THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



however, when harvest came on the straw of the 

 bone dust part was bright and clear, while the 

 straw on the other part of the field was badly 

 struck with red rust, and vpon examination the 

 heads of the wheat (Mediterranean) contained 

 pretty generally three grains a breast, while the 

 other part contained but two. The field was 

 sown in clover, the bone dust part produced 

 double the quantity of hay, and to this day its 

 efi'ects are visible in all the crops which have 

 been grown upon it. When the phosphate of 

 lime is deficient in the soil, it is the most valua- 

 ble fertilizer you can use. It is, however, an 

 expensive manure at the commencement, but 

 when its lasting efi'ects are taken into considera- 

 tion it is cheap, because it saves the trouble of 

 repetition. Not so however with guano — I am 

 no advocate for its use, except upon very poor 

 light and slaty soils, where nothing will grow 

 without its stimulating effects. Upon lands of 

 that kind it enables you to set them in grass. 

 It is too expensive, evanescent in its effects, 

 flashing off with the first year's crop. 



When your ground is prepared and you are 

 ready to commence seeding, take a tight hogs- 

 head that will contain 8 to 10 or 12 bushels, fill 

 it with wheat, then for every bushel it contains 

 take one pound of saltpetre (the crude will an- 

 swer) for each bushel, dissolve it with boiling 

 water, using a gallon to about six pounds in a 

 watering pot, and sprinkle about one-third of it 

 upon the wheat; in ten or fifteen minutes anoth- 

 er third, and at an interval of about the same 

 time the balance, keep it hot or warm all the 

 time, for it will crystalize if it becomes cold, 

 and if it is put in all at the same, time it perco- 

 lates or runs to the bottom of the hogshead too 

 soon, and you will find it there instead of being 

 absorbed by the wheat as it passes down slowly. 

 As soon as you have put it all on the wheat, 

 spread upon your barn floor, your lime, plaster 

 or ashes, alone or mixed, a quantity about an 

 inch in thickness, and of sufficient area to re- 

 ceive upon it the half or less of the wet wheat, 

 and with a shovel mix them together thorough- 

 ly ; as soon as it is mixed, shovel into bags, take 

 it to the field and sow it immediately while the 

 mixture adheres to the wheat, and harrow it in 

 as fast as sown, and unless your ground is very 

 moist, (and even then it is better,) follow with 

 a heavy roller to condense the ground. 



My opinion is that the success of a good crop 

 depends as much upon a good start as a horse 

 race, and is it not reasonable that any thing 

 which will promote a vigorous and healthy start 

 will be most likely to produce a healthy and ro- 

 bust constitution. The process of preparation 

 is simple and cheap, not costing much over 12 J 

 cents per acre, when saltpetre can be bought at 

 5^^ cents, which I paid for it by the keg in Bal- 

 timore. It is now advanced, in consequence of 

 the war in the Crimea, to about double that 

 price, but still is cheap enough to be used for 

 that purpose. Incognito. 



Ingle WOOD, near Carter^s Bridge, ] 

 Albemarle County, Va. J 



F. G. Ruffin, Esq. 



Dear Sir: — Enclosed I send you a copy of a 

 letter written to me by a friend, for my own 

 benefit, who does not wish to appear in the pa- 

 pers. This I very much regret, as I am of the 

 opinion any article has mure weight or influence 

 when over the name and whereabouts of the au- 

 thor, who can be looked after, and his experi- 

 ments investigated by any one who may wish 

 to follow in his footsteps. But so it is, and we 

 farmers must be thankful for hints, experiments 

 &c. from any and every source from which they 

 may be kindly sent, for most truly we arc in 

 great need of these experiments. Some time 

 since I sent an article to your paper from Ex- 

 Farmer of Berkeley. Some had no faith in it, 

 because they could not know the author. Many 

 thought highly of it, yet I do not know anyone 

 who followed his advice but myself. I thought 

 I saw much sense in it, and gave it a fair trial 

 and am well pleased with the results. The ex- 

 periment was made upon myBuckoyeland farm 

 on the left hand side of the main road leading 

 from the creek to the mill race, and up that — 

 about three acres. Its results are so clear that 

 I think a blind man could tell by walking over 

 it where the experiment stopped. Now I did 

 not know who Ex-F. of Berkeley was, nor do I 

 now know, I wish I did ; yet, I thought I saw 

 sense in the thing; tried it, and am satisfied if I 

 had known it the fall before, it would have saved 

 me much in cash and time. Now you nor the 

 farmers can know who Incognito is, yet read it 

 and if you can see any good in it give it to the 

 people, and if they see any good in it they 

 may so easily test it. I think there is some 

 good in it and shall try it, and will give out the 

 results whether good or bad. It will cost but 

 little cash, but I fear more faith than many will 

 find to try it, while I cannot give either the 

 name nor whereabouts of Incognito, I would 

 endorse him as soon or sooner than I would have 

 Ex-F. of Berkeley. I wrote an article on my 

 experiments with lime upon guanoed wheat 

 made last January and February, twelve months, 

 and of my entire satisfaction with its results. 

 Yet how few have tried it, tis true this has been 

 a bad spring for any experiments, (so backward 

 in work of all kinds) yet my faith was so great 

 I have used upon my present crop of wheat this; 

 month 282 bushels of lime, of the result I'll in- 

 form you in due time. This lime was applied 

 by the hand, it is a disagreeable work. Can a 

 good lime spreader be had which can be relied 

 upon. If so I think several might be sold in 

 this neighborhood, as the lime fever has risen 

 sufficiently high to tempt four of us to test its 

 power upon our lands and crops ; and if it suc- 

 ceeds up to our hopes we shall extend our use 

 of it so much as to be compelled to use a ma- 

 chine for speed. Yours truly, 



GEO. C. GILMER. 



