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THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



markable, but not isolated facts of greatly increased 

 products, however valuable as agricultural facts 

 and for instruction under like circumstances, are 

 toot presented here as additional evidence on the 

 question of the difference of opinions stated. This 

 case, the farm of Carter Braxton, Esq., was one of 

 those embraced in the former report of 1840, and, 

 therefore, with others, its later productions of 1850 

 and 1851, were sought and obtained. But as the 

 farm is of originally good soil, (of Pamunkey flat 

 land,) and has been entirely manured with eocene 

 marl, containing important fertilizing ingredients 

 other than the carbonate of lime, the case is not 

 applicable to the foregoing question. 



The Newcastle farm, formerly belonging to Mrs. 

 A. G. Ruffin, (now Mrs. Governor M'Donald of 

 Georgia,) who first begun the marling in 18 — , and 

 since to Carter Braxton, Esq., whose former and 

 recent crops, from his own reports, furnished at 

 my request, will be here stated : 



FARM OF CARTER BRAXTON, ESQ. 



Years. 



1839 

 1840 

 1841 

 1850 

 1851 

 1852 



Bushels of Wheat. 



Crops 



412 



465 

 860 

 3382 

 3320 

 4400* 



Per acre. 



5 

 3 



5.5 

 10.5 

 18 

 15* 



Bushels of Corn. 



Crops. 



3705 

 3325 

 6305 

 5310 

 7500f 



Per acre. 



18 



20 

 41 



35 

 50 



REMARKS. 



* This crop much lessened by a fresh in April, which 

 overflowed 60 or 70 acres. 



f This crop, stated by the proprietor's estimate or cubic 

 measurement, before being shelled for sale. The wheat 

 crop of 1853, not yet sold, is understood to be more than 

 5000 bushels. 



Formerly, (in 1839 to 1841,) about 1500 bushels of oats 

 were made annually, of which crop but little has been sowed 

 in latter years. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 ' APPLICATION OF GUANO TO CORN. 



Mr. Editor, — We find in the March number of 

 the Planter a subscriber seeking information when 

 and how guano should be applied to poor land for 

 corn. You referred him to back numbers, and par- 

 ticularly to a communication of Mr. Wilkinson, as 

 published last spring, but said, in conclusion, that 

 the usual mode practiced among you was to put 

 about a tea-spoonful of guano to the hill of corn, 

 sprinkling it on the hill and covering it with a little 

 dirt, drop the corn on that and cover with a hoe. 

 A very tedious process we think. 



The w r riter of the article seemed to be opposed 

 to the broadcast application. The subject we con- 

 sider an important one, and particularly at this 

 season of the year when the crop is about to be 

 planted. We, therefore, propose to notice briefly 

 the method as suggested above, the writer's views, 

 and, in conclusion, to give, as w r e think, a better 

 plan. In the first place, we do not believe that a 

 tea-spoonful of guano will make a good ear of corn 

 on poor land, applied in any way whatever, much 

 less do we believe it will do it when put in the hill, 

 for the very simple reason that the stalk in a short 



time is not fed or supported from the roots in the 

 hill, but from those in the row; and besides this it 

 is certainly best for all kinds of manure to be mixed 

 with the soil. We, therefore, disapprove of ma- 

 nuring for corn, either in the hill or drill. The 

 latter mode we tried last year, and had our brightest 

 hopes disappointed. The corn grew off beautifully 

 at first, and bid fair to bring a fine yield, but as 

 soon as the roots left the drill they missed the 

 guano, and, of course, there was a decided surren- 

 der in the crop, and that, too, in the very nick of 

 time. But, sir, we consider it a partial way of ap- 

 plying any manure on any land and at any time, 

 and would suggest instead thereof either of two 

 methods. The first is to sow the guano broadcast 

 on the land before you plough it; and the second 

 is to apply it when you run your harrows over the 

 corn the second time; either of which is easier 

 done, and is better for the crop and the land. 



Prince Edward. 



For the Southern Planter. 



EARLY WHEAT. 



Mr. Editor,— -I shall offer no apology for troubling 

 you with the following reflections and facts, farther 

 than may be found in a profound sense of the obli- 

 gation I hold every man to rest under to contribute, 

 as far as in him lay, to the cause of agriculture. 

 For the past five years I have observed that the 

 most forward wheat on my farm, and generally on 

 my neighbors', was always the best, provided, it 

 was put in as well, and the land was equal in 

 strength. I have noticed, also, that the fly inva- 

 riably committed its depredations upon all wheat 

 on my farm, either in the fall or spring, in some 

 years on the same field both spring and fall ; and 

 also, that very early wheat seemed to get over its 

 effects by new lateral branches before the frost, 

 and seemed to stand the winter freezing and heav- 

 ing better than the later wheat, owing to the stronger 

 roots which the earlier seeding possessed. The 

 past fall I determined to test my impressions more 

 fully. Having fallowed a field in June and July, 

 on the 25th of August I commenced ploughing in 

 on the fallow 3 bushels of guano (168 lbs.) and \\ 

 bushels of wheat to the acre, in a drought. I suc- 

 ceeded jn putting in about 25 acres before it rained, 

 on w T hich, though the rain w r as light, it came up 

 directly and grew finely, while I was engaged with 

 the rest. The fallow was completed by the 15th of 

 September. The grasshoppers were as plentiful as 

 the locusts in Egypt, destroying the wheat entirely \ 

 around the edges of the field, and grazing as a 

 rabbit all over it, (all which they bite before the 

 wheat opens its leaves is destroyed effectually — 

 that which they graze down after branching, puts 

 up again.) Very early in September I discovered 

 that the fly was causing the wheat to disappear, 

 and later, in October, it seemed to be dying daily. 

 I paid some attention to their habits, &c. and found 

 them by thousands depositing their eggs, saw the 

 larva in all its stages, and was struck with the 

 faithfulness of their history as furnished by the 

 Farmers' Register. Of course I had painful ap- 

 prehensions as to my seed wheat and labor, though, 

 as I had abundant time to resow, I feared no 

 other loss, I determined, however, to go on with 

 my corn land seeding, and watch farther develop- 

 ment. During this period there had been no rain 

 farther than the slight one mentioned in the be- 



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