142 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



formed a favorable opinion of its merits. This 

 was all we said ; for it was all we knew. Well, 

 a gentleman immediately encloses us twenty 

 dollars for the method, as he says, entirely upon 

 the faith of our recommendation. Now, we 

 protest against this buckling responsibility on 

 our backs, whether we will or no. As faithful 

 chroniclers, we are bound to tell all we know, 

 hiding nothing, concealing nothing ; but this is 

 all you can ask, and if with a knowledge of all 

 the facts, you come to an erroneous conclusion, 

 that is your lookout, not ours ; if even our poor 

 opinion should serve to mislead you 3 we should 

 regret it, it is true, but if conscientiously given, 

 we cannot repent it. 



We beg our friends to notice the distinction 

 between statements made by us on our indivi- 

 dual responsibility, and statements appearing in 

 the Planter from other sources. Whilst we will 

 not permit our readers to be mislead by what 

 we know to be the misstatements of others, we 

 can never consent to be considered responsible 

 Cor the truth of all that appears in the paper. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 BUCKWHEAT. 



Messrs. Editors, — I see your correspondent 

 Mr. Ship asks for information for raising buck- 

 wheat, and since our wheat crop is so precarious, 

 I think we should not rely on it altogether, and 

 in a mixed crop I know nothing better than 

 buckwheat. I have a little practical knowledge 

 about its culture. I will endeavor to give it. — 

 As to soil, sandy loam is best : a northern expo- 

 sure of any good land will bring buckwheat. 

 The ground should be prepared as for any other 

 small grain. I have generally sowed three pecks 

 to the acre; cut when half the seed is ripe, 

 taking care to cut in the morning when the dew 

 is on, or on a damp day, as it shatters very much 

 when cut dry. I have generally seeded just be- 

 fore going into harvest, but any time before the 

 first of August will make a good crop, if the 

 season is not too dry. It should be set up in 

 small armfuls, and twisted at the top to keep it 

 from falling down ; it should stand until you are 

 ready to thresh ; it can be hauled to the barn in 

 a tight body or threshed in the field. It is the 

 best grain that is grown for fowls, and it is very 

 fine for bees, as they make a quantity of honey 

 from it at a time when they cannot get any 

 thing else : ground, it is fine for hogs or horses. 

 There is some art in making good flour, as the 

 hull is black. The plan adopted by my father, 

 who owns a mill, is, to hull it by raising the 

 millstones just so as to rub the hulls off, then 

 he runs it through a fan and mixes a small 



quantity of wheat and corn, and grinds and 

 bolts the whole together. Trie cakes that are 

 made from this flour, with good butter, are 

 "hard to beat," and if friend Ship should have 

 the good luck to make an abundant crop, and 

 will ship some of his flour, made as above, to 

 Richmond, he will find pretty ready sale for it. 

 Take care and keep it clear of grit. 

 Yours, respectfully, 



Geo. W. Craven. 



IMPORTANT TO FARMERS. 



A New Era in the History or Agricul- 

 ture. — Meeting in Flatbush. — It will be 

 observed by the following statement that every 

 farmer may now manufacture any quantity of 

 manure he may require for his own use. 



A committee consisting of the following gen- 

 tlemen, Elias Hubbard, Esq. of Flatlands ; Fer- 

 dinand L. Wyckoff, of New Lotts ; Michael 

 Stryker, of Flatbush ; Henry S. Ditmas, of 

 Flatbush ; Johannes Lott, Jr. of Flatlands, ap- 

 pointed from a large company of farmers, as- 

 sembled to examine Mr. George Bommer's me- 

 thod for making vegetable manure by fermenta- 

 tion, on the premises of Garret Kouwenhoven, 

 Esq. of Flatlands, in this county, respectfully 

 report, 



That after careful examination of a heap laid 

 up on the 19th of April and opened this after- 

 noon, (May 3d, 1843,) they most cheerfully ac- 

 knowledge that the change produced upon the 

 materials used, far exceeded their most sanguine 

 expectations ; said materials, consisting of straw 

 and salt hay, presented, when opened, the ap- 

 pearance and smell of rich manure. 



Said committee further report that they also 

 examined the book containing Mr. B.'s method, 

 and are fully persuaded that the various ingre- 

 dients used, are all, in themselves, beneficial, and 

 in their combination must produce the most fa- 

 vorable results. The committee most cordially 

 commend the above method to the serious con- 

 sideration of the farmers of Long Island. 

 By order of the Committee. 



Elias Hubbard, Chairman. 



Flatlands, May 3, 1843. 



The above is taken from the " Long Island 

 Star," and goes far to corroborate Mr. Bommer's 

 claim to the discovery of a valuable agricultural 

 invention. Since the publication of our last 

 number, we have received so many applications 

 and inquiries relative to the merits of this pro- 

 cess, that we wrote to Mr. Bommer, advising 

 him to authorize us to place the method in the 

 hands of some individuals whom we would se- 

 lect here at home, known to us, and known to 

 the public, for their integrity and judgment, and 



