266 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



expressed by Mr. J. T. Leigh in the last number 

 of the Cultivator, as to the comparative healthi- 

 ness of Mississippi and Virginia. That there 

 are some spots in Mississippi more healthy than 

 some spots in Virginia we do not entertain a 

 doubt ; but if Mr. Leigh thinks there is any 

 kind of comparison between the general healthi- 

 ness of the two States, we can only saj^, he is 

 the only individual we ever heard express that 

 opinion. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 CHARCOAL. 



In a late Cultivator I find that Mr. Weaver, 

 of Rockbridge county, has reported the result of 

 an experiment made by him of charcoal on 

 wheat land. He states that he could perceive 

 no effect in any way. I, too, (it will be recol- 

 lected) have been making experiments with coal 

 on wheat, corn and pasture; and now report: 

 The lot of wheat consisted of three acres of 

 poor level white clay, which is known to be 

 most unfavorable to wheat. It was sown late, 

 and being in a large grass field was grazed by 

 sheep till late in the spring. It made about 

 eighteen bushels of grain weighing sixty-four 

 pounds to the bushel, and not a particle of rust 

 was to be seen. 



A portion of the corn ground which was 

 coaled was of the same description as above 

 mentioned — had never been manured, and pro- 

 duced more than double what it has ever done 

 within the last thirty years. This corn took a 

 handsome start to grow — was greatly checked 

 by the drought of June, but the rains of July 

 and August gave the above result, say six bar- 

 rels to the acre. 



It has been near three months since I was on 

 the pasture ground, at which time I could per- 

 ceive no effect from the coal, but doubt not of 

 seeing it next year. Let it be remembered that 

 Mr. Weaver's experience was with pure coal, 

 mine with the commixture of coal and covering 

 of the pit. Mr. W. does not state the quantity 

 used by him, it is, therefore, probable that the 

 quantity was large ; thus furnishing an over- 

 dose of ammonia ; in which event rust would 

 be the consequence, as was the case with his 

 field, whether coaled or not. 



I shall continue my experiments and reports. 



Za. Drummond. 



Amherst j October, 1843. 



From the American Farmer. 



IMPROVEMENT OF CORN, WHEAT, &c. 



I had the pleasure, a few days ago, of show- 

 ing you a couple of stalks of corn, each contain- 



ing seven perfect ears. They were taken from 

 a field of twenty-five acres, on the farm of Gen. 

 T. M. Forman, of Cecil county, Maryland, and 

 were a fair sample of the crop. Gen. Forman 

 informed me that he had many years ago adopted 

 the plan of selecting his seed com, always taking 

 it from the stalks that have the greatest number 

 of perfect ears; and that by continuing this 

 practice he has brought his corn to the high 

 quality represented by the specimens alluded to. 

 This has been uniformly the result with all who 

 have perseyeringly practiced it. The first, I 

 believe, to do so, was Mr. Cooper, of New Jer- 

 sey, forty or fifty years since ; then the " Mary- 

 land twin corn" was produced by some gentle- 

 man on the Eastern Shore; then the Baden 

 corn was announced, and the Mercer corn, also ; 

 all were produced in the same way. General 

 Forman intends to measure an acre, which shall 

 be a fair sample of the whole field, and let us 

 know the quantity of shelled corn it shall have 

 produced; this will enable our farmers to com- 

 pare the product of this corn with that of the 

 common kinds. 



A w T ord or two on the utilty of attending to 

 such things by our farmers. The wonder is 3 

 that every body does not do it, and the only 

 reason I can suggest for its not being done, is, 

 that people are not generally aware, that all 

 kinds of plants may be improved by careful at- 

 tention to breeding, just as much as animals are. 

 There are at this day very few farmers so igno- 

 rant as not to know that their horses, cattle, 

 sheep and hogs, are wonderfully improved by a 

 judicious selection of breeders. You will scarce- 

 ly find a farmer now that does not improve his 

 stock by this means. I need not enlarge on 

 this fact. But where are thejr that improve 

 their corn and wheat, and rye and oats, in the 

 same way? They are only found here and 

 there, and so seldom, that they are considered 

 prodigies. Every body, almost, when he wants 

 an improved article of this kind, purchases some 

 celebrated kind for a trial, which may or may 

 not be what is represented, or may or may not 

 suit his soil or his climate; but never thinks of 

 improving what he has already got. No one 

 ever thinks of crossing the breed of his corn, 

 wheat, rye or oats, and thus improving them ; 

 and very few even take the trouble of select- 

 ing the best of that which they have for seed. 

 Let me assure our farmers that they can im- 

 prove their corn and all other crops by cross 

 breeding, just as easily as they can their ani- 

 mals. They can change the size and color of 

 the cob ; make the corn early or late, yellow or 

 white, soft or flinty ; all by cross breeding, with 

 no cost and very little trouble. 



Generally, all that is done to improve our 

 crops is by manuring the land and cultivating 

 the growing plants. Now for a moment let us 

 see how it would do in improving animals^ 



