THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
10 
the other three. It turned out however that the 
acre ^vith 100 bushels was inferior to the ave- 
rage of the cut, while the other two were far su- 
perior. I was deceived l:)y the stalks grown the 
year before. The two fii-st named acres being 
somewhat rolling, and the year a wet one, they 
produced as good cotton as the other two which 
%vere flat. I'he unmarled acre was not much if 
any superior to the one marled with 300 bushels, 
save that tliere was a spot where fodder stacks 
had stof I in 1833-9, which produced nearly dou- 
ble the cotton of any other spot of the same size 
in either acre, and added probably 30 lbs. to the 
amount gathered from that acre. The marl on 
these acres contained, like that on the com cut, 
^ average of 51 per cent, of carbonate of lime. 
This land is of the kind commonly known as 
mulatto soil, and was cleared at least as early as 
the com cut. It was certainly planted by the In- 
dians in 1740. The following was the analysis 
of it before marling, for v.'hich, as well as lor 
the analysis of the com cut, I am indebted to the 
kindness of Prof. Ellet: 
W ater at 300 degrees 3 
Vegetable matter 4.5 
Silica 74 
Alumina 14.5 
Oxide ol iron 4 
This cut was not planted until the 22d April, 
because it could not be marled before. A dry 
spell occurring immediately after, at the end of 
tAvo weeks very little cotton had come up except 
in the marled acre, in Avhich there was about 
half a stand. My oA'crseer becoming alarmed 
in my absence, replanted the whole, and threAV 
out the whole seed Avherever it had not come up. 
This was done on the Gth May, so that the crop 
of this cut dates from that period, which is at 
least a month later than I should haAm preferred. 
For my experience is that early cotton, like ear- 
ly corn, is almost ahvays the best. I consider 
the two Aveeks start Avhich one half the unmarl- 
ed acre obtained in this instance as of consider- 
able consequence to it. These early stalks 
could be distinguished until the bolls began to 
open. The difference between the marled and 
unmarled cotton- was as obvious as it was in the 
com. The leaf too appeared broader and the 
stalk stouter from the first. The folloAving was 
the production of these four acres. I state the 
production of all, though that of the 1 and 200 
bushels acres ought not to be compared with 
that of the other tAvo, on account of the relatiAm 
inferiority of the soil. 
The unmarled acre 1111 lbs. in the seed. 
Marled do. at 100 bush. 846 “ “ 
“ “ 200 “ 1003 “ “ 
u a 300 « 1318 “ “ 
The difference between the unmarled acre and 
that with 300 bu.shels of marl, was 17.7 per cent 
in favor of the latter. It would have been great- 
er perhaps any other year than this, which has 
been almo.st as favorable for cotton as corn. — 
The average production of the whole 75 acres 
was 966 lbs. per acre. I have had this cut in 
cotton ten of the last tAvelve years; in corn one, 
and in oats one, and the following is a statement 
of its production of cotton for six of the ten 
years; that of the other years not having been 
preserved. 
1833 av’ge pr acre in seed 731 lbs manured lightly 
1834 
1835 
1836 
1840 
1841 
1842 
784 
951 “ manured lightly 
451 “ 
497 “ 
500 “ manured. 
966 “ marled. 
The other 50 acre cut of marled land planted 
in cotton on the lOth April. It came up in good 
time and was a fine stand. This is also a light 
gray soil, with less clay than the mulatto land, 
and less sand than the com cut. It is probably 
as old as either, and has been cultivated in much 
the same Avay. Although planted ten days later 
than some other fields, and after all of them ex- 
cept the 75 acre cut, it soon appeared to be the 
oldest cotton, and certainly matured the earliest 
of any. Immediately after the cold weather, 
about the first of August, the rust commenced 
in it, and by the 20th of that month it had the 
appearance of a field after frost. Forms, small 
bolls, and even the lea.ves dropped. Must per- 
sons Avho saAV it thought it had been cut oft’ one 
half. I think myself it sufiered to the extent of 
one-fomth at least. But I have made on this cut 
this year 840 lbs. of .seed cotton, Avhich is irearly 
50 per cent, more than I ermr had made on it be- 
fore. The folloAving is the average of its pro- 
duction for four other years. 
1833 av’ge pr acre in seed 596 tbs manured. 
1834 “ “ “ 435 
1840 “ “ “ 368 “ 
1841 “ “ “ 366 “ manured lightly 
1482 “ “ “ 840 “ marled. 
I think the injury from the rust nearly or quite 
equal to the benefit derived from the farmrable 
season. And th;it the increase from the marl 
was greater on this cut than on any other, be- 
cause the earliest marled and most seasonably 
planted. The rust here Avas more injurious than 
in any other field, and I miglit have attributed it 
to the marl, but that the 75 acre cut, also marled, 
suffered least of all. I am inclined to think that 
the most advanced cotton was most affected, and 
the youngest least, and that marl had no influ- 
ence one way or the other. It is worthy of re- 
mark, that while all my other cotton suffered 
from lice and the worm both, neither made their 
appearance on the marled land. 
I have troubled you with this lengthy detail of 
my operations, because this being the first seri- 
ous experiment Avith marl in South Carolina, 
(that I know of,) it may' be interesting to those 
AA'ho have this earth Avithin their reach, to knoAV 
the particulars. From the.facts I have stated, 
each one can form his opinion on nearly as good 
data as I can my OAvn. I can only add that my 
expectations for the first year have been fully 
ansAvered. I did not calculate on any of those 
magical results AAdiich agricultural experiment- 
ers so often look for, and so seldom realize to the 
full extent. I regard an increase of 20 per cent, 
as a A'ery' handsome return, and if it only'' does as 
AA'ell another year, I sha.ll at all CA^ents Iac repaid 
for my labor, even if the beneficial effect of the 
marl ceases then. But the experience of all Avho 
have used it is, that it continues to improA'e the 
soil eveiy year, until thoroirghly’’ disintegrated 
and combined Avith it; and that Avilh proper cul- 
ture it never declines from its maximum. Un- 
der these circumstances, and Avith these hopes, 
I shall continue my'-.self to prosecute the busi- 
ness Augorously during the summer. I have 
hauled marl over 100 acres, and have uoav at my 
landing enough to coA'er 300 acres more. My 
great regret is that I did not engage in tlie busi- 
ness sooner. I have long knoAvn Shell Blufti 
and for some years had heard of Mr. Ruffin’s 
successful introduction of marl into the culture 
of Virginia. But I had not read his “Essay on 
Calcareous Manures,” nor examined Shell Bluff, 
until the summer of 1841. The idea of obtain- 
ing marl from that spot Avas first suggested to 
me by^ my friend Mr. Dickenson, of Georgia; 
and after a careful perusal of Mr. Ruffin’s Es- 
say, and an analysis of marls there, I delennined 
to try' the experiment. I have, during the course 
of it, received much encouraging and valuable 
practical information from Mr. Ruffin himself, 
to whom, in common with all other beneficiaries 
of this inestimable treasure, I owe a debt of gra- 
titude Avhich cannot be easily cancelled. 
I am, my dear sir, with great regard and es- 
teem, your obedient sei-vant, 
J. H. Hammond. 
Hon. Whitemarsii B. Seabrook, 
President of State Agricultural Societyn 
[Farmers’ Register. 
To Destroy Ants. — Mix an ounce of pow- 
pered arsenic Avith a quart of water, boil it half 
an hour Avith some sugar, and place the syrup in 
small shallow v'essels, oy.ster shells Avill do, in 
places infested by them. The sAveetness attracts 
them, and the consequences are speedily fatal. 
H^Salt is said to be good for hogs. It will 
sometimes restore their appetites when they harm 
refused to eat. A little charcoal is good at times. 
BOMMER’S METHOD OF MAKING MANURE. 
We invite attention to the annexed Report of 
Dr. Beck, on Bommer’s Method of preparing 
Manure. From a careful examination of the 
specifications and directions furnished us by Mr. 
Bommer, as aa'cII as Ifom a personal examina- 
tion of the process, from the fonning of the heap 
to its opening, Ave are conA'inced that the method 
must prove A'aluable, and the manure so prepar- 
ed of the be.st quality'. There are many' farms 
on Avliich immense quantities of coarse grass, 
thistles, sedge, flags and other Aveeds, are annu- 
ally groAA'n, of Avliich no use can be profitably 
made; all these, and Avith them the large piles of 
straAV Avhich are heaped round many bains to 
cause them to decay, may, by this method, be 
expeditiously and cheaply conA'erted into the 
best of manure — the cost of the materials vffich 
tlie farmer will have to purchase being only from 
fifteen to twenty cents per cord, and the labor 
only such as is necessary to form a compo.st heap 
of any' kind. 
Report on Bommer' s Process for Maldng Vegeta- 
hle Manure, by FermentaXion. 
At the request of Mr. Bommer, the undersign- 
ed Avere present on the 14th of September, at the 
preparation of the materials used by' him for 
making the aboA'e manure. As Mr. Bommer’s 
process is patented, it will of course not be ex- 
pected that .the committee can go into details 
larther than Avhat he himself makes public. — 
They' har'e, howcA'er, no he.5itation in stating 
that the materials mentioned in his specification 
Avere all used; that the experiment was in every 
respect fairly made; and that the AA'hole is eA'i- 
dently conducted on the inost approved chemical 
principles. 
Tva'o heaps Avere prepared; the ffrst made of 
dry materials, y^t’hicipally straw of A'arious 
grains, and probably' Aveighing about 1,000 lbs.; 
the second was composed of ligneous vegetables, 
dry and green — such as cornstalks, potato stems, 
thistles and various otlier weeds. This weigh- 
ed probably about 450 lbs. and was propped 
against the fii’st heap. 
The folloAving table was kept at the request of 
the committee. It exliibits the degree of heat 
deA'eloped during the process of fermentation, 
ascertained daily lyv immersing the bulb of a 
themometcr in the centre of each heap. 
first heap DRY STRAW. 
Sept, 
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15, 
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Dgs. 
76 
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87 
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second 
Sept. 16, at 
heap — green 
6 o’clock p. 
STUFF. 
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80 
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