THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 127 



Poudrette. — Mr. Woodfin's determination to 

 improve his lands is highly commendatory; and 

 if he does not succeed it cannot be his fault. If 

 I lived in or near Richmond I should undoubt 

 edly seek the privilege of saturating plaster 

 with urine, at the capitol. Also that of com- 

 posting dead animals with marl near Rocketts. 



Broom Corn Hay. — There can be no doubt as 

 to the good quality of broom com hay ; as to 

 the mixture of peas, the idea is new to me. I 

 should not object to rich land for any hay crop ; 

 for all that is necessary is to sow thicker. 



The Manner of Applying Manure. — So far 

 from objecting to spreading out manure, made 

 the previous summer and fall, as early as the 

 month of February, I object to keeping it on 

 hand thus long. My practice is to spread the 

 manures above referred to, on the meadow or 

 elsewhere in the fall of the year. That made 

 early in summer, can be profitably used amongst 

 the crops in the garden or field. 



COMMENTS ON THE APRIL NUMBER. 



Jerusalem Artichoke. — I agree with T. F. in 

 all he says, except the distance of planting, 

 which is too great; and the planting of corn 

 and artichokes together, which 1 think should 

 never be done. I do wish that some person 

 would undertake an experiment for the purpose 

 of ascertaining whether artichokes, like pota- 

 toes, cannot be improved by growing from the 

 seeds. 



Charcoal. — To those who have surplus wood, 

 Za. Drummond's communication on coal is 

 highly interesting; and it is hoped he will give 

 the result of his experiments. 



Blue Grass. — The editorial and extract from 

 T. F. is good and true in all its parts. I would, 

 however, remark that the Kentucky blue grass 

 is the Virginia green grass. The blue grass of 

 Virginia is a different and inferior article. 



Double-Eared Corn. — Never too late to do 

 good ; so Mr. Hart now answers a question 

 thirteen months old. He does not, however, 

 answer to my satisfaction, for we all know that 

 a single stalk to a hill is apt to bear two or 

 more ears, and thus it may be that the two ears 

 outweighed the one. There is no way of test- 

 ing the question which is the most productive 

 corn, except by the acre, or other given quantity 

 of land. 



Sucker ing Corn. — If Mr. Hatton will plant or 

 leave his corn thick, he will not be troubled 

 with suckers; for if -the plants be sufficiently 

 numerous to digest all the food within their 

 range, all is right. As Mr. Hatton's land is 

 rich, he should never manure in the hill, but 

 rather between the rows, that the stalks may be 

 perfect, and the ears weighty. Or what does 

 Mr. Hatton, or other persons with poorer land, 

 say to manuring with plaster or poudrette, one 



or both together, at the last ploughing of the 

 corn ? 



Edward HHPs Experiment. — I wish Mr. Hill 

 had told us how long his corn rows were, so 

 that an estimate could be made. 



To Improve a Piny Old Field.— I think " Old 

 Flu." intended to saj r , that the pines should not 

 be cut down and turned into coal until the se- 

 cond spring after being belted. With this cor- 

 rection, I hope to try his plan. 



The Preparation of the Land and the Cultiva- 

 tion of the Tobacco Crop — I wish I could recom- 

 mend this number of Mr. Venable as highly as 

 his first, but as a system, I must object to much 

 of it. When clearing is to be done, I care not 

 how many armed knights make the attack, nor 

 how quick they conquer. I cannot assent to 

 the assertion, that twice as much tobacco can 

 be made on manured land, and that invariably 

 more can be had for it ; for many of the new 

 grounds in my neighborhood produce as much 

 as the manured lots, and we invariably get a 

 higher price for the tobacco. Mr. Venable seems 

 to think that a tobacco grower, on new land 3 

 cannot find time to spread manure ; now I do 

 not pretend to any great things, but. I make 

 nearly two hogsheads of tobacco to each hand, 

 yet, by manuring, keep my whole farm in a 

 state of improvement. 



It does seem to me that Mr. Venable's remedy 

 for preventing fire, or rot, is worse than the dis- 

 ease ; for undoubtedly the tobacco must be small 

 which grows on a light fallow with a hard pan 

 between the hills, a scraping culture, and that 

 not continued longer than the time the tobacco 

 is liable to fire. My rule is to force my tobac- 

 co, by deep and late culture, to grow as large 

 as possible, and risk consequences. I have no 

 objection to the application of litter to tobacco 

 land, for it is not only a direct food, but it ab- 

 sorbs water ; and here it seems to me that Mr. 

 V. is reasoning against his own argument. Mr. 

 Minor and Mr. Venable are both right about the 

 cut worms, for there are not only two, but three 

 kinds. If Mr. V. would pulverize his ground 

 by the second ploughing in the winter, he would 

 not only kill the cut worms, but all others. 



Short Hints. — Argus seems to be a new hand 

 at the bellows ; I hope he will try again. 



Premium for the Best Specimen of Ploughing , 

 to be performed by the farmer himself. — Oh ! I 

 wish I lived near your city ; I would show T you 

 how to wield the plough handles. It does seem 

 to me that this ploughing match should, and 

 will, draw together a great many farmers, "and 

 may I be there to see." 



I trust that Mr. Venable and all others will 

 take my remarks in the kindest spirit ; as my 

 sole object is the general good. 



Investigator. 



May, 1843. 



