714 FARMERS' REGISTER— ON SEA-ASHES AS MANURE— FISHES. 



grain makes its appearance, (which will be two 

 days later than when not sooted,) and try many of 

 the hills, croping one ij;rain and then leaving!; and 

 going to a second, ha\ ing ])lucked here and there, 

 they will leave ihe field entirely, finding the grain 

 too bitter to be eaten. As we always plant more 

 than we mean to have, the few they take is not of 

 the least conseciuence. If this communication is 

 of any service, I shall be gratified, remembering 

 this is nothing new, but it may be to some, of va- 

 lue. H. C. R. 



We adopted this plan many years ago, and never 

 had occasion to place any one in the fields, nor had 

 we ever to supply more i)laces than was usual, 

 Avhere there was a regular supply of little negroes 

 to scare away the birds. In one respect, this plan 

 answers better than the old one of minding, for 

 less injury is sustained from larks; which birds 

 being small, and tlying low, are exceedingly trou- 

 blesome. The soaking in water ought never to be 

 omitted, and we have usually found that twelve 

 hours was not too much : Ave generally put the 

 corn in water the night previous to its l)eing used. 

 Should the grain not imbibe moisture enough be- 

 fore it is coated with the tar, and dry weather fol- 

 lov/ its planting, there Avill be a difficulty in getting 

 it up, which will not be the case if soaked twelve 

 hours. — [Ed. So. /Jgr. 



ON SEA-ASHES AS A MANURE. 



Extract of a letter addressed to the Hon. AVhitemarsh B. Sea- 

 . brook, and communicated by liim for jjublication in the South, 

 ern Agriculturist. 



Columbia (S. C.) Janiittry 26, 1834. 

 Dear Sir, — The subject of the finest and best, 

 together with the most profitable quality of cotton 

 is, of course, one of the most important considera- 

 tions, not merely to the cotton-planter, but to the 

 state at large. I noticed some time since the title 

 of an article proposing salt as a manure for the 

 purpose of increasing tiie fine staple of the cotton. 

 I have not read this article; liut I should judge, a 

 priori, that the idea is probably a correct one ; for, 

 most certainly, the finest cotton produced is that 

 cultivated within the influence of tlie sea-air. This 

 reminds me of a manure that has been in use in 

 Holland, and adjoining countries, that is so valua- 

 ble as to be transported, even by land carriage to 

 very considerable distances, and has been for verv 

 many years a most important article of commerce. 

 It is called " Cendres-ch-mer ," (sea-ashes,) and is 

 nothing else than salt or brackish marshor peat, 

 reduced to ashes. By this process of burning, this 

 substance is rendered comparatively very light, 

 and probably its fertilizing properties concentrated. 

 There is probably no country on this globe that 

 has more of this substance than these Southern 

 States, and I feel a great desire that it should have 

 a full trial, not merely for the use of the cotton- 

 planter; but for all other cultivators of the soil 

 within a practicable distance from the seas. If I 

 could procure in time, this coming spring, a small 

 quantity of such ashes, w ere it only one or two 

 barrels of it, I would give it a fair trial on my 

 poor sandy land. You are so zealous an agricul- 

 turist, that I would expect from you an experi- 

 ment with this manure on your own land, and that 

 you would also prevail on some of your nei^■hbors 

 to try it. It appears to me that a kiln could easily 

 be contrived, by which a considerable quantity of 

 salt-marsh might be burnt at once, sutiicient for a 



full experiment, which, if successful, might induce 

 some enterprising and patriotic persons to under- 

 take the manufacture of this manure on a large 

 scale and tor sale. It appears to me, my dear sir, 

 that we need, in this country, something of this 

 sort as a stimulus to ourselves as well as to our 

 lands; for without some such encouragement, we 

 become disjnrited by the unproductiveness of our 

 soils after a few years cultivation. The possession 

 of a convenient means of adding fertility to our 

 fields, would most probably encourage us to further 

 exertions, which would, most probably, be followed 

 by due advantages. 



The selection of seed, with a view of procuring 

 a finer staple of cotton, is, no doubt, an essential 

 part of the business; but, is it sufficient.' Is it 

 not probable that there is a great deal also in the 

 quality of the land, and can an extensive planta- 

 tion or field be expected to possess, in every part 

 of it, those properties on which the best and most 

 profitable product in cotton may depend.' It 

 seems to me that such properties in the soil are 

 more likely to be produced by the labor and inge- 

 nuity of man, aided by science, observation, expe- 

 riment antl untiring industry, than to be invariably 

 or even frequently produced l>y nature. These 

 " sea-ashes," which are found beneficial in Flan- 

 ders, in France, &c. would, in all probability, be 

 alike beneficial in tliis country, and we have very 

 strong reasons to believe that this kind of manure 

 is peculiarly adapted to the im})rovement of cotton. 

 Ashes and salt being strongly stimulating manures, 

 renders it very probable tliat by them you might 

 obtain your desideratum, healthy and vigorous 

 colton-i)lants, joined to fineness, length and 

 strength of the product. This probability seems 

 so great that it is most undoubtedly worth making 

 the experiment. 



Permit me to repeat also, that as an article of 

 internal commerce for the amelioration of all the 

 lands within reach of navigation or rail road trans- 

 portation, it may become an object, the importance 

 of which, future times will alone fully a})preciate. 

 I am, very respectfully, my dear sir. 

 Your obedient servant, 



N. HERBEMONT. 



At 

 were 



IVATURALIZATION OF FISHES. 



From Proc. Zool. Soc. 



a late meeting of the Zoological Society, 

 read two letters from Mr. J. B. Arnold of 

 Guernsey, containing particulars of his experiments 

 in the naturalization of sea fislies in a lake chiefly 

 supplied with fresh water. The area of the lake 

 is about five acres ; its depth various ; and its bot- 

 tom also various, being muddy, gravelly and 

 rocky. The water is during nine months of the 

 year drinkable for cattle, but in consequence of a 

 supply which it receives through a tunnel commu- 

 nicating with the sea, is rather salt in summer, at 

 which season the fishes do not come down so plen- 

 tifull)' as at other times. The fishes introduced 

 into the lake have been the grey Mullet, Sole, Tur- 

 bot, Jlrill, Plaice, Basse, Smelt, and grey Loach. 

 All of these have thriven well, and are believed to 

 have increased in numbers : the grey Mullet espe- 

 cially is known to have bred as freely as in the sea 

 itself. A single JF/t/'i/rig- having been caught for 

 three successive years, was found to have grown 

 considerably : a Pilchard also throve well. AH 



