110 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



right ; covers six inches deep — sandy land, I 

 suppose; knows nothing about re-planting — 

 neither do I ; runs the harrow over his com 

 rows — the front tooth out, I suppose ; has rich 

 land and makes great crops. This is the best 

 part of the record. 



Value of Urine as a Manure. — In Scotland it 

 may be well to scrape up the loam from a field, 

 then cart it to the feeding stalls, to be saturated 

 with urine, then cart back to the field again ; 

 but in America we have abundance of lighter 

 matters, which may thus be profitably used, and 

 consequently a heavy item of expense avoided. 

 Moreover 1 do contend that no ground should 

 be scraped over, except for the purpose of level- 

 ling ; for by scraping, the acid or raw earth is 

 approached, which is mischievous to vegetation. 



Corn Fork. — Where there are no stones, clods, 

 or litter, this implement may answer a good 

 purpose ; but I should never think of mangling 

 the roots of any corn at its last working by 

 sending the fork so deep into the ground as re- 

 commended. 



Value of Seasoned Fire Wood. — This is a va- 

 luable communication and should be attended 

 to. 



Founder. — A sweat is more efficacious, and 

 less troublesome than the remedy mentioned. A 

 Thompsonian sweat. 



Cutting Food for Cattle. — Cut food is not only 

 more valuable for cattle, but as manure it is rea- 

 dy at once for the shovel, the land, the plough, 

 and the crop. 



As my object is improvement, I may in my 

 next comment on my comments, and hope I 

 shall give no offence. 



Investigator. 



March 20, 1843. 



We think we speak the sentiments of our 

 readers when we say, it gives them great plea- 

 sure to hear from " Investigator" at all times, 

 and that no form of communication is more 

 agreeable than the one he has now assumed. 



For the Southern Planter. 



BUCKWHEAT. 



Messrs. Editors, — I have been a reader of 

 your valuable periodical for nearly twelve months, 

 and have during that time examined the pages 

 of every number with much anxiety to find 

 something from some of your numerous and 

 able correspondents, upon the subject which 

 stands at the head of this communication ; but 

 I have looked in vain. Whilst almost every 

 variety of subjects connected with agriculture 

 and horticulture has been discussed by those 

 who have contributed so largely to the mass of 

 important matter contained in the Planter, buck- 



wheat has been, I believe, untouched. Is it be- 

 cause gentlemen are not fond of buckwheat 

 cakes, but rather prefer the old-fashioned Virgi- 

 nia hoe-cake? I think, Messrs. Editors, that if 

 many of your readers could sit down at the ta- 

 ble of a Dutchman upon a cold frosty morning, 

 they would not slight the hot smoking buck- 

 wheat cakes so much in practice, as they have 

 in theory. 



I have addressed you this communication not 

 so much with a view to impart information in 

 relation to this valuable grain, as to seek it ; for 

 I honestly confess I know but little about the 

 manner of cultivating it. I would be much 

 obliged to some of your correspondents if they 

 would tell me in the first place what kind of 

 land is best adapted to its growth. 2dly. How 

 it should be prepared. 3dly. The quantity of 

 seed to the acre. 4thly. The time of sowing. 

 5thly. The time of cutting, and how much it 

 will turn out to the acre. I have understood 

 that it would kill blue grass and greatly improve 

 the soil ; whether this is true or not I am unable 

 to say. As the time for sowing must be near at 

 hand, and 1 am so fond of the cakes, any infor- 

 mation which might be given would be thank- 

 fully received by 



Your obedient servant, 



Edw'd G. Ship. 



Madison Co., Aprils, 1843. 



We have very little practical knowledge upon 

 the subject on which our correspondent asks for 

 information ; but in the course of investigations 

 made in his service, we met with the following, 

 which we extract from the "American Farmer," 

 one of the most practical and reliable papers 

 with which we are acquainted : 



"Buckwheat should not be sown before the 

 last of June, and may be sown any time during 

 the month of July. Its time of sowing should 

 be graduated so as to bring its blossoming on at 

 the period of early fall, when the weather be- 

 gins to get cool, as it will not fill well in hot 

 weather. When sown in the spring, the chances 

 are against its yielding any grain, or, at most, 

 but very little, and should, therefore, never be 

 sown at that period, unless wanted, to be 

 ploughed under as a green dressing, for which 

 it suits most admirably, as it extracts a very 

 large portion of its food from the atmosphere, 

 and hence it is, that it will yield fair crops from 

 very poor ground. If sown on suitable ground, 

 loam, or moderately good sand, and the season 

 proves propitious, it sometimes yields from fifty 

 to sixty bushels to the acre. This quantity, 

 however, is rarely produced, and it is safer to 

 anticipate from twenty-five to thirty bushels to 

 the acre. It is greatly assisted in its growth, 

 and the maturing of its grain, by having a 



