THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



95 



posely, that the effect of the soaking might be 

 observed free from the influence of manure. 



Three or four soaked kernels were also planted 

 in a spot near the door of a shed, where sprouted 

 cuttings of grape-vines had been several times 

 set, and all which had perished from the united 

 effects of drought, barrenness and heat. Even 

 here I obtained three good stalks, and two good 

 ears. 



Samuel Webber, M. D. 

 Ckarlestown. JY. H., Feb. 19, 1844. 



For the Southern Planter. 



TOP DRESSING— MANAGEMENT OF STIFF 

 CLAYS. 



Mr. Editor ^ — In the January number of the 

 Planter you have copied from the South Caro- 

 lina Temperance Advocate an article upon the 

 subject of manure, in which the writer contends 

 that manure does not sink. Now, I do not in- 

 tend troubling you or your readers with any 

 theories of mine upon this subject, but shall 

 content myself with simply stating some facts, 

 which I think go far to show that the conclu- 

 sion to which the author of that piece has come, 

 is erroneous. 



Some eight or ten years ago I had in the 

 field which I intended for wheat some thin spots, 

 which required improvement. There were two 

 contiguous knolls, one of which was heavily 

 cow-penned, and the other top dressed with farm 

 pen compost, which induced a luxuriant crop of 

 clover ; both of these were fallowed and seeded 

 in wheat, and produced about an equal amount 

 of wheat, the cow-penned spot being much in- 

 jured by the scab. This land is now in clover, 

 and upon the thin spots I am spreading straw. 

 The knoll which was cow-penned will require 

 some, whilst the one top-dressed will do well 

 with an application of plaster. 



Again, in 1839, I had about an acre of land 

 in my corn field too poor to put in corn ; this 

 was left out and heavily manured with farm-pen 

 compost, and immediately ploughed and planted 

 in peas. The next fall it was sown in wheat, 

 and produced about fifteen bushels, but having 

 to go in wheat again this fall, I shall have to 

 top-dress the clover this spring, or look for- a 

 poor crop. 



Near this piece there was a small spot not 

 manured that year, but upon the clover which 

 followed the wheat crop I had some half-rotted 

 chaff spread, which produced such an effect, 

 that the most careless observer could at once 

 point out the spot. 



The conclusion to which my mind has come 

 upon this subject is this, that the farmer should 

 adopt that course which best accomplishes his 

 object, regardless of fine spun theories, which 

 often "dazzle to lead us astray and finding 



that top-dressing is the most effectual plan with 

 me, I shall continue to practice it. 



In the communication of your brother, I find 

 that he used saltpetre as a soak for his corn. 

 This has been considered a good one as far back 

 as 1783, when it was recommended by Judge 

 Peters. Feeling desirous of using it this spring, 

 I will thank you if you will ascertain how it is 

 used, and give us the directions in the April 

 number. Judge Peters recommends it, but adds, 

 do not soak it too long. As this is too indefi- 

 nite, I wished to know what was the practice 

 of our farmers* 



In one of the late numbers of the Planter you 

 wished to know r what would soonest recover 

 and make productive stiff clay land. Some of 

 our best farmers have tried experiments with 

 wood-pile manure upon such spots with emi- 

 nent success. There is one fact stated in con- 

 nexion with this subject which is important. — 

 The very best farmer in this section of country, 

 stated to me that one such piece of land had 

 ' never produced a decent crop of wheat until an 

 application of this kind was made, and the re- 

 sult was a heavy yield. 



Respectfully, yours, 



Q,uintus Barbour. 



Madison, March 15, 1845. 



For the Southern Planter. 



LIME AND PLASTER. 



Mr. Botts, — Being a subscriber to your paper 

 I feel great anxiety for its success, as well on 

 your account, as for the credit of the State. I 

 assume that Virginia was inferior to no State in 

 the Union in its pristine state ; what she now is 

 all can see ; desolation, like a Sirocco, has passed 

 over us, and though it is natural to sorrow over 

 the ruin, it is wise to cast about for the cure and 

 corrective. I believe vegetable and calcareous 

 matter are most to be depended upon. All who 

 use lime freely are sure to have plenty of vege- 

 table matter in cornstalks, straw, and grass. I 

 have been a farmer for forty-seven years; through 

 all that time I have used plaster of Paris freely ; 

 after the application of tw 7 enty or thirty bushels 

 to the acre, my land tired, as the farmers said, 

 and no longer responded to the application. The 

 question then came up of, What is to be done? 

 I had many doctors, and as usual, all differing. 

 I concluded to try lime, and after much discou- 

 ragement, became convinced that lime was my 

 only hope. I have used from sixty to four hun- 



* The general directions for using the solution, are, 

 to put a pound of saltpetre in enough water to cover 

 a bushel of corn and let the seed soak for twenty-four 

 hours. Care should be taken not to permit the corn 

 to shrink after it is taken out of soak before it is 

 planted: in other words, it should be planted whilst 

 it is still wet with the solution. — Ed. 



