THE PULVERIZER.—AGRICULTURE OF NORTH ALABAMA. 
25 
the best-cultivated field in the world'? Must 
not the farmer always use manure, and does 
he not exert himself to make it as powerful as 
possible ? There is no strength in this objection. 
The results of many careful experiments made in 
England on various crops, have been published. 
They are quite decisive in favor of guano, even 
compared with nitrate of soda, and other powerful 
fertilizers. Another manure I read of, as much in 
favor there, is Potter’s artificial guano, composed 
chiefly of the same ingredients as chemical anal¬ 
ysis has shown to be contained in the South Amer¬ 
ican guano. Therefore, should the cheap natural 
source in Peru fail, science has shown how its 
place can be supplied, although I fear at rather a 
more costly rate. 
THE PULVERIZER. 
I have lately seen an implement invented this 
year by Mr. Isaac Clapp of Dorchester, Mass., 
which he calls properly a pulverizer. It is certainly 
an implement of much merit, and has given great 
satisfaction at the meetings where it has been ex¬ 
hibited, as well as to individuals who have seen 
it operate, and in whose judgment I have the high¬ 
est confidence. It is a roller loaded as heavily as 
is judged proper; behind this is a moveable frame 
of a simple construction, managed with the hand, 
by means of two handles. This frame is armed 
below with a number of strong knives, about four 
or five inches long. As the roller passes along, 
the knives are pressed into the soil by the hand, 
the roots and clods are cut to pieces, and the earth 
is as beautifully pulverized as if it had been done 
by spade-husbandry. In case of meeting with 
stones, or other impediments, the frame is lifted 
up and passes over without trouble. 
I do not mention this machine for the purpose 
of puffing it into notice, for it is of so simple a con¬ 
struction, that Mr. Clapp has no idea of reaping 
any benefit from it; but since I began writing this 
address, I have heard of its very satisfactory ac¬ 
tion at a meeting near Worcester, and while 
listening to the account, an idea struck me, 
which, as I have not seen Mr. Clapp, I have not 
communicated to him; it is, that it would be a 
most excellent machine for incorporating into the 
soil guano, lime, nitrate of soda, or any other of 
these manures which are spread broad-cast over 
the surface, and need some implement to put them 
slightly under the soil until wanted by the crop, 
that their virtues may not be wasted in the desert 
air. J. E. Teschemacher. 
AGRICULTURE OF NORTH ALABAMA. 
Description.— The only part of North Alabama 
worth notice, as a planting or farming region, is 
the valley of the Tennessee river. It embraces 
«ix counties, north and south of the river. Lat¬ 
itude 34° 40'—150 miles long, by 40 or 50 broad. 
The face of the country is level, the soil good. 
1 lie forest is composed principally of post-oak, 
i fed-oak, black-jack, and hickory. The surface 
uv.l is a dark vegetable mould, from three to six 
inches deep; the sub-soil is a deep red clay—yet 
productive when exposed to the sun and air. It 
dries quickly, is not very adhesive, and plows 
kindly, in all reasonable weather. About one 
eighth of the soil is sand, which accounts for its 
easy culture. It is as susceptible of fertilization 
as any soil I know, yet no attention is paid to 
manuring. The horse-stables and lots are fre¬ 
quently not cleaned out for five years; and not 
unfrequently large heaps of cotton seed, (the best 
of manures,) accumulate about the gin-house, 
and there remain, without being applied to fertil¬ 
ize the land. 
Size of Farms. —The country is divided into 
farms, from 100 to 3,000 acres, generally squares, 
or paralellograms. The most common size is 800 
to 900 acres. The force engaged varies with the 
farms, from 5 to 100 hands. The most efficient 
force for its size, is 25 to 30 hands. The number 
of souls on a farm is about double the number 
of hands. 
Products. —Cotton is the staple, or article of ex¬ 
port ; corn, wheat, oats, rye, and potatoes, are rais¬ 
ed for consumption, and comprise the entire crop. 
The crop per hand, is 8 acres of cotton, 6 of com, 
and 3 of small grain. The average product per 
acre, is 150 to 200 lbs. bale-cotton, or 600 to 800 lbs. 
seed-cotton; 25 to 30 bushels of corn, or maize; 
and 12 to 15 bushels of wheat, rye, or oats. 
Mode and Time of Planting Crops. —Wheat 
is sown in October, on corn or cotton-stubble, and 
plowed in with single plows. Oats are sown in 
February, and managed in the same way. Cora 
is planted in March, by throwing two furrows to¬ 
gether 5 feet apart, check across, at 3-|- feet, drop 
and cover with a hoe or block. Corn is plowed 
twice each way, four to five furrows at a time, 
and thinned to two plants in a place. Stock-peas 
are planted the third plowing, in the middle of 
the wide rows; the culture of this crop stops in 
June, at which time we harvest wheat and oats. 
Cotton is planted in April, by running off the land 
3| feet, throw two furrows each way with a turn¬ 
ing-plow, which forms a ridge, open this with 
a coulter plow, very shallow, drill in the seed 
at the rate of three to five bushels per acre, and 
cover with a block, or billet of wood two feet 
long, eight inches in diameter, and notched so as 
to fit the ridge. On the after-culture of this crop 
we all differ ; no two work alike. Generally, the 
plants are thinned to one foot in the drill, hoed 
five or six times, plowed as often, but very shal¬ 
low. We lay by this crop 15th July. The re¬ 
mainder of this month is occupied in fixing about 
the farm. August, we strip the blades from the 
corn, and stack it for the team. No attention is 
paid to the grasses, except, in a few small lots, 
occasionally a field of red-clover, which does well. 
September, we commence picking cotton, and con¬ 
tinue, when the weather is favorable, till it is out, 
if it takes till April. 
Stock. —The working-team of a farm is made 
up of mules, horses, and oxen. Mules are prefer¬ 
red. Every farmer attempts to raise his own 
team. Thirty to forty acres are allowed for one 
horse or mule to cultivate; though there are one 
third more animals kept about the farm, than the 
