150 



THE SOUTHEKN PLANTER. 



that no premiums the Society can offer, constitute 

 a sufficient inducement to the proprietors of valu- 

 able stock to incur the risk and inconvenience of 

 conveying it to a distant place of exhibition — and 

 that they can rarely be induced to do so without 

 some exertion on the part of the Society or its offi- 

 cers — more especially when, as in this case, the 

 Cattle Show was a first attempt, and of course un- 

 certain of success. 



However this may be, I but state a well known 

 fact, that both my son and myself have exerted 

 every faculty of body and mind, without regard 

 to fatigue, exposure or expense, with an eye single 

 to carrying out the important trust committed to 

 us — with what advantage to the Society, the future 

 must determine. 



Furthermore, I entertain no doubt whatever that 

 the Society can be sustained without legislative 

 aid so long as its operations are judiciously directed, 

 and so be independent and free to pursue its own 

 course without interference or deleterious control 

 from any quarter. 



Nothing more occurs to me at -this time as neces- 

 sary to be mentioned. I regret that this report is 

 so meagre, and also the necessity I am under of 

 speaking of the labors of myself and my son. 

 That could not be avoided to some extent in any 

 report, and I have endeavored in this to go no fur- 

 ther than justice to ourselves seems to require. 



I ought not to close it without a grateful acknow- 

 ledgment of the hospitality and kindness with which 

 we have been favored throughout our whole tour. 



I am, sir, with high respect and esteem, 

 Your ob't serv't, 



Wm. H. Richardson, Gen. Agt. 



Richmond, Oct. 29, 1854. 



From the Soil of the South. 

 A TREASISE ON THE CULTURE OF CORN. 



BY JAMES M. CHAMBERS. 



For this crop, I lay it down as indispensably ne- 

 cessary, that the earth should be broken deep and 

 thoroughly. The process of preparation may vary 

 with the nature of the soil. The time of planting 

 in this climate, where the summers are hot and 

 long, and droughts frequent, should be just as early 

 as may be practicable, to escape the spring frosts, 

 and the culture should be early and rapid. First, 

 then, I say, the earth is to be prepared by deep, 

 close and thorough ploughing. This is neces- 

 sary, to give an opportunity to the small fibrous 

 roots, which are so numerous with this plant, to 

 shoot out and penetrate the earth easily, to retain 

 proper moisture when dry, and to absorb excess of 

 moisture when wet. Next, I would secure a deep 

 and thorough breaking of the earth immediately 

 about where the young roots first begin to spread, 

 by a deep and close listing with some long plough ; 

 nothing in use among us is better for this ope- 

 ration than a well made scooter. This done, the 

 opening furrow, checking across the list, in which 

 to drop the seed, should be deep and so wide as to 

 stand well open, free from clods or turf; and the 

 seed corn being dropped in the check, then cover 

 with the hoe, by drawing a small portion of loose 

 earth upon the seed, which should when planted 

 not have more than a depth of one and a half or 

 two inches of earth upon it. I would put in three 



or four grains where only one was to stand, esteem- 

 ing it much better to thin than to replant, thereby 

 securing an early, regular and good stand. As soon 

 as the young corn was up, with about four blades, 

 the first working should be given. My process 

 would be to plough with a long scooter or coulter, 

 running as near the corn as possible, without 

 ploughing it up, and breaking out the whole mid- 

 dle deep, close and thorough, leaving the whole bed 

 soft and well pulverized. The hoes should follow 

 close after the ploughs, cleaning the surface about 

 the stalk, leaving no young grass or weeds, and re- 

 turning enough soft earth to cover the roots of the 

 corn a little deeper than they were before ; and at 

 this hoeing, I should thin out ordinarily all except 

 the one stalk which was to be left to make the 

 crop. In about twenty days the ploughs should 

 return again. At this time, if the ploughing pre- 

 viously had been deep and thorough, I should not 

 plough quite so deep as at the first. But this also 

 ought to be a deep ploughing, and the middle of 

 the row also to be well broke and pulverized. A 

 small mouldboard ought to be attached to the 

 plough, running next to the corn, so as to place a 

 greater depth of earth on the roots, thereby securing 

 moisture and protection from the hot sun. Now 

 is the time, when the roots are spreading rapidly 

 and widely, seeking nourishment and moisture in 

 the soft and well ploughed soil. At this working, 

 care should be taken, that when the work is done, 

 each furrow should well fill up its predecessor, so 

 that every inch of earth should be broken, and no 

 furrows in the bed should be seen standing open 

 to expose the roots as they shoot across, but all 

 should lie smooth and soft. At this working the 

 hoes should also follow, cleaning any hills which 

 the plough should have slighted, straightening up 

 the bent stalks, pulling out any surplus stalks or 

 suckers, and cleaning round the stumps arid trees. 

 Care should be taken at this working to leave no 

 grass or weeds near the stalk. If the ploughs have 

 faithfully performed their duty, but little will re- 

 main for the hoes to do. The corn will now be 

 sufficiently large to bear the dirt, and a good plough- 

 man with a well fixed plough, will throw the soft 

 earth around the root of the stalk, covering up 

 most of the grass, which as yet must be very small 

 and young, and sufficiently hilling the corn, leaving 

 the work nearly complete, without the aid of the 

 hoe. In these workings, I would greatly prefer 

 that the earth should be in a moist state ; but re- 

 gard it unsafe to delay the work, more than a few 

 days at most, to wait for just such seasons as would 

 be preferred. As a general rule, in the cultivation 

 of the crop, it is not best to regard the seasons too 

 much, but move directly and energetically forward, 

 leaving the results to be controlled by Him who 

 " giveth the early and the latter rain." 



About three weeks after this working, the third 

 and last should be given. The operation of laying 

 by corn is one requiring more discretion and judg- 

 ment usually than any other, and much, after all, 

 must be left to the judgment of the planter, de- 

 pendant upon the circumstances of the case. It 

 would sometimes happen that it had been dry, and 

 every thing standing as when left; at another time, 

 hard rains will have ensued, and all the former 

 have been undone, the land washed and settled 

 hard and close again. What to do, and how to do, 

 must be determined very much by the necessity 

 and circumstance of the case. If the seasons had 

 been ordinary, plough shallow and not very close, 

 leave the surface of the bed smooth and soft, with- 



