THE 



SOUTHERN PLANTEE* 



Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts. — 

 JCetiophon. 



FRANK: G. RUFFIN, Editor. 



Vol. XIY. 



For the Southern Planter. 



MINUTES OF AGRICULTURAL FACTS AND 

 OBSERVATIONS, 



Collected and noted by the Agricultural Commissioner- , 

 and ordered, to be published by the Executive Com- 

 mittee of the Virginia State Agricultural Society. 



Sub- Soil Ploughing. 



[Continued from page 259'^'.] 



19. Dr. Wm. F. Gaines, of Hanover, some years 

 ago, made trials of sub-soil ploughing, to sufficient 

 extent, with good execution, and with adjoining 

 spaces omitted for accurate observation. The 

 ploughing was about 8 inches deep, and the sub- 

 soiling 8 inches deeper. The latter operation was 

 efifected by a good and proper sub-soil plough, 

 made and bought for that kind of work only. The 

 breaking the sub-soil was found to be more labo- 

 rious to the team (4 mules) than any other team 

 labor that Dr. G. had ever had done. Trials, and 

 comparative observations were made*on both sandy 

 soil and sub-soil, and stiff soil and sub-soil — but 

 all the land drj^, and not needing draining. No 

 benefit, and no effect of the sub-soiling operation 

 could be seen, on either the next succeeding crops 

 or any since. The labor was deemed a total loss. 



20. Per Contra. — Mr. Jas. R. Kent, of Montgo- 

 mery, first sub-soiled five or six years ago — the 

 whole of his then field for corn, except small por- 

 tions omitted for observation and comparison. The 

 land bordering on New River — rich claj^ loam, on 

 clay sub-soil, with undulating surface, high and 

 dry. The ploughing 8 or 9 inches, and the sub- 

 soil ploughing as much deeper, or 16 to 18 inches 

 in total depth broken by both operations. The 

 effect obvious in both height and luxuriance of 

 growth, equal to an estimated increase of one-third. 

 The benefit continued obvious on the succeeding 

 wheat cro^, and on the grass crops still later. Since 

 then, Mr. K. has continued to sub-soil each year's 

 field for corn, with undoubted and equal benefit as 

 he supposes — but without having continued to omit 

 any parts for comparison, as he has had no doubt 

 of great benefit being always obtained. 



21. Mr. William Ballard Preston, of Smithfield, 

 Montgomery county, for a recent crop of corn, sub- 

 soiled in the manner just stated the whole of the 

 field. Though the failure to omit any part for com- 



* The "Minutes" continued in last number of Southern 

 Planter were numbered incorrectly as 2, 3, 4 and 5, should 

 have been 15, 16, 17 and 18. 

 Vol. XIV.— 10. 



Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts of the 

 State. — Sully. 



P. D. BERNARD, Publisher. 



No. 10. 



parison leaves the result less satisfactory, Mr. P, 

 has no question of very great increase of produc- 

 tion having been obtained. The crop was by far 

 the best ever obtained from the same field pre- 

 viously, and without any known cause of difference, 

 other than the sub-soil ploughing. Mr. J. R. Kent 

 confirms this opinion, having seen the crop, and 

 having ability and means for observation and judg- 

 ment in the case sufficient to satisfy any who know 

 him. The farm of Smithfield, on the main Alle- 

 ghany range, and near the summit, is of rich clay 

 lime-stone soil — generally and remarkably free from 

 stone or even pebbles — with yellowish clay sub- 

 soil. The surface gently undulating. 



^' Early Laying-bif of Corn — Large Product. 



22, Mr. James R. Kent, of Montgomery, after 

 such deep preparation for corn as above stated, 

 (Minute 20,) plants in row^s 3 feet wide, and not 

 exceeding 3 feet distance in the row, with two 

 stalks at a station. I am not sure whether the crop 

 I saw (July 10th,) was not still closer. He esti- 

 mated its product at not less than 60 and perhaps 

 70 bushels to the acre. After planting, he gives 

 two or three plough ings, with a shovel (or similar) 

 plough, 3 to 4 inches deep, and always suspends 

 ploughing as soon as the stalks are " well in joint," 

 or large enough to be much liable to be broken by 

 the swingle trees. This must be usually before 

 the plants are three feet high, and is always before 

 the beginning of tasseling — and also before wheat 

 harvest. Some time after, the largest weeds are 

 chopped down by hoes. But this is only to facilitate 

 the sowing the land in wheat the same year — and 

 not supposed to be the least beneficial to the corn. 

 Mr. K., like nearly all extensive fanners and gra- 

 ziers in Western Virginia, cannot know by actual 

 measurement the amount of his corn crops — as a 

 large proportion of the product is fed, with and on 

 the stalks, to fattening cattle. But he thinks that 

 none of his corn crops have averaged less than 50 

 bushels to the acre. A ])articular acre of his crop, 

 of richest land, and most luxuriant product, was 

 accurately measured, and produced 150 bushels of 

 grain. 



Injury to Cattle caused by their being penned. 



23. Mr. Joseph Cloyd, of Pulaski, Mr. James R. 

 Kent, of Montgomery, and nearly all others of the 

 extensive and successful graziers and farmers of 

 that region, do not pen or shelter their cattle, either 

 in summer or winter. One person only in the ne igh- 

 borhood of Mr. Cloyd followed the practice of pen- 

 ning his cattle even in winter, and carting out the 



EICHMOND, OCTOBER, 1854. 



