THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



377 



On these lands guauo is as permanent in its 

 e£fects as any other manure ; on the river lands 

 it acts neither so promptly nor are its effects so 

 durable. He considered 200lbs. better for wheat j 

 than any amount of stable manure. Had used 

 b:ine-dust to some extent, but did not consider 

 it at all equal to guano. 



Mr. Cunningham, of Culpepper. Considered 

 it cheaper to use four than three-horse ploughs; 

 the former more' elf-;ctually exterminat d run- 

 ning briars and sassafras. Puts in his wheat 

 with a double shovel plough. lias been in the 

 habit of seeding one and a half bushels to the 

 acre ; but has lately been sowing two bushels. 

 Averages about twenty bushels to the acre. 

 Finds but little difference between wheat on 

 corn land and clover fallow. Uses guano to a 

 considerable extent. 



Mv. Garnett, of Westmoreland. Thinks he 

 has derived great benefit from using plaster in 

 much larger quantities than has been custom- 

 ary. Upon one occasion tried the following ex- 

 periment upon five acres of land : Upon the 

 first acre, one bushel of plaster was sown ; upon 

 the second, two bushels : and increasing at that 

 rate until the fifth acre received five bushels. 

 The beneficial effects were in proportion to the 

 quantity of plaster used. Upon a single acre 

 he once used ten bushels. The yield was mag- 

 nificent. He highly approves of the use of 

 plaster in connection with that of guano, and 

 thinks he has derived much advantage from 

 using it in that way. The land he has been 

 cultivating was very poor and unproductive 

 when he took possession of it. He purchasing 

 it for $4 per acre. Under the use of guano and 

 plaster, it Ijas been so much improved that at 

 the recent assessment of lands it was valued at 

 $25 per acre. H 3 finds harrowing in the spring 

 beneficial to his wheat. Thinks it essential to 

 use clover in conjunction with guano, if perma- 

 nent improvement is aimed at. Is of opinion 

 that the wonderful effects of guano in the 

 Northern Neck cannot be accounted for on the 

 hypothesis of the moisture of the climate, be- 

 cause the lands upon the rivers are less bene- 

 fitted than those in the interior. 



SECOND NIGHT. 



SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. 



Mr. Willis, of Orange county. Rust has not 

 been so common for four or five years — this 

 seems to be general and not confined to any par- 

 ticular district. Neither has the joint-worm 

 been so destructive the two last years, owing, 

 probably, to the earlier seeding of the wheat ; 

 but thinks there is no reason for supposing it. 

 has disappeared from the country. Has never 

 been benefitted by the use of guano. In one 

 instance, thinks a small spot guanoed at the 

 rate of 300/6.?. to the acre was permanently 

 injured. After the regular course of crops, and 

 being sown in grass, it was so much wors : than 

 the adjoining land as to attract the attention of 

 strangers. His land is the red land of the 

 Piedmont region ; observed no difference in the 



subsoil — the same as is common in the red land 

 district. Is satisfied that three-fourths of the 

 money he has expended for guano has been 

 thrown away. Sees no improvement on wheat 

 from its use, although other persons on similar 

 lands think they are benefitted. Used 8J tons 

 on 203 bushels seed wheat, product 1100 bushels. 

 Always ploughs in his wheat. On corn land, 

 thinks the soil ought to be disturbed as little as 

 possible. He, however, harrows his previous 

 to sowing wheat, as he cultivates corn with a 

 mouldboard plough, throvring the earth to the 

 corn, and the consequence is, the surface is too 

 uneven to receive the seed without harrowing. 

 Has not been successful in making wheat on 

 corn land when he ploughed it up with a large 

 plough. He considers it beet to harrow first 

 and then put in the vrheat witji a small plouo-h 

 or double shovel. ° 



Mr. F. Nelson, of Ne w Kent county. Thinks 

 Col. Randolph's method of seeding may do on 

 his land; but upon stiff low ground, decidedly 

 prefers deep ploughing and thorough prepara- 

 tion. He never cuts wheat when it is wet even 

 with dew; and prefers that it should be entirely 

 ripe before cutting. 



Dr. Morton, of Cumberland. Has drilled 

 wheat for several years; thinks it the best 

 method of seeding, as each grain is deposited 

 at the same depth, and it also saves seed, he 

 now, with the drill, using but one bushel and a 

 peck, when formerly he broadcasted two bushels 

 to the acre. Is of opinion that having the land 

 well drained, so as to prevent water from stag- 

 nating about the crop, will prevent rust in 

 wheat and " firing" in tobacco. At least since 

 he has adopted this practice, he has been less 

 injured from these diseases. 



Mr. Cunningham, of Culpepper, Never de- n \ 

 rived any advantage from drilling wheat over 

 sowing it broadcast ; but experienced this dis- 

 advantage, that grass seeds sowed in the spring 

 on drilled wheat would also be drilled, the seed 

 running into the drills. 



Mr. Crenshaw, of Richmond. In the year 

 1851, over an entire field of 32 acres, drilled 

 each alternate bed and sowed the remainder 

 broadcast. The dril ed came up the best, the 

 season being dry, and although he made no ac- 

 curate measurement, yet he estimated the 

 drilled wheat to be 33^ per cent, the best. The 

 broadcast wheat was harrowed -in. The drilled 

 matured the earliest ; has since used the drill 

 successfully. 



II ill Carter, Esq., of Charles City county. 

 Prefers drilling; but upon his lands it saves no 

 seed; requires as much as broadcast sowing. 

 In this opinion Mr. Selden concurs ; but thinks • 

 the drilled less liable to be winter killed. 



Mr. Paleske, of Henrico. Thinks wheat 



ought to be drilled from the North-east to the 

 South-west, as that is the prevalent direction of 

 the winds in the summer, 



Mr. C. Lee, of Powhatan county. Remarked 

 on the vagueness and indefinitness of agricul- 



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