38 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Last winter, I purchased twenty-six two-horse 

 loads of the refuse of a glue factory, consisting of 

 lime, bones, wool, hair, and pieces of pelt, some 

 of which had lain for two or three years. To 

 twenty loads of this I added forty loads of yard 

 manure, and had it well mixed. In the spring 

 it was ploughed seven inches deep, and left until 

 the middle of June, when the manure was hauled 

 on and evenly spread, which covered all except 

 about three-quarters of an acre, on which was 

 put six loads of the factory refuse, without any 

 yard manure. The piece was then ploughed 

 and harrowed, thoroughly mixing the soil and 

 manure. It was then thrown into ridges twenty- 

 seven inches apart, the same as for the carrots; 

 tops flattened with the roller, and seed deposited 

 with the drill, (Bement's,) on the 18th of June. 



On that part of the field where the yard ma- 

 nure was applied, the plants made their appear- 

 ance on the fourth day after sowing, while on 

 that part where the refuse of the glue factory 

 was put, they showed very few plants until the 

 tenth day, and then they were sickly in appear- 

 ance, and grew so tardily that the flea devoured 

 them about as fast .as they made their appear- 

 ance. In fact, we w r ere obliged to transplant to 

 fill up vacancies, on the whole three-quarters of 

 an acre — showing most conclusively the ruta 

 bagas require a quick and active manure to give 

 them an early start to get them out of the way 

 of their greatest enemy, the turnip flea or beetle. 



On the 18th of July, the cultivator was run 

 between the rows, and they were thinned with 

 the hoe in the same manner as the carrots, leav- 

 ing the plants from eight to ten inches apart in 

 the drills. In August, the cultivator was again 

 run through them, and they were hoed at inter- 

 vals when convenient. Nothing more was done 

 to them until we commenced pulling in Novem- 

 ber. The crop measured 2,355 bushels. I will 

 here remark, that when the salt fish was used 

 the year previous, it was strikingly visible, at 

 some distance ; the tops being of a darker hue, 

 higher, and more vigorous, and they continued 

 so through the summer, and on raising we found 

 them thicker and longer in the neck and smaller 

 in the bulb, showing that salt will increase the 

 top at the expense of the bottom. 



The greater part of the crop was stowed in a 

 cellar — the remainder was put in heaps, in the 

 field, for feeding my ewes when they have lambs 

 in the spring. The heaps are made in the fol- 

 lowing manner, which I never knew T to fail, 

 when they were properly attended to. A trench 

 six feet wide, of any length required, and one 

 foot deep, is dug in a dry situation, generally on 

 a knoll ; the roots are thrown into this trench 

 and piled up in the form of a roof. A coat of 

 straight, straw of from eight to ten inches in 

 thickness, is put on in such a position as to con- 

 duct the water off, if any should reach it. Earth 

 is now thrown on by digging a trench around 



the heap, beginning at the bottom and going 

 around until the whole is covered. The earth 

 will press the straw, which prevents its running 

 through to the roots. A coat of ten to twelve 

 inches, in this climate is sufficient for our com- 

 mon winters. The trench will prevent the wa- 

 ter from getting into the heap. There is more 

 danger of getting the covering too thick than 

 too thin. I have suffered more from heat than 

 frost. After the earth is all put on, it should be 

 carefully clapped down with the spade, to make 

 it more effectually shed the rains. After a few 

 days I take a crowbar and thrust it in the top 

 along the ridge down into the heap, no matter 

 if it breaks some of the roots, and open holes 

 about three feet apart, to let the gas or vapor 

 off, which is generated by a partial fermentation. 

 A flat stone, raised a little, on one edge set up an 

 inch or two, or a wisp of straw may be put into 

 the holes to prevent the rain from getting in, 

 which completes the work for the winter. 



With me the ruta baga is a valuable crop. — 

 They afford the greatest quantity of food, for my 

 stock, from an acre, while they seem to exhaust 

 the land less and leave it in the best possible 

 condition for a succeeding, crop. It is too rich 

 for oats, but well calculated for barley, and clo- 

 ver seed always " takes" well, sown with it. I 

 feed them to my cattle, sheep, hogs, (boiled,) 

 and occasionally to my horses. For calves, the 

 first winter, they are very valuable, keeping 

 their bowels open and loose ; they will grow r and 

 thrive without running too much to fat ; their 

 coats smooth and glossy, and continue to grow 

 through the w 7 inter, and "go to grass" in fine 

 condition, by which they gain at least six months 

 in their growth over those wintered in the too 

 common and ordinary way. Heifers wintered 

 in the above manner will answer to come in at 

 two years old. I have one now in my }^ard that 

 will not be two years old until January next ; 

 she had a calf last March, and has been milked 

 ever since, and I cannot perceive that her growth 

 has been retarded in consequence, and she is now 

 as large as common three year olds. 



C. N. Bement. 



There is a simplicity, perspicuity, minuteness, . 

 and exactness in Mr. Bement's reports of agri- 

 cultural experiments, worthy the imitation of all 

 those who w T ould assist in the collection and 

 dissemination of agricultural facts. 



PEACHES AND GRAPES. 



Great difficulty has been experienced in this 

 region, in raising peaches and grapes. We 

 were informed by a gentleman who lately visited 

 New Haven, Connecticut, that a plan has been 

 adopted there, which secures to them an abun- 

 dant supply of peaches and grapes. The plan 



