THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



171 



passed. From the unplastered rows he gathered 

 eight hampers of corn — from the plastered rows 

 thirteen. 



A short time since I extracted the following 

 memorandum from the diary of Mr. C. P. How- 

 ard, residing in the vicinity of Orange Court 

 House, who was induced to make the experi- 

 ment from seeing it recommended in some agri- 

 cultural work : " Planted potatoes in garden 22d 

 March, 1842, cut off the bloom and buttons as 

 they formed, of two rows; dug them on the 

 10th August. The two rows measured three 

 bushels and a half peck. The two adjoining 

 rows two bushels and three pecks, which were 

 smaller in size." 



Respectfully, 



Geo. A. Smith. 



BEE HIVES. 

 We have been requested by a subscriber to 

 give our readers some information upon the 

 comparative merits of different bee hives. Will 

 some friend do us the favor to supply what our 

 want of information precludes us from doing ? 



For the Southern Planter. 

 REPORT OF THE MECKLENBURG CLUB. 



The following report was read before the 

 Upper Corner Agricultural Club of Mecklen- 

 burg, on Saturday, the 16th instant, and ordered 

 to be transmitted to the Editor of the Southern 

 Planter with the request that he publish it in 

 that journal: 



The Committee appointed at the last meeting 

 to report upon the farm of Dr. Paul C. Venable, 

 have performed that duty, and report, that his 

 farm in every part, evinced great diligence and 

 personal attention. The homestead is tastefully 

 and substantially built, with all the necessary 

 farm buildings well arranged; a young and 

 thriving orchard, good garden, &c. &c. But 

 the improved condition of the farm at large, more 

 particularly arrested the attention of the Com- 

 mittee. The whole is laid out in separate shifts, 

 with good enclosures and gates, and every field, 

 except those in immediate cultivation, well set 

 with herdsgrass or clover; with a beautiful 

 highland meadow of some eighty or a hundred 

 acres. Your Committee have rarely seen, even 

 in a strictly grazing country, a richer and more 

 beautiful display of the artificial grasses. The 

 corn-field, was well prepared and planted, and 

 although recently covered with a strong herds- 

 grass turf, gave promise of an abundant crop, 

 provided, the future cultivation was of the same 

 efficient character with the preparation, and be- 

 stowed in time. The tobacco land was in a 

 course of preparation ; it seemed to be very 



highly manured and well got up. The Com- 

 mittee were highly pleased with the exhibition 

 of farm stock, particularly the cattle and sheep. 

 The Doctor has for some years, turned his at- 

 tention to raising blood stock. His noble bull, 

 Lord Durham, of the short horned breed, is of 

 pure blood, a truly splendid animal, and of a 

 size and figure that ought to excite his neigh- 

 bors to avail themselves of his vicinity, to im- 

 prove their own cattle. His whole stock of 

 cattle show blood and breeding, and in conse- 

 quence of his attention to this subject, his fa- 

 mily enjoy abundantly the substantial comforts 

 of milk, butter, beef and mutton ; for he is suc- 

 cessful in raising sheep as well as cattle, and 

 raises both to a considerable extent, for market. 

 He entertains the opinion that the artificial 

 grasses and free grazing are essential to rapid 

 and extensive improvement of the land ; and 

 the rapid progress which he has made in the 

 improvement of his own estate, should entitle 

 this opinion to much weight with the Club. 

 One member of your Committee has been for 

 many years familiar with the character of the 

 Doctor's plantation, and testifies to the fact, that 

 up to the time when it came into his hands, it 

 was a barren waste in comparison with its pre- 

 sent improved appearance, and both members of 

 the Committee bear testimony to its rapid im- 

 provement since it became his property, some 

 eight or nine years ago. Fie pursues what he 

 expressively terms a progressive system of im- 

 provement. That is, he changes the scene of 

 his manuring operations every year, and devotes 

 every possible amount of time and labor that 

 can be spared from his other farm work to in- 

 creasing the quantity of manure, and he is thus 

 enabled to bring the poorest spot to tobacco heart 

 at the first manuring, and he purposes to pur- 

 sue this mode until he shall have gone over his 

 whole arable surface, which he hopes to effect 

 in a few years more. He is very partial to the 

 moveable summer cow-pens, and owing to his 

 large stock of cattle and their rich and abundant 

 grazing, he is able to go over an extensive sur- 

 face every summer. The Doctor exhibited a 

 Merino and a Saxon buck, both fine looking, 

 and a fine large and healthy flock of ewes and 

 lambs. He ascribes his success in sheep rais* 

 ing, mainly, after the abundant grazing, to a 

 rule he has adopted of never suffering old sheep 

 to remain in his flock ; to avoid which, be an- 

 nually, at shearing time, makes a short slit with 

 the shears in the ear of the sheep, and after the 

 number of four slits, the animal is doomed to 

 the slaughter-pen, before next shearing time. 



Your Committee has thus briefly adverted to 

 the principal features of the Doctor's manage- 

 ment, which they would recommend to the at- 

 tention and imitation of the Club. There are, 

 however, some matters of minor importance 

 well worthy of note, such, for instance, as the 



