108 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



would speedily go up. It may here be asked, 

 objectingly, What is the difference between 

 making a thousand pounds at five dollars, and 

 five hundred pounds at ten dollars'? In both 

 cases, we would receive fifty dollars ; but in the 

 latter case, the fifty dollars would cost us just 

 half the expense of time and labor that we give 

 for the same sum, in the other case ; and time 

 and labor are the capital of the farmer. 



This augmentation of value, by a diminution 

 of the supply, might be effected by a general 

 combination of the planters in the United States, 

 and would unquestionably, be advantageous to 

 all. But there is no probability of such an 

 agreement with the new States. Virginia must 

 act for herself ; and here comes up the question, 

 What can we do to increase the value of our 

 great staple? Something must be done^ we 

 cannot afford to produce tobacco at present prices. 

 We have no substitute for tobacco, and should 

 we abandon it, and enlarge our crops of corn 

 and wheat, the value of these would be depressed 

 in proportion to their increase. Silk from the 

 mulberry, and sugar from the corn-stalk may 

 one day take their place among the staples of 

 Virginia husbandry — but that will be hereafter. 

 We must rely still upon tobacco for our largest 

 revenue. What, then, can be done to increase 

 its value 1 The ready reply is, produce a less 

 quantity of a better article. All will admit that 

 it is necessary to make better tobacco, in order 

 to get higher prices ; and in admitting this, they 

 yield the whole matter. We can improve the 

 quality of the crop only by cultivating less. — 

 The two things go together. Our cleared lands 

 are exhausted — we have no more forests to cut 

 down — and our best " improved" lands must be 

 much more improved before they can regain 

 their original productiveness. Our resources for 

 manure are limited, and it is very important to 

 concentrate what we have on as small a surface 

 as possible; because it is only by heavy manur- 

 ing that our old land and lots can be made rich 

 enough to produce good tobacco. Now, by 

 cultivating less land in tobacco, we can employ 

 more time and labor in making manure — we 

 can make our tobacco lands richer, and cultivate 

 the crop more thoroughly. Thus, we may pro- 

 duce better tobacco — and having a smaller quan- 

 tity of plants and leaves, we can cure and prepare 

 it for market in superior style. 



In connection with the foregoing remarks, 

 the writer suggests the following experiment to 

 every tobacco grower who reads the Planter. — 

 Every one has noticed those plants which, 

 from any cause, have lost several leaves — how 

 much heavier and richer are the three or four 

 leaves that are left, and how much earlier they 

 mature, than other plants of the same topping 

 that ripen eight or ten leaves. Let the planter 

 select, at his first general topping, several thou- 

 sand plants of equal size and an equal soil — top 



half the number at six leaves — the other half 

 at eight or ten, as his custom may be ; carefully 

 note the appearance of the different plants as 

 they grow and mature — cure them separately, 

 and after weighing the different parcels, give 

 the result in this journal. In all probability, a 

 thousand plants with six leaves will weigh more 

 than an equal number with nine or ten leaves : 

 there certainly will be fewer " lugs," and a larger 

 proportion of good leaf— for the plants should 

 be " primed high." And " last, but not least," 

 the six leaved plants would come to the knife 

 ten or twelve days sooner. 



These are mere suggestions for the wisdom 

 of others to work upon. If worthy of attention, 

 they will doubtless receive it ; if not, they can 

 do no harm. But I cannot forbear urging prac- 

 tical men to make the proposed experiment in 

 topping low and priming high. The trouble 

 would be trifling, and should it fail, the loss can- 

 not be large. But if the result should be what 

 I confidently anticipate, it might lead to impor- 

 tant additions to individual wealth and the pros- 

 perity of the Old Dominion. 



Taylor. 



Springfield, March, 1844. 



From the Southern (Georgia) Cultivator. 

 CULTURE OF CORN. 



JSlessrs. Editors, — The communication which 

 I am about to make, I designed making to the 

 Albany Cultivator, last year, and would have 

 done so had it not been for my aversion to ap- 

 pearing in the public prints. I at several times 

 thought of making the communication over a 

 fictitious name, but reflected that facts are not 

 so apt to be received as such, unless a man 

 vouches for their truth in his own proper name. 



It may be proper to say, in the outset, that I 

 am cultivating land on Flint river, which I set- 

 tled some four years since for my father, and 

 which, in the common language here, is "as 

 rich as land ever gets to be." 



Last year I planted for experiment one acre 

 of corn in the following manner : The ground 

 was first broken very deep, and then laid off two 

 feet each way — the corn planted in checks and 

 covered with the foot. When it was up about 

 half leg high, I had it flat weeded and thinned 

 to one stalk. When silking I had it flat weeded 

 again, and this finished the cultivation — it never 

 had been ploughed at all. About the time the 

 corn was grown, a severe wind prostrated it in 

 several places, so that I feared my experiment 

 would fail at last. In addition to this disaster, 

 it being in an exposed situation, the squirrels 

 destroyed a good deal — the outside row was, I 

 think, entirely consumed. At a proper time I 

 had what was left gathered, shucked out, and 

 measured the ears in a barrel in the same manner 



