THE 



SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



85 



were sown. From this land I obtained a heavy 

 crop of oats the following summer, and in July, 

 1840, 1 cut from two acres of it 6,400 lbs. of 

 nicely cured herdsgrass hoy. From this hay I 

 saved, with but little trouble, thirty bushels of 

 seed, tolerably well cleaned. January 21, 1841, 

 I sowed six bushels of these seed on a high land 

 lot of wheat, of about four acres. They grew 

 finely, and made me a pretty lot of grass, from 

 which I have cut two heavy crops of hay, and 

 hope to get several others. When sowing oats 

 in March of the same year, I mixed one peck 

 of grass seed with each bushel of oats, and 

 sowed them together. They were then gotten 

 in with a heavy rake. The grass seed came 

 up prettily, though a larger quantity of seed 

 would have been better. About the same time, 

 I sowed several bushels of seed after the oats 

 had been gotten in, on the high land. These 

 came up well and covered the ground with a 

 better coat of grass than I expected. I have 

 also sowed herdsgrass seed in gullies and on 

 spots destitute of vegetation, after covering them 

 with brush, and have not been disappointed in 

 the effects produced. My impression is that 

 herdsgrass seed covered with a turning plough 

 will not vegetate. P. B. W. 



Nottoway, Jan. 30, 1844. 



For the Southern Planter. 



BOMMER'S MANURE AGAIN. 



Mr. Editor, — I am an enemy to humbugs — 

 political or agricultural — and must acknowledge 

 I am very suspicious of patent rights of all and 

 any kind, until they have had such ample testi- 

 mony to sustain them as shall not leave a loop 

 to hang a doubt upon. Pardon me when I say 

 this highly eulogised system of making manure, 

 y'clept Bommer's, has not lessened in the slight- 

 est degree, my antipathy to humbugs, and high . 

 sounding patented inventions. God save the j 

 mark ! — far from it. We have testimony, in the 

 first place, of high authority, (Mr. Ellsworth,) 

 for believing that Mr. Bommer, alias Messrs. 

 Baer & Gouliart, have lighted upon a patented 

 invention of the Frenchman, Jauffret, and with 

 some "alleged improvement," ushered forth this 

 aged child, newly christened, with a most cap- 

 tivating and imposing flourish. In the second 

 place, we have the testimony of Gen. Cocke, a 

 name well known to the agricultural world, that 

 this same aged baby has been fully tested, and 

 has proved almost a total failure. Now, sir, I 

 should hold in perfect contempt and detestation, 

 any individual who would attempt to wring 

 from the hard-working yeomanry of our country 

 (or any country) their sweat-bought earnings, 

 with the original improvements or discoveries of 

 others, by "alleged improvements," which have, 

 as before mentioned upon good authority, proved 



almost a failure. Such a man should be branded 

 with burning letters, so that every passer-by 

 may know the catiff, and shun the miscreant. 



1 hope you do not understand me as asset ting 

 or pronouncing Messrs. Bommer, &c. as deserv- 

 ing these denunciations; far from it — 1 hope the 

 reverse, because we have conflicting testimony, 

 and good authority for believing that their im- 

 provements are real, substantial, and in fact, de- 

 serving a patent. I know little or nothing in 

 regard to their system, and only judge from the 

 evidence exhibited in the agricultural papers. — 

 I mean no disrespect to these gentlemen, or to 

 any one, particularly when ihey shall be backed 

 hy such powerful testimony as yours; but I 

 speak as every man should, who is identified 

 with that class, which is as much or more liable 

 to be humbugged than any in existence. When- 

 ever their interest is in jeopardy I feel strongly, 

 and am apt to speak strongly ; if they are at- 

 tacked with humbugs, they are placed in the 

 position of defendants, and should cry aloud and 

 spare not. Here, for instance, we have an old 

 invention, newly furbished up, as is " alleged" (I 

 hope you understand me,) and for this new dress- 

 ing, twenty-five dollars charged — (the highest 

 price, I believe,) — now suppose it prove a fai- 

 lure? — the money gone, time and labor gone, 

 all gone, but the materials, and those you get at 

 a heavy expense. Now, bear with me when I 

 say, I humbly think this can be prevented with- 

 out injury to Messrs. Bommer, &c, although it 

 may retard their anticipated profits, for a time. 

 Thus, you as a friend to agriculture, publish the 

 French mode entire, i. e. the ingredients, and 

 mixture, and mode of making the heap, and let 

 us have an opportunity of testing the thing our- 

 selves. Mr. B.'s system is in operation — if it 

 succeeds, and the other does not, then his "al- 

 leged improvements" will be established upon a 

 solid foundation ; if the other succeeds, the far- 

 mers are benefited, and Mr. B., &c. not injured ; 

 because the farmers are aided by a discovery to 

 which Mr. B., &c. can certainly lay no claim. 

 If the French plan fails in my hands, and Mr. B.'s 

 succeeds, as you anticipate, I pledge myself to 

 buy Mr. B.'s book. I presume every man who 

 cherishes his own interest, (and who does not ?) 

 will do the same. 



In conclusion, permit me to reiterate, I mean 

 no disrespect to any one, but wish to preserve 

 the farmers from humbugs. R. 



For the author of the above we entertain the 

 highest respect, as well as for the particular mo- 

 tives which impelled him to this communication. 

 But we must protest against the position which 

 from the whole spirit of the article we are made 

 to assume. It is very hard, that notwithstand- 

 ing our repeated disclaimer, responsibility should 

 be thus buckled on our back, whether we will 



