THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



311 



mously the clanger from rust — the universal 

 enemy to the wheat. The necessity of early 

 ripening to escape the rust, while prevented 

 from early sowing by the fly, led to the trial 

 of every possible variety of wheat, nor is any 

 one kind even yet decided on as the best. — 

 The Mediterranean has at least the two-fold 

 advantage, that it may be sown ten days earlier, 

 and ripens nearly as much sooner, than the 

 white flint and other standard kinds. Its 

 culture, in spite of many objections, is extend- 

 ing, and of this our crops in this region partly 

 consisted when first attacked by the joint-worm. 

 In the panic occasioned by this dreadful ene- 

 my, which has driven some of our farmers off 

 the field, we could not at first say that it 

 spared any kind. But on closer inspection, 

 the old proverb proved true — " the devil take 

 the hindmost." 



The joint-worm has a certain time to change 

 from its chrysalis state and come forth to 

 work; but if a little before this time the wheat 

 can head, the straw is then too hard for them, 

 and they seek that which is more tender. — 

 Their mode of operation is to pierce the outer 

 covering near the joint, and deposit their eggs, 

 which soon hatch and cut off all nourishment 

 from above that point. Upon these facts we 

 base our practice, which is to sow in good time 

 and with the best preparation the earlier kinds 

 of wheat, and push them in every way to the 

 speediest maturity. We begin by the middle 

 of 'September, or as soon after as we can get 

 ready, and sow for .the first week or ten days 

 of pure Mediterranean, then of one-third 



. early purple straw mixed with it, and finish 

 ^ith the purple straw alone. If any Poland 

 or late wheat at all, it should be sowed early 

 in October on tobacco land, or the most favor- 

 able spots as to fertility and exposure. The 

 white May wheat we are now trying, to see if 

 that will not head the enemy. My neighbor, 

 F. K. Nelson, tried his last crop in three ways, 



*and all turned out well. First, prime clover, 

 fallow, sowed early in Mediterranean; second, 

 well manured land in the same , and third, the 

 corn field in early purple straw, with guano. 

 These three methods seem likely to succeed. 

 I know of no other. Ordinary fallow, or 

 good corn land, may do with one hundred 

 pounds of guano to the acre ; but two hun- 

 dred pounds are necessary if the land be poor. 

 The wheat drill with the guano attachment, 

 will, I hope, do great things for us and the 

 whole country. A single experiment with it in 

 Fauquier is enough, at least, to attract atten- 

 tion. Three strips of land, sowed side by side, 

 the first, without help, brought fifteen bushels 

 to the acre; the second, with two hundred 



pounds of guano broadcast, fifteen; and the 

 third, drilled with fifty pounds of guano, 

 twenty bushels. 



Yours, sincerely, 



Thos. W. Meriwether. 

 Albemarle, February, 1854. 



For tlie Southern Planter. 



In your September No. is a communication 

 signed Yardly Taylor, commenting on Dr. 

 Baldwin's theory of promoting the fertility of 

 soil. The spirit of that piece is in anything but 

 good taste. It is arrogant, and its allusion to 

 Cobbett's maxim is vulgar — but let all that 

 pass. Mr. Taylor says : " What is the differ- 

 ence between woody and vegetable fibre in a 

 state of decay, and wood in a state of putre- 

 faction ?" This is asked in triumph. Pray, 

 Mr. Taylor, do' you not knOw the difference be- 

 tween decomposition and putrefaction ? If 

 you do not, then in your own words you have 

 "exposed your ignorance." The error of Mr. 

 Taylor is that he pins his faith on names ; and 

 names in this age are worth just as much as 

 they will bring. 



Dr. B. offers his second premium of $100 

 for proof that " any substance whatever pos- 

 sesses the fertilizing qualities of manure ex- 

 cept the residue of putrefaction." 



Sulphate of lime, says Mr. Taylor, is not 

 the " residue of putrefaction," and yet he has 

 seen it " increase greatly the crop of wheat 

 and clover." So, too, Mr. Taylor, you have 

 seen a fellow who drinks whiskey freely sVell 

 up and grow as fat as a bear, but did the Whis- 

 key feed or did. it stimulate his appetite ? 



On Dr. Baldwin's third premium', Mr. Tay- 

 lor is somewhat cloudy and confused. He 

 says of " inorganic matters,," " they never un- 

 dergo the putrefactive process." Now if Mr. 

 T. will take a brick and place it in a wet, cool 

 vault or cave, he will find that it will ultimate- 

 ly crumble into humus. This is putrefaction 

 and a fertilizer. If the brick is resolved into 

 its original elements — silex, lime, &c, &c. he 

 will find that neither of these elements sepa- 

 rate or combined in the brick is a fertilizer — 

 this is decomposition. The error of the moon 

 now Mr. Editor, is that great writers — and they 

 seem to be conclusive with Mr. T. — have as- 

 sumed that inorganic matters never undergo 

 the putrefactive process. Who told them this 

 negative proposition ? If it be true, let them 

 attempt to prove a negative. The law re- 

 quires no man to prove a negative simply be- 

 •cause it is impossible, but Mr. T. and other 

 great writers assume most conveniently this 

 negative position, and flare up because they 

 are asked respectfully to prove it, 



