THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
187 
preferred by some, while others preier the Ruf- 
fled. The black and white Tartarian, although 
not yet cultivated among us, are said to be the 
best description for the poorest exhausted soils, 
producing more on those sorts, than any other 
variety. 
Rye has been cultivated perha s as long as 
any ol the varieties of small grain, and its cul- 
tivation is becoming a matter of increased im- 
portance, as it is found particularly adapted for 
grazing, furnishing the best early spring pasture 
we can have recouise to for lambs, 3’oang calves, 
and pigs. Care should be taken not to graze 
horses, cattle, and hogs upon it while young, 
and particularly while the ground is wet. it is 
not so easily pulled up by the roots, and is 
therefore better adapted to grazing hogs, than 
any other variety ot small gram. It the inten- 
tion is to pasture, it should invmriably be put in 
during the month ol September; it will then be 
fit to graze in February, nt which lime it will 
be particularly valuable, especially for ewes, 
with early lambs. 
In our climate a basbel of seed to the acre is 
quite sufficient, this will give a good stand, 
which is of the greatest importance to a crop in- 
tended for pasture. Ftir seed it may be sown 
as late as February, The peculiar aromatic 
substance, which has long rendered this grain 
grateful to the invalid, is found to adhere to the 
brush, and when bolted, it is.found necessary to 
give it flavor to prepare it b}' making up a de- 
coction, prepared from the bran. The same 
preparation is necessary for this crop as is ad- 
vised for the oats. It will grow in dry sandy 
soils and produce a tolerable crop, and upon 
the whole it may be considered as preferring 
sand to clays; it is not so subject tO: freeze out 
as oats. 
A new variety, which is called the Multicole 
Rye, has been mentioned during the past year- in 
the Agricultural journals. It is said to be a na- 
tive of Poland, and that it has been introduced 
into cultivation in Franca, with great success. 
The account given in the London Farmer’s 
Magazine is, that it grows on common soil, 
suited to the old fashioned rye, but its habits are 
totally diflerent. By the reports of above thirty 
Agriculturists, near L’Orient, who have culti- 
vated it during the past two years, it does best 
in that climate, when sown in June. Itsgrowth 
is most rapid; two crops of it are cut for hay 
before July, and by the 15th of August, a grain 
crop is reaped — the straw is from 8 to 10 feet 
high, and the head a foot in length. Should 
this account prove true, it will be of vast im- 
portance to us as a grazing crop, as its rapid 
growth, the length of time necessary to matore 
it, will render it much better than the common 
rye. 
The Hon. H. L. Ellsworth, Commissioner of 
the Patent Office, has sent me a small quantity of 
this seed, which was grown in the District of 
Columbia, from seed imported from France — 
the grain is smaller than the common rye, but 
in his Report it is stated that the grain has im- 
proved in size when cultivated here, and in time 
it may prove valuable to us as a grain crop. 
Mr. Ellsworth deserves the thanks of our Agri- 
culturists, for the zeal which he has manifested, 
in collecting valuable seeds for distribution, 
from all parts of the civilized world. His Re- 
port embodies a large amount of useful agri- 
cultural information, and he is making renewed 
exertions to render hia report for the next year, 
still more valuable. 
Barley has been cultivated from the earliest 
antiquity, and was much in use among the Ro- 
mans, both as food for soldiers and horses. It 
is, upon the whole, one of the most valuable 
and impoitantgrain crops, which we can culti- 
vate. It is almost invariably a certain crop, as 
from its early maturity it makes itself from the 
winter seasons. 
For soiling cattle and horses it is superior to 
any other grain that we can have recourse to. 
When soiling is the principal object, it is ad- 
visable to sow at diflerent times, from the first 
of October until the last of November; thus 
furnishing it in succession from the first ol 
?iiarch until May. When young, it should be 
cut ofl cnrefud-' with a keen grass scythe, and 
raked neat and careful, and if the soil has been 
made rich, a second cutting can be obtained. 
It requires a iich !.<amy soil, and wheie this 
cannot be readily obtained, the ground must be 
made rich by supplying the necessary qu.anfity 
of stable n>anure. Ashes is important to tln.s, 
as it is to every other grain crop. L'rdess the 
ground is macie rich, you can never expect to 
succeed with the crop; and as only a tew acres 
are requirei! lor the purpose ol soiling, even on 
the large>t larm, the ground can readily be ma- 
nured. C(!tton seed applied liberally, is also 
an excellent manure. As soiling is the princi- 
1 object, the spot selected for barleys should 
near, and convenient to the stable and cattle 
ard. Sow from a bushel to a bushel and a 
alfto the acre. The ground should be deeply 
broken un. and the .seed neatly plowed in ; the 
wh 'e sliuuld then be well harrowed, so that the 
ground is thoroughly and fi^nely pulverized. 
Buckwheat . — I regret that I have not been 
able to procure seed to make any experiments 
in its culture. From the growth of this plant, 
its small fibrous roots, and broad leaves, it ne- 
cessarily draws largely from the moisture of 
the atmosphere for its subsistence, and will 
therefore succeed upon the poorest soil, thus af- 
fording an excellent green crop to be plowed in 
for the renovation of old and exhausted soils. 
The rapid growth of this plant, its early ma- 
turity, would give easily two crops in the same 
season ; for this object, the first should be turned 
under, as soon as it would furnish the necessary 
quantity of seed to insure a stand for the second 
crop. In addition to this, it deserves our atten- 
tion as a grain. For the small amount con- 
sumed in making buckwheat cakes, we are al- 
together dependent upon the North for our sup- 
plies; scarce a bushel is raised in the entire 
State. When intended for a grain crop, it 
should be sown broadcast, at the rate of a bu- 
shel to the acre. Sow the last of June, and the 
first of July, and it will be ready to reap in two 
and a half or three months. It requires no 
other culture than to harrow in the seed, and if 
necessary, to pull out the weeds. As the seeds 
do not all ripen together, care must be taken 
when a grain crop is desired, to cut it at such 
time, when the greatest quantity of seed are ma- 
tured. From the succession of blossoms, this 
plant affords a rich repast to bees, and on this 
account is much prized in France and Germa- 
ny. The seed are considered superior food for 
poultry. There can be no doubt but that it will 
succeed admirably iu our soil and climate, and 
I trust the experiment will be tried, both as a 
grain crop, and as a green crop to turn under 
for the improvement of our soil. 
All which is respectfully submitted. 
Wm. Summer, Chairman. 
ON POTATOES, SWEET AND IRISH. 
Your Committee met agreeable to appoint- 
ment, and after conferring together, beg leave 
to report as follows, viz: For sweet potatoes, 
we prefer a light grey or sandy soil;, if it should 
be pretty well spent by cultivation, it would be 
well to cow-pen or manure it broadcast. We 
prefer hills to ridges, and like to plant pretty 
large seed, of which we put but one or two in a 
hill. If the .seed i3.sraa!l, there should be two 
or three put in the hill. When the potatoes are 
well up, the hills should be scraped down care- 
fully with a hoe, and let lie some ten days or 
two weeks, then run two furrows with a plow 
each way across the bottom of the hills, and 
draw up the loose dirt pretty well to the top ot 
the hill, and so lay them by, as nothing more is 
necessary in the way of cultivation, 
P. S. — Plant about lOih April. 
Iri^h Potatoes . — We prefer the same soil as 
above stated. Break it up well before you plant. 
After you have your land well broke up, lay 
off your rows three feet wide, with a good sho- 
vel plow; plant your eyes after having cut your 
potatoes, about eight inches apart, then fill up 
your furrow pretty well with light (or loose) 
stable manure, hog hair, or cotton seed, then 
throw a little mould on the top with a hoe or 
plow, then cover the whole patch over about 18 
inches deep, with wheat st.mw, oak leaves, or 
pine needles, and you have done all that is ne- 
cessary Lo make good potatoes, and plenty ot 
them, it the season suits. 
All ol which is respectfully submitted. 
Matthew Hall. 
James H. Moffett. 
Geo. Brown. 
/ii.T.FN Lester. 
Fiom the (S. C.) 'l eriiperaiice Advocate. 
^■E^VBEEnY AGRICFL'ILEAL fcGClETY. 
REPORT OK TCRNEPS. 
The Chairman of the Committee on Turneps, 
begs leave lo report: That he has conferred 
with the other members of the Committee, and 
all agree with him in the same necessary pre- 
paration, and the great importance of the Tur- 
nep crop. 
The soil Lest adapted to turneps is that of a 
sandy loam. In favorable seasons very good 
c:ops may be raised from any kind of soil ; but 
to insure success sandy land should as a gene- 
ral rule be selected. The ground should be 
made rich, either by applying the necessarv^ 
quantity of manure, with a good portion of 
leached ashes, or by cow-penning. Where this 
is properly attended to, and the stock regularly 
pruned from the time seed is gathered, until 
August, we think it best. The ground should 
be broken up to a good depth every month, from 
the time you commence penning your stock, 
until you are prepared to sow — to get in a good 
tilth. Every alternate plowing should be cros- 
sed, so as efeclually to break up every portion, 
and if rough, a heavy barrow should rapidly pass 
over it — for it is to be remembered, that the per- 
fect preparation of the soil is of ver}' great im- 
portance to the future crop. 
The soil should be mellow, deep and fine, be- 
fore the seed is sown, the roots will grow more 
readily, they will be better prepared to stand the 
drought, and the young plasts will grow oft’ 
rapidly. The ground being in good condition, 
sow broadcast, the necessary quantity ol seed, 
and harrow them in with a light harrow, or 
with a suitable brush. We have tried both and 
can discover little or no difference, with this ex- 
ception, that where the ground is rough, the 
iron-toothed harrow is to be preferred. 
For early use, sow the last of July or first of 
August. The main crop should, however, be 
sown about the middle of August. We have 
observed, when sown earlier than this, and a 
drought succeeded,that they do not grow off weD, 
and the turneps, even if good seasons should 
lollo w, are never of good size and flavor. This 
is avoided bv sowing later, and with proper af- 
ter-culture, you will have almost invariably a 
good crop. If sown broadcast, as soon as the 
plants have leaves an inch broad, hoe and thia 
them, so as to leave the young plants 10 inches 
apart, cutting up all the grass and weeds and 
thinning carefully. 
There are many excellent varieties of tbs 
turnep, in almost every neighborhood, but when 
you have to purchase seed, the Swan’s Egg, 
Dale’s new Hybrid, White Norfolk, and the 
large yellow Globe, ate the best for table use. 
For cflrZy table use, the White Flat Dutch, and 
the Yellow Stone, are to be preferred. 
The Ruta-baga, as a table turnep, is by ma- 
ny prelerred during winter, to any other varie- 
ty. It will continue fit for use more than a 
month later than any other — and in our genial 
climate they can be taken from the ground as 
reqnired for use. 
The soil particularly adapted to them is that 
of a deep sandy loam. The ground should be 
deeply plowed and put in goorl order, as that 
above recommended for common turneps. They 
should be sown the last of July or first of Au- 
gust, in drills from a foot to eighteen inches; 
and, as soon as the plants appear of tolerable 
size, thin them to ten inches in the drill, at the 
same time give them a good working with the 
hoe — a second working should follow in isvo or 
three weeks, which will usually make the crop. 
