10 



THE SOUTHE 



RN PLANTER. 



alumina, and some other ingredients not now 

 remembered; but his conclusion was, that it 

 possessed no fertilizing property. This destroyed 

 the faint hopes I had entertained of it, but I af- 

 terwards had some of it hauled on light land, 

 which was put in corn. I discovered no im- 

 provement in the com crop. Even this year I 

 discovered no improvement in the oat crop. — 

 Last year I had some dropped around the grow- 

 ing corn, perhaps about fifty hills, with no ma- 

 nifest indication of improvement. Although I 

 found, in each instance in which I had so spar- 

 ingly used this earth, no improvement in the 

 quantity or quality of the growing crop, I after- 

 wards discovered, about where it was carried 

 out, a greater growth in the size and a richer 

 appearance in the color of the Eastern Shore 

 bean ; but I enteriained great doubts whether 

 this was to be attributed to this earth or other 

 unknown causes. I determined, however, to try 

 it on young clover, with the happy results above 

 described. About the time of this application, 

 I knew that, the gj-pseous earth on the banks of 

 James River had been used most, successfully. 



Let it be remembered that this earth had been 

 used by me in even/ instance on land that had 

 been previously mailed, that is treated with earth 

 containing carbonate of lime. It requires no 

 great, stretch of mind to suppose, that as sul- 

 phate of iron and alumina exist in the one arti- 

 cle, and carbonate of lime had been previously 

 applied, that these ingredients become decom- 

 posed and produce sulphate of lime and carbonate 

 of iron, while the alumina gives the tenacity in 

 which our light lands are so deficient. The 

 sulphate of lime (or as it is commonly called 

 plaster) is known to act very beneficially on 

 clover sown on light land. And this feet may 

 afford a clue to a satisfactory explanation of its 

 mode of action. 



METHOD OF CAUSING CABBAGES TO 

 HEAD DURING THE WINTER. 



In the fall of the year when it is time to ga- 

 ther cabbages, we alwaj's find more or less of 

 them that have not formed any heads. They 

 may have grown well, and have a large stock 

 of leaves, but have not closed up in the form ne- 

 cessary to make a good, solid, compact cabbage. 



William Vance, Esq. of Readfield, has prac- 

 ticed for many years the following method, which 

 effectual^ closes these loose leaves in the course 

 of the winter, thereby furnishing him with a 

 supply of the best, kind early in the spring. In 

 the fall of the year, just before the ground closes 

 up he gathers all the cabbages which have not 

 headed, together. He then digs a trench eigh- 

 teen inches or more, deep, and of sufficient width 

 to admit the cabbages. He then closes the 

 leaves together by hand, winding a wisp of 

 straw or something else around them to keep 



them together, and then puts them in this trench 7 

 with heads down and roots up. He then packs 

 straw or leaves and earth snug about them, and 

 rounds up the earth over them. The trench 

 should be dug in a place where the water of the 

 rains and snows runs off and will not stand 

 about them. A board, or couple of boards, 

 nailed together in the form of a roof and put 

 over the mound, may be useful. 



In the spring of the year open your trench 

 and you will find that the cabbages are all 

 headed firmly together, and if the water has not 

 got in, will be solid and hard. Mr. Vance has 

 had ihe goodness to send us a few heads which 

 he has formed in this way, which were very 

 nice. By following this plan, we not only pre- 

 serve the cabbages well during the winter, but 

 save much of the crop which is not considered 

 worth much. — Maine Farmer. 



WHEAT MANURED WITH GLASS, 

 Mr. William Partridge, in an article in the 

 Cultivator, suggests that pounded glass may be 

 applied with great benefit to wheat lands. The 

 silicate of potash, which is required by the 

 wheat, and which is furnished by none of the 

 usual manures, would be therebj 7 supplied. He 

 thinks that in this way any rich field might be 

 made to yield sixty or seventy bushels of wheat 

 to the acre. He reckons that about a barrel 

 might be required to the acre, and this, he says, 

 can be obtained in New York, ground as fine 

 as flour, for $1 75. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 CORN, ARTICHOKES, SHAMBLE MANURE, 

 ARTIFICIAL WATERING PLACES. 



I have heretofore been in the habit of planting 

 my corn when the oak leaves have attained the 

 size of a dollar, but am satisfied that in the gen- 

 eral I have lost by the practice. The later the 

 planting, the taller the coin is disposed to grow ; 

 and the taller, the more shade ; consequently 

 the less produce. The rows of my corn are 

 generally five and a half feet wide, the distance 

 in the row varying from two to four feet, accord- 

 ing to the quality of the ground, with two stalks 

 together ; yet, in consequence of the dense shade, 

 on my improved grounds, neither pumpkin, cym- 

 lin, nor pea can come to perfection ; and I defy 

 a weed or spire of grass to lift its head amongst 

 such corn after it begins to silk and tassel. I 

 have, therefore, determined to plant earlier; pro- 

 vided, nevertheless, that my ground shall first 

 have been put in good condition for receiving 

 the seed. 



I have had two years experience in growing 

 and feeding Jerusalem artichokes. Last year, 



