to their 

 very margin, to prevent the gro\vth of weeds, &c. 

 which will most certainly fill up the little ditches, 

 if suffered to grov/. This piece of ground, I in- 

 tend to plant in corn this year. The manner of 

 preparing it, the width of the corn rows, the dis- 

 tance of the corn hills from each other, and the 

 netf proceeds of the crop, shall be the subject of a 

 separate and distinct communicaiion, if no unfore- 

 seen occurrence happen. Experience has taught 

 me, that every farmer and planter, should as soon 

 as possible, make himself well acquainted with the 

 nature and quality of his land, that he may know 

 to what kind of produce it is best adapted. Ten 

 years' observation has taught me, that land imme- 

 diately on small streams, such as branches and 

 creeks, which require ditching to render them ara- 

 ble, will be much more productive and profitable 



