168 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



occupy an intermediate position between the min- 

 eral and animal kingdoms. They form the con- 

 necting link between them. To sever this link, 

 ■would°produce an universal famine. Vegetables 

 are capable of deriving their nourishment from in- 

 organic nature — that is, from the mineral elements 

 In 'their natural state. In the process of their 

 growth these elements enter into the living struc- 

 ture of plants, and are transformed by the vital 

 power of the vegetable organism into organized 

 products. Some of these organized products are 

 adapted to the nourishment of animals. The nitro- 

 genized product, which is the first and only sub- 

 stance capable of affording nutriment to animals, 

 is the last product of the creative power of vege- 

 table life. This product is found in the greatest 

 abundance in the seeds of the cerealia, in the 

 juices of the culinary vegetables, and more or less 

 iu every species of plants. Having furnished this 

 product, which is the last effort of their creative 

 energy, they decay and give place to a new gene- 

 ration of vegetables. Thus one generation is made 

 to succeed another in a never-ending series, but 

 not before they have fulfilled the great purpose for 

 which they are designed in the economy of na- 

 ture. 



E. C. W. 



Pittsylvania, Va. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 THE ESTATE OF DR. JOHN B. H All VIE. 



Report on Fighting Creek Farm — published by order 

 of the Powhatan Agricultural Club. 



Your committee, appointed to report on the farm 

 of Dr. John B. Harvie, (called Fighting Creek,) 

 beg leave in discharge of that duty to present the 

 following: 



The Fighting Creek farm, containing about 2000 

 acres of land, came into the possession of its pre- 

 sent proprietor about ten years ago. The greater 

 portion of it was originally land of the very best 

 quality in its neighborhood. The soil consisting 

 of a fine chocolate loam, was sufficiently undulat- 

 ing to carry off the surplus water, and not too 

 steep to admit of easy and convenient cultivation, 

 presenting a fine southern and eastern exposure. 



This fine estate under the system of cultivation 

 which for the last half century had so marred the 

 face of this x» or tion of Virginia, came in for its 

 share of abuse. A large portion of it had been 

 worn out, and turned out to the guardian care of 

 the old field pines. The beautiful slopes present- 

 ing themselves to the streams, exhibited innumera- 

 ble gullies, and could be cultivated only in patches. 

 The flat lands, of which there is a large portion on 

 this estate, were in a very unproductive condition, 

 in consequence of the very imperfect manner in 

 which they had been attempted to be drained. 



Under these circumstances, it passed into the 

 hands of its present proprietor at a mere nominal 

 price, compared with its present value. It now 

 presents a striking contrast with its former appear- 

 ance, and illustrates the practicability of making 

 valuable many of our worn out and gullied farms. 



This improvement has been accomplished under 

 the five field rotation. Deep tillage, a liberal use 

 of clover and plaster, together with an unremitting 

 attentiou to every source from which manure could 

 be made or collected, the farm yard, the hog-stye, 

 the sheep-fold, the hen-roost : nothing in the shape 



of manure, or that could be converted into manure 

 has escaped his vigilance. The water from the hill 

 sides, which used to find its way to the streams 

 through deforming gullies, lias been taught to fol- 

 low the meanderings of the graded ditch, and dis- 

 charge itself harmlessly into the streams which are 

 contained within spacious ditches. The flat land 

 in which water was used to stagnate and sour, re- 

 paying but scantily the labor of its former propri- 

 etors, have, by a system of under draining, been 

 converted into arable lands of surpassing fertility, 

 producing corn, wheat and tobacco in highly remu- 

 nerating crops. 



A more particular detail of the rotation under 

 the five field system before alluded to, may not be 

 uninteresting to the Club. Beginning first with the 

 corn and tobacco crops : the tobacco lot is always 

 lqgated in the corn shift and made every year on a 

 fresh site, thereby bringing by means of manure a 

 new portion of land into a high state of productive- 

 ness — and by consequence, in a succession of years, 

 manuring the whole field to the point of profitable 

 productiveness in tobacco. By this means, the 

 whole surface under hoe crop is thrown together 

 in one field and under one enclosure; thereby 

 avoiding much of the annoyance of minding stock, 

 and the consequent destruction of crop from their 

 depredations. Wheat and oats follow the corn and 

 tobacco crops. The land being prepared in the 

 most thorough manner, every gall and abraded 

 place having a careful top dressing of weeds, briars 

 or other rubbish of the fields, and in the absence 

 of these, of wheat straw. This is regarded as an 

 operation of vital importance. It protects the 

 wheat from being thrown out by the frosts of win- 

 ter, and the young clover from the deleterious 

 effects of a summer drought, thereby insuring a 

 stand of that improver which is an object of para- 

 mount importance. 



After the wheat is harvested these gullied spots 

 are revisited again in fall, or early winter, and re- 

 plenished with another covering similar to the first, 

 and the summer following without the application 

 of one particle of manure they exhibit the most 

 luxuriant spots of clover in the field. This brings 

 us to the third year when the clover is deeply and 

 thoroughly turned in, preparatory for wheat. This 

 fallow is then carefully pulverized by means of a 

 heavy drag, applied until the land is in a sufficient 

 state of comminution to receive the grain, it is 

 then streaked off with a coulter, seeded, and a 

 seven tooth harrow drawn by two horses passed 

 over it, followed by the drag; the grips and fur- 

 rows nicely opened and the abraded places care- 

 fully covered as before. The next year when the 

 wheat is cut, it is gleaned by hogs, other stock be- 

 ing kept off, in order to allow the field to have the 

 full benefit of the cover which the fall weeds and 

 grasses will afford it. The fifth and last year of 

 the series, it is closely grazed by all the stock of 

 the farm, and they are penned on that portion of 

 the field which will constitute the tobacco lot of 

 the following year, which is the beginning of the 

 new series. 



This system is a lenient one, and under its ope- 

 ration very decided improvement has been effected 

 wherever it has been adopted and pursued system- 

 atically, anterior to the use of guano and without 

 its co-operation. Since the introduction of this 

 great fertilizer, a new impetus has been given to 

 agricultural production and improvement, and we 

 may confidently hope for results commensurate 

 with our wants and wishes. 



