372 
LONG ISLAND FARMING. 
weather; it might therefore be advisable to cover it 
a little more effectually than common manure. In 
Scotland it is the practice to make a compost of 
fish, covering the heap thoroughly with earth. This 
compost is especially adapted to light sandy land, 
because the plant finds its nourishment immedi¬ 
ately, without waiting for decomposition, which de¬ 
composition in such soils is always accompanied 
by a loss in one direction or the other. 
I think that in this climate, where droughts are 
unfrequent, the general tendency of manures is to 
sink rather than rise, on all lands where the outlet 
of water is beneath the surface. 
It is well known, that in many cases the surface- 
soil becomes exhausted, so as to bear very misera¬ 
ble crops, while the subsoil is rich. I have seen 
analyses of a soil and subsoil from a field where 
lime had been heavily applied for many years; the 
subsoil contained the greatest quantity of lime, 
showing indisputably that the lime had sunk. It 
is said that whole districts in Virginia, where the 
surface-soil was long since exhausted by continued 
tobacco-cropping, may be at once renovated by 
deep plowing. If every particle, or if a large por¬ 
tion of the fertilizing ingredients of the soil rose, 
these things could not be. Instances might be mul¬ 
tiplied, but these are probably sufficient. 
I have not the pleasure of a personal acquaint¬ 
ance with either of the gentlemen whose names are 
mentioned in'your report, but trust that these re¬ 
marks on a subject so interesting to the farmer may 
be received as they are meant, for an effort to arrive 
at truth. John P. Norton. 
Analytical Laboratory , Yale College, Oct., 1847. 
LONG ISLAND! 1 ARMING. 
In my last I proposed noticing some other farms 
in this neighborhood. I shall not, however, tax 
your patience and that of your readers very largely 
this time. I intend to notice only the farm of Mr. 
Richard Sammis, on West Neck. Mr. Sammis has 
about 300 acres of land, and annually cultivates 
about 30 acres with corn, the same quantity of wheat 
and oats, the balance being kept in grass. His ro¬ 
tation of crops is the same as that practised on 
Lloyd’s Neck. Mr. Sammis was the first farmer 
in this neighborhood that used lime to any extent. 
He has used it several years, and always with good 
effect, and this in the face of the common belief, that 
it did no good. I will give your readers the benefit 
of Mr. Sammis’ experience in the use of lime. He 
says that he prefers to apply it in the fall, winter, 
or spring, as is most convenient, on land that is to 
be plowed for corn, at the rate of 100 bushels per 
acre. He thinks that it wants vegetable matter to 
act upon, as he tells me that he had a piece of three 
acres in a field from which he had taken off a crop 
of oats, and in which the weeds had grown up thick 
and strong. Previous to plowing the field, he 
spread on 100 bushels of lime per acre and plowed 
it under in the month of August.* In September fol¬ 
lowing, at the time of sowing his wheat, he plowed 
the balance of the field, treated it in every respect 
as he did the three acres adjoining, and at the time 
of harvest, the weedy land was much more abun¬ 
dant in its yield. 
Mr. Sammis thinks that by an application of lime 
at the rate above named, once in four or five years, 
with proper attention to making and preserving ma¬ 
nure, the farmer here could get and keep his land 
in excellent condition for cropping without the 
heavy expense of the New York stable-manure that 
is now incurred, to keep it up. I think his opi¬ 
nion is worthy of consideration, for he is a most suc¬ 
cessful, energetic, and practical farmer. There are 
many other farms on West Neck that are worthy of 
notice, but the system of managing them is the same 
as that of Mr. Sammis, and the Lloyd’s Neck far¬ 
mers described in my former communication. 
West Neck lies between Huntington and Cold 
Spring Harbors, and the soil similar to that of 
Lloyd’s Neck, except that it is more rolling and 
hilly and contains more gravel. The amount of 
grain raised per acre, is bu-t little if any short of that 
of Lloyd’s Neck. 
Our system of raising corn is somewhat different 
from that recommended and practised by the late 
Judge Buel. I like it much the best for our land, 
the difference being mostly in the manner of tilling 
the crop. Judge Buel discarded the plow and used 
the cultivator entirely, on his light land. That 
might answer for him, but we prefer the plow. At 
the first and second working, we commence by 
going twice in a row (our corn is generally planted 
four feet apart each way), turning the furrow from 
the hill, plowing deep enough to break up and tear 
to pieces the sod, and hoeing it without hills. In a 
few days we turn the earth towards the hills, al¬ 
ways plowing both ways through the rows, and con¬ 
tinue to plow as often as we have time. Some use 
the cultivator, the last time, to complete the work of 
pulverizing the sods and to make the land more 
level than the plow leaves it. I suppose the fol¬ 
lowers of Judge Buel will question the propriety of 
this system, and argue that the breaking of the sod 
disturbs the corn-roots ; but that is not so. We 
commence as soon as we can see the corn-rows 
across the field, and by the time that the corn gets 
up enough for the roots to run within the reach of 
the plow we turn the furrow towards the hill. By 
this means, the sod becomes entirely pulverized and 
decomposed, and is ready to impart its full benefit 
to the roots. Hence I contend that where corn is 
planted on a stiff sod, and the soil contains any 
loam, unless the plow is used, no such benefit will 
be derived. I have seen fields that were planted 
with corn the year previous and the sod not dis¬ 
turbed. In the spring following, in plowing across 
the old furrows, they were so little decomposed that 
they retained their form almost entire, except the 
transverse cutting they received by the operation of 
plowing between the corn. I have also seen stiff 
sod plowed in April, that received one or two sub¬ 
sequent plowings for potatoes, and at the time of 
planting, in June, where scarcely a trace of the sod 
was left. These facts, with others that have come 
under my observation, convince me that where corn 
is planted on sod, and it is desired to give it the full 
benefit of that sod, it should have deep and repeated 
plowings; and if by the time that the corn-roots ex¬ 
tend beyond the hills the sod will be sufficiently de¬ 
composed. G. P. Lewis. 
Huntington, Sept. 1 5th, 1847. 
-—♦- 
He that will thrive must rise at five ; 
He that has thriven may sleep till seven. 
Old Saying . 
