80 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 BUCKWHEAT. 



Mr. Editor, — A jyriter in the last January 

 Planter said some "good words" for the grain 

 placed at the head of this article; yet he seemed 

 to give into the generally received opinion that 

 it is a great exhauster of the soil when sown 

 for the grain and not for the purpose of being 

 ploughed under, when green, as a fertilizer. I 

 wish, with your permission to say a word or 

 two in vindication of buckwheat, from, the al- 

 most universal opinion that 4t is, in an unusual 

 degree, an impoverisher of the soil. 



I am much inclined to think this opinion 

 and the prejudice against the grain arising 

 therefrom, is, rh a great measure, owing to the 

 clBan and naked condition in which it leaves 

 lanfl— -literally destroying every other kind of 

 vegetation, and leaving ".no green thing," con- 

 sequently giving to the field a most "poverty- 

 stricken" appearance.. But I think appear- 

 ances in thisfas in many other eases, are against 

 the truth, and for the following reasons : The 

 roots of buckwheat do not strike deep into the 

 ground, but are confined chiefly to the surface, 

 which materially narrows the extent of soil laid 

 under contribution by the growth and maturity 

 of the plant. Again : it grows better than any 

 other crop on poor or exhausted soils — making 

 a good yield on lands that will scarcely produce 

 wheat or corn at all Whether this is owing 

 to the fact that it requires less nutriment for 

 its maturity than other grains, or derives it 

 mainly from the atmosphere, is not worth while 

 to inquire, the main point being that the soil 

 is called upon but for a small contribution to 

 its growth and maturity. I think the fact that 

 it succeeds, best when sown on thin lands, con- 

 clusive that it is not a great exhauster.. ••• 



' I have riot been an extensive grower of buck- 

 wheat, yet as far as my experience goes it .con- 

 firms the opinion expressed above. Neither 

 my experience nor 'observation furnishes me 

 with any evidence that it impoverishes the soil 

 more than any other grain crop, 



Atigtisfaj 'Jan. 29, 185(5. 



For the Southern Planter. 



CULTIVATION OF INDIAN CORN. 



Mr. Editor, — As the time has now arrived 

 for the farmers to be making preparations for 

 a corn crop for the i present year, I think it 

 highly important that they should interchange 

 opinions, (through the Planter, by and with 

 your consent,) of their different modes of pre- 

 paration and after culture of this important 



crop; and first of all, the kind of land as all 

 farmers know all land cannot be successfully 

 farmed in the same way. The land in this 

 section is limestone with a considerable quan- 

 tity of sand and in many places gravel; also a 

 good clay subsoil. My mode of preparation is, 

 when I have sod, to plough as early in the 

 winter as possible, that the land may undergo 

 a thorough freezing. About the middle of 

 April, after hauling all the well rotted manure 1 

 I can get, harrow to a fine tilth; lay off both 

 ways four feet, drop a small quantity of ashes 

 and plaster in each hill; then drop from three 

 to five grains in a hill and cover from two to 

 three inches deep. As soon as the corn is well 

 up, drop some of the same mixture on each 

 hill; then harrow with a two-horse harrow, the 

 middle teeth a little raised, one horse walking 

 in each row. Iteplant and thin as soon as pos- 

 sible, leaving two stalks in a hill; I then com- 

 mence ploughing with double shovel ploughs; 

 plough three times before harvest, if possible, 

 and once directly after, which finishes the cul- 

 tivation. 



When I have stubble land to prepare for 

 corn I haul all the rough manure on the land 

 before I plough it; harrow and lay off in the 

 same way, except that I first lay off with the 

 single shovel plough, and then in the same fur- 

 rows with a ripper, from twenty to twenty-two 

 inches long, made of a bar of iron two inches 

 wide and one inch thick; I then drop the mix- 

 ture as before stated ; harrow the same way, 

 and then use the rippers in ploughing both 

 ways twice in each row, as near the corn as 

 possible — twice with the double shovels before 

 harvest, and once after. 



I hope tills will cause you to give your ex- 

 perience in the culture of corn, also many others. 

 I propose, at the same time, if the present size 

 of the Planter is not sufficient to give the sub- 

 scribers an opportunity of publishing their dif- 

 ferent modes of culture, that it be issued semi- 

 monthly. 



Yours, respectfully, M. 11. K. 



Frederick Co., Va., Jan, 26,' 1855. - . -> 



i* 



EGGS, CONVENT FASHION. ' 



Boil four eggs for ten minutes, put them in 

 cold water, peel 4 and slice thin one onion, put 

 into a frying pan one ounce of butter; when 

 melted, add the onion, and fry white; then add 

 a tea-spoonful of flour, mix it well, add about 

 half a pint of milk, till forming a nice white 

 *auce, half a tea-spoonful of salt, and a quarter 

 ditto of pepper; when nicely done, add the 

 C2gs, cut into six pieces each, crossways, toss 

 them up — and when hot through, serve on toast 



