THE SOUTHERN" CULTIVATOR. 
growth, but as a coiuplete substitute' for ma- 
nuring; inas uuch as he considered earth itself 
as apabuinm or lood of plants; wherein he was 
undoubtedly in error: — ■2dly, ot the Drill Hus- 
bai.drv: — 3dlv, of the Horse-Hoeing Husband- 
ry: — 4thlv, of the abolition of Fallows: — and 
SVhh , as'the obvious result of his principles. 
Deep Plowing. 
“It is long before the precepts of good sense 
and sound philosophy are bro^ight into common 
practice. We thinli it may be said, that accurate 
pulverization and deep plowing, are; as yet, verv 
uncommon in our Southern States generally, 
and in South Carolina in particular; although 
the hot and dry summers of a southern climate 
seem pecaliaily and loudly to call for this prac- 
tice. Suppose a field plowed 4, 8 and 12 inches 
deep, 
4 A 
S B 
12 C 
when rains come, on whose moisture the -plants 
will have to subsist during, perhaps, a two- 
months’ drought, the four inch plowing will be 
thoroughlv soaked with moisture for four inches 
down to A ; and the water will percolate with 
difficulty through the unstirred ground from A 
to B. biJt will run off in great part, to supply 
springs and hollows at a lower leve;, and be lost 
to the field. But if the ground be plowed eight 
inches from the surface down to B, there will be 
a body of moist earth for the gradual supply of 
the roots, eight inches deep instead of four, and 
will, therefore, las . twice asl-mg as the moisture 
contained between the surface and A. So, if 
the ground be well plowed and stirred as low as 
C, the supply of moist earth wdli take a long pe- 
riod of evaporation from below, bef-are it be-ex- 
hau'=:ed. The absolute quantity of moisture re- 
tained, will of cou' se d'‘P''nd on the capacity of 
•the soil for retaining moisture ; but be this more 
or less, the above reasoning vvdil hold good : the 
ground will be thoroughly socked, so far an ' no 
farther than it can psrnut the water to percolate; 
when the under soil is so hard as to present an 
obstacle to its passage, it will run off to some 
lower h vel, or be Cjnverted into a reservoir of 
water, which th . heat of the earth will gradually 
evaporate among the roots of the plants. To 
make a san.iv soil more retentive of moisture, 
Gen. Beatson’s plan of manuring with half burnt 
clav, pulverized, to the amoant of f:om 30 to 
BO loads per acre, would, undoubtedly.be attend 
«d with the hammiest effects; and we are fully 
inclined to believe this would be an adduion, as 
waruable, at least, a's the same quanti y ot stable 
manure; for it would be more perrnanent. Deep 
plowing, therefore, furnishes a reservoir of mois- 
ture for the roots to feed upon, when the sur- 
face earth is parched by long continued heat. 
All this is familiar to every gardener, and we be- 
lieve this mode of explaining one of the good ef- 
fects of deep plowing in our climate wifi be intel- 
ligble and perhaps convincing; but it will take 
along time t j persuade a planter or farmer that 
the practice of a gardener will repay the cost. 
“ Another advantage of deen plowing and pul- 
verization is, the facility it affords to the tap re -ts 
and side shoots that branch off from the main 
root, to extend themselves to find nourislimcnt, 
and to contribute to the growth of the plant. 
About the middle of October, we went into a 
cotton field of poor and sandy soil, and plucked 
up t VO plants by the root ; digging down (not a 
diiflcu't operation) to the bottom of the main 
taproot. One of them was from a part of the 
field where the soil was loose and well pulveri- 
sed for about four inches deep ;, the otherplant | 
was taken from a part of thg field where the i 
earth appeared to be more baked and bard ; t e | 
larger root (the first mentioned) was seven inch- ■ 
es longfroin the surface of the ground ; the other j 
was si.x inches long. The root from the part 
of the field most loose and pulverized was about 
double the. size of the other, and its side shoots 
about six limes the thiekness of the other ; it 
weighed also about three times as much. The 
whole field had not (from appearances) been stir- 
red by the plow more than about four or five 
inches deep ; but the superior size of the larger 
root was manifestly o%ving to the facility afford- 
ed to the side shoots in their search for food. 
We think it not too much to say, that had the 
whole fie’d been plowed twelve inches deep, the 
crop on the same space of ground would proba- 
bly have been doubled. Ail that we have read, 
and all that we hare seen, co.nvinces us, that the 
nearer agriculture approaches to Horticulture, 
the more perfect will it be, and the better will it 
remunerate the labor expended. 
“Gen. Beatson, from examining the East Indian 
and Chinese plows, so light and simple in their 
structure, and the effect produced by them, ar- 
rived at the opinion, that deep plowing could be 
effected more easily, more cheaply, and as per- 
fectly, by meat s of light plows or scarificators 
drawn by one horse, and repeatedlv working in 
the same furrovv lill the requir-d depth was ob- 
tained, than by heavy plows drawn by four oxen 
■ or horses ; and that the required pulverization of 
i the ;; . il would be more easily and effectually pro- 
I diicedby this repetition, than by one deep plow- 
■ ing in the cornm n way. Hence, he runs a 
light plow ora scarificator six or ti: hr times 
along the same furrow. If the facts detailed in 
his book are fairly related, of which we see no 
reason to doubt, the practice recommended by 
him, is attended with the desired success, and a 
great improvf ment on small farms it wi:l assur- 
edly prove. Heavy plows and a numerous team 
cannot be prudently purchased or easily main- 
tained but by farmers on an extensive scale, who 
can supply constant work to this expensive 
team; and, theref ue, deep and effectual plow- 
ing cannot lake place where farming is carried 
on on 9. small scale, or where the tenant or occu- 
pier is sira tened for capital. The practice of 
gardeners in respect erf deep stirring the earth 
and effectually loosening the subsoil, appears to 
be the greatest practical improvement that could 
be introduced into agriculture Every modern 
garden, commenced upon apj.roved principles is 
dug ad over at first, full two spits deep.” 
©riginal Cominnuirations. 
Plantation Slauagement. 
Me. Camak : — Having taken hold of the han- 
dles of the plow. I dare not look back. I have 
endeavored, from the commencement of the 
SouTHERir Cultivator, to encourage that ex- 
I celient work, not only by procuring subscribers, 
I but, in my teeble way, to give my brother farm- 
I ers, from time to time, the plan we do things on 
i down here South. Well, we have entered upon 
I the responsibilities of another year, and have al- 
I ready put oonsiderable seed in the ground. But, 
! as year after year passes by, I find much to learn 
I in nry efforts to carry on my small farm. Fiiid- 
I ing [ had to abandon mj' farm or commence en- 
I riching it, I determined on the latter course — as 
: pulling up stakes and nroving from one section 
j of country to another is, I think, one of the 
worst kinds of employments that a fanner can 
possibly engage in. 
In an effort to enrich my farm',^ had to pursue 
the course that every farmer must, who makes 
the trial depend on the materials within his 
reach. I therefore commenced digging tlie blue 
marl, and set to hauling it into my lot, nnd at 
the same time, commenced hauling in the pine 
straw. Biit'here, Mr. Editor, I was at once at a 
loss as to the best plan to pursue, having but lit- 
tle knowledge of Chemistry; — not knowing, in- 
deed, whether the marl would not answer as well 
spread over the land at once, instead of the laborof 
hauling it in a lot, and letting it remain some four 
or five months, and then hauling it out. I knew 
but little of the pioperiies of the pine straw. My 
impre5si''n'3 were rather against the pine strawL 
•Still, I thought, by mixing the marl and straw 
together, a compost might be made with the 
treading ot cattle, that might prove valuable. So 
to work I went. I havejbund it quite a task to 
haul it into the field. Here, again; I was at a 
loss how to manage : whether to manure in . the 
hill, or to spread broad-cast, or both, was the dif- 
ficulty. I finally determined on Dr. Cloud’s 
plan, with the excejiti n I was afraid to risk the 
hill systenr of planting. Cotton, for fear of a stand. 
I therefore first spread my manure broad, erst, and 
, then turned it under with tlie turning plow. I 
I then operied a large shovel furrow, and filied that 
I with the manure. 
Time will determine our success or failure ; 
and in either case, should I be spared, you shall 
h; ar from us. You know 3Iaclix's advidfe to Ins 
Son was, -to write perseverance on his heart. If 
we fail, we must but change our .system. But 
the .fiirm has to be manured, and we have to find 
out the b;st System by Experiment. 
I said we had much to learq. I have been 
ploxving ever since I was able to handle a 
plow, say forty years. I am fo: the first time, 
using the Sub-soil Plow and the Cultivator. — 
The self-sharpening Plow that I have, is rath- 
er on The plan of the old bar-shear, with a coul- 
ter in front, only that the mould-board is iron, in- 
stead of wood ; and the coulter of the self-shar- 
per, ing Plow is so constructed, that the. point 
of the plow runs into the coulter — the coulter 
being confined by a wedge. 
Will you be so good, iVIr. Editor, as toinform us 
ih’ ough the Cultivator, how you have succeeded 
with the grape, and your opinion of the best va- 
riety for the South 2 V.'ith us, the culture orf the 
grape has proved a failure. The roots rot la the 
ground jrfter a few years. This, I presu'ne, is 
o\i ing to a want of proper knowledge of their 
culture. While'visiting the garden of M r. Bar- 
son’s of Long Island, I found him bury ing the 
roots of the grape very deep. He shov.-ed"me a 
bank in which, he Inform.ed me, he ffad buried 
some five or six dead horses, for the rr ,ots of the 
grape to penet’-ate. 
Although I found the finest graphs i n the North, 
1 ti'.ink our Southern clim.aie muchb etter adapted 
to the raising that delicious fruit, rhan a mere 
Northern latitude. Air. Ellswon’n informs us,, 
that North Carolina raises double, the quantity of 
grapes of any Stale, at least, m.akes double 'the 
quantity of wine 
Knowing you to be a proctir^al man, ?n r. Edi- 
tor, give us through your colvirons the best plan 
for a manure heap. A stro'ng box to hold the 
Parmer’s money, is not mo.reln portQut than a 
well managed manure hea.p. Alanuis is only a 
dirty kind of iiionev. 
Hoping your efforts to do good, and improve 
the Farming interests of the country wiU prove 
successful, I am your F'riend, 
A lexander McDonald. 
Eufaula, Afo., \2th, March, lS4ff, 
The Fiight Spirit* 
Camak : — I see an announcement by the 
Publishers, in thf; Cultivator for this month, 
which betokens a, bad state of affairs. I allude to 
the fact, that, “ '^(hus far, the patronage ex tended to 
it (the paper.) is entiiely inadequate to its sup- 
port-— not sufficient to pay the actual expenses o. 
publication.” This must be mortifyirg to every 
rnan whodefjires to see an improved mode of Ag- 
riculture. Can ’t be possible thar the people of 
Georgia, will suffer the piper to dv.indie, after it 
has battleci so nobl 5 ’ to promote their interest 1 I 
think no t. I cannot, nor will not believe, that 
they will prove so recreant to thdr own interest. 
Are there not among its friends in almost every 
County in the State, those who will exert tkem- 
sel-ves to extend its eireulafion, until it shall bs 
justN entitled to a place beside the best work in 
ths Lnion, of the same character 2 There are 
miany of your Eubscribers, who do not believe In, 
r*or wi’l not tolerate a retrogade movement of 
*chis sort, now that they are apprised of the fact. 
Tell them how many su'-scribers you have — how 
many you ivant — how many it -wi;! take to make 
your paner as good as the b-_ st in the land — plates 
and all; and then see if they' don’t send you 
“ new subscribers ” by “ scores and hundreds.” 
I believe that in advancing the interest of tlv 
Southern CuLTiVA.T0R, I am indirectly advanc- 
ing my own, and ta shotv that I “practice what 1 
!)reach,” you have my permission to place my 
name on your list of gratuitous agents. 
To support liberally our .Agricultural papers, is 
the first step to improvement in our art : for un- 
less men are previously prepared for it, by a pro- 
per course of reading, you cannot get them to 
unite in forming Associations for their mutual 
benefit. They do not see any' advantage to be 
gained from Associations, because they are un- 
acquainted with their practical tendency', not 
having read or even heard of the great benefits 
that other sections of the country have derived 
from them. Good papers are all important to the 
Agricultural communl’y, (all who read them 
think so,) i .^ inifrovementhe their object, and yet. 
if we were to judgqx-f their value by the numbci 
of farmers who read them, we should be com 
pelled to set them down as almost valueless. It 
surely would not be thus, if our people refiected 
upon the subjecPproperly. 
I have pursued this subject far enough, and 
will drop it, hoping that some one of more abil- 
ity, will take it up, and while it may rest, let u.s 
all do what we caii to increase the ci culation 
t’.ie SouT.‘'EaN. Cultivator. I have seen ail the 
