66 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
ving for the attainment of the same end, divest- 
ed ot sectional jealousies and political animos- 
ities, we convene at stated periods for the pur- 
pose of exchanging views in relation to the best 
means ot advancing the interests of the plant- 
er, But how exceedingly small is the number 
of names enrolled upon our catalogue in com- 
parison with the population of our almost ex- 
clusively agricultural community. Can this 
be ascribed to a want of intelligence, and a due 
appreciation of the advantages which are des- 
tined to result from our Association 7 Most cer- 
tainly not. Is it a consciousness of incapacity 
to contribute to the literature ol the Society 7 
This idea, though exceedingly prevalent, is none 
the less erroneous. Wedeal in facts, we search 
after facts, we wish the results of observation 
and experience, and certainly these can becom- 
municated orally, or in a colloquial style. 
The simple truth that our ideas are clothed in 
language tinselled with classical purity and lo- 
gical accuracy, invests them with actual im- 
portance only so far as they originate ov substan- 
tiate facts. There are none then who do not 
possess the ability to add to the importance of 
correct principles. Some declare that they 
will not connect themselves and participate, 
but will wait and see what good emanates from 
our deliberations, and then they will reap the 
benefits resulting therefrom. Such a declara- 
tion as this needs no commentary. It speaks 
for itself. Others urge in vindication of their 
apathy, that they are doing well enough, and 
care not for information. They, indeed, may 
congratulate themse'ves upon their good for- 
tune. But it is conceded by all that there are 
certain duties which we owe to society, and as 
social beings we are bound to discharge them . 
There are many who will contribute to the 
preparation of a convivial banquet with a view 
to advance the interests ot political demagogues, 
inflaming the passions of men, thrusting fire- 
brands in a community, yet when the special 
object of an Associatien is to conciliate good 
feeling and tranquilize the popular tumult, they 
are stricken w ith paralysis. But, gentlemen of 
the Society, can it be expected that the attention 
ot others will be arrested when we are so le- 
thargic and desponding 7 Is it not a notorious 
and lamentable fact (hat the mere shadow of an 
apology is eagerly sought after by man}" as a 
plea for neglecting to attend the regular meet- 
ings of the Association. The paucity of our 
numbers urges the strongest inducement for 
punctuality and alacrity in the performance of 
the duties which are assigned us. Was there 
ever an Association worthy of attention which, 
in its infancy, did not meet with discouraging 
embarrassments 7 It seems to be a governing 
principle with the human mind, to oppose inno- 
vations, Among our countrymen of the North 
we see that the public mind has been alive to 
the importance of this subject. Individual and 
State Associations render reciprocal aid in en- 
forcing upon popular attention the necessity lor 
general action. The consequence is, that the 
reeky plains cuf the Atlantic coast are seen teem- 
ing with the foliage, and ultimately the fruits, of 
the Western prairie. Persevering, indefatiga- 
ble industry and unwavering zeal characterize 
their efforts. And it is only needful to refer to 
a lew statistics to exhibit more forcibly the re- 
wards which follow such determination.* It 
has been computed that the average value of 
exports from this to European countries, during 
a decennial period included between the years 
1821 and 1831, may be estimated at $53,000,000. 
From this aggregate we may assign the relative 
value of articles exclusively of Southern pro- 
ductions, viz : cotton, rice and tobacco, to be 
S33,000,000 in round numbers, this will leave 
lor the North a remainder of only $20,000,000, 
with nearly double the amount of population. 
With regard to the import trade we will merely 
present a contrast between the then rival States. 
In 1821 the value of the import trade of New 
York was $23,000,000; in 1829, $43,000,000; 
in 1821 that ot Virginia amounted to Si, 078,- 
000 ; in 1829, S375,000. Thus we see that the 
* Southern Agticulturist, Vol. II, April No , 1838. 
value of imports at the South in comparison 
with the exports is exceedingly small. It will 
be recollected that in the year 1769, anterior to 
the Revolution, the import trade of Virginia 
exceeded that of New York by nearly eight 
times, while in 1829 the imports of the latter 
exceeded that of the former by upwards ol one 
hundred times ! Here then we have a vivid 
and forcible illustration upon an extended scale, 
of the necessity for vigorous and untiring as- 
siduity in the promotion of individual as well 
as national prosperity and importance. Let us 
then move forward and extend a cordial wel- 
come to all who will unite with us in main- 
taining an Association, the direct object of 
which is, the promotion of the comfort and hap- 
piness of all classes of community. 
FARM MAINAGE MENT; 
OR PRACTICAL HINTS TO A Y0CNG BEGINNER. 
From the South Carolinian. 
I take advantage of a rainy day, to fulfil my 
promise to answer your queries about the con- 
duct of your farm. If you will permit me, I will 
give you a general and detailed view also of the 
manner in w'hich I would manage your place, 
and en passant, shall probably answer all your 
inquiries. You have 80acresof woodland, and 
60 acres cleared, besides your garden, orchard, 
and vineyard, and four hands to work — two of 
them being women. In clearing, ditching, rail- 
splitting, lifting, &c., you will find women of 
little use. In all other farming operations they 
are equal to men, and in some of them superior. 
As to working out doors, most of them prefer it, 
and are healthier than house servants. No ne- 
groes, however, should work out in bad weath- 
er, or at night. Humanity dictates this, but 
sound economy demands it. You should add to 
this force a smart boy of 14 years old; or per- 
haps and elderly man, say 45 to 50, would be 
better. He should have a good mule and cart; 
his employment all the time to collect materials 
for manure, feed your stock, go to town, &c., 
&c. You w'ill perhaps find it requisite in time 
to have tw"o hands of this kind. 
As wood is valuable, and becoming more so, 
1 would not just now clear any land, or be in too 
great a huiry to cut down any wood. You will 
find dead M'ood enough to answer all your do- 
mestic purposes, accruing annually on 90 
acres. 
As you are convenient to a town, the market 
ot which is miserably supplied with provisions, 
I would make the farm what may be called a 
market farm, and raise nothing but what is de- 
manded for town consumption. Time and ex- 
perience must suggest the most profitable crops 
to you. In the mean time, however, I recom- 
mend the following : 
Divide your 60 acres into two lots— one of50, 
the other of 10 acres. Plant your 50 acres in 
corn, early in March, as soon as the equinox 
has exhausted itself, which it usually does by 
or before the 15th. Corn is the king of vegeta- 
bles, and worth all others put together. Our 
farming operations have long been impeded by 
running after grasses, grains, &c., — none of 
which do well below our upper cotton districts 
— while we have neglected corn, which may be 
cultivated and used in a great many ways, and 
as a substitute for every thing else, that potatoes 
will not supersede. This 50 acres of corn land 
I would manure every year with not less than 
100 bushels of manure per acre, and 500 if pos- 
sible. I would certainly make the greatest ef- 
forts to get Oil it 300 bushels as soon as possi- 
ble. Thus manured, by the second crop, it will 
make you 40 bushels per acre— certainly by the 
3rd. Plant it 5 by 3 feet, reducing to 4 by 3, and 
ultimately 4 by 1 as it grows richer — always put- 
ting in peas the wide way, between the 20ih 
May and the 20th J une — the 1st June best time. 
If you will thus manure it, you will need no ro- 
tation. In fact, I don’t believe in rotation. All 
plants, with the exception of aquatic ones, use 
pretty much the same food. The texture of the 
soil and the climate, both may have specific ef- 
fects, and difierence ofculture may have a slight 
influence also. But my only rotation is rest ; 
and if you will constantly supply additional food 
lor your crop, the very same kind will grow and 
flourish on the .same spot to the end of time. If 
you will add 100 bushels manure per annum, 
you may plant corn on your 50 acres for life, 
and if yon add 300 to 500, it will soon double 
and quadruple the product. Two plows and 
two hoes will tend your 50 acres like a garden. 
Two acres per day may be plowed by each 
hot se, and as many hoed by each hand. Allow'- 
ing for contingencies, it will be plowed and 
hoed every fifteen days, from 1st April to 1st 
June, when it should be plowed no more, but 
thoroughly hoed for the last time. If the season 
has been dry and backward, so that your corn 
is small, and the main grass crop has not been 
killed, you must w'ork it longer: but then some 
ofthe previous workings will for the same rea- 
son have been omitted. Four plowings and 
four hoeings are as many as will do corn good, 
and your evidence of judgment will be in giv- 
ing them at the proper time, according to the 
seasons, never working when very wet or very 
dry. Prepare your land by spreading your ma- 
nure on it early in January, and then break it 
up thoroughly and deep— 6 inches at least. 
There i.s an endless variety of plow's. I do 
not believe there is any better one lor breaking 
up (w'hich is also the cheapest and simplest,) 
than the Boatw'right plow, invented by your 
townsman. I tried it many years ago, gave it 
up to go the rounds ol Yankee inventions, and 
because it went rather deep I have now' come 
back to it again. 
Your land can be broken up by two plows in 
25 days, say by 20th February. Then lay it 
off flat, or with the smallest possible bed, made 
by three furrow's ot bull-tongues the wide way. 
Flat culture, however, is the best lor corn. 
Plant it flat, and w'ork it flat. Never soak your 
seed. Plant only the butt end half of your best 
ears, and only one grain in a hill. You save 
corn and thinning by this. You cannot save 
re-planting, do as you will, and this should be 
attended to as early as possible, wiihout wait- 
ing too long for it to come up. Late corn is 
seldom worth anything, and replants after 10th 
April are ot little account. As soon as your 
corn is well out of the ground, run a sweep on 
each side of it, as near it as you can. This is 
commonly done by bull-tongues, and if your 
land has not been thoroughly and deeply bro- 
ken up, they are best. But it should be so bro- 
ken, and then I would afterw'ards use no- 
thing but asw'eep; and, contrary to the com- 
mon practice, I never w'ould put any more dirt 
to it than they throw. The dirt injures mate- 
rially for a time, but it kills grass and saves 
hoeing — but you will be strong in hoes. You 
can run round 7 acres a day, or eight with two 
plow’s. This finished, turn them, and run one 
furrow in the centre, the narrow way. After 
this, you can spare your plows a few days from 
the corn, and put the hands at hoeing, if behind 
in that line, or to making manure. As soon as 
the young grass springs’, or in eight or ten days 
any how, run three to four furrows the wide 
wayandsweep it out completely, and then hoe 
it thoroughly. This is the second and most 
important working. You have one or two moie 
to give, according to circumstances. Plant 
peas before the last working, so that they may 
have the advantage of it. Nothing but a hoe 
should go into corn after it begins to tassel. 
Your 50 acres, thus manured, and thus worked, 
will soon give you a crop of 2,000 bushels of 
corn , and 2 to 300 of peas. 
Your ten acres I would thus divide ; two acres 
in turneps, two in sweet potatoes, one in ground 
nuts, one in Jerusalem Artichokes, and the ether 
four in rye, and, if you like, wheat. The first 
six, and that in wheat, should have at least 500 
bushels of manure. If you can lime, or marl 
and plaster them, so much the better. One in- 
valuable manure you can readily command — 
bones. Have two large wooden mortars dug 
out, with an iron plate 6 by 6 inches fa.stened in 
the bottom. Use a crow bar for a pestle, and 
beat up all the bones you can collect to th'" 
