18 THE CULTIVATOR. 
go down the river, for they make the best flour there, and 
as wheat is only worth three shillings a bushel, we can 
afford to eat good flour.” 
The wagon was loaded, and away he went, under the 
full expectation of being again by his own fireside on the 
evening of the next day—the distance being upwards of 
40 miles. 
He was a stout robust man, in the prime of life, inured 
to fatigue, and so fearless of cold, and so deceived by the 
appearance of the weather, that he left home thinly clad, 
and totally unprepared to resist the rigor of the storm 
that came on next day. 
On the next afternoon he started hack with the inten¬ 
tion of driving home that night. Just at sundown, he 
stopped to warm at a house, from which to the next, it 
was 8 or 10 miles across a bleak prairie, without a bush 
to shelter or tree to guide. His course was east. Here 
a most furious southwest snow storm came upon him. 
Who can pictur5 the horroi-s of that night? Little did 
the wife and children of the doomed emigrant think, as' 
they gathered around their warm hearth,what the husband 
and father was then suffering. During all the next day, 
the storm raged with unabated violence. The cold was 
intense, and the snow filled the air so as to veil all ob¬ 
jects in obscurity. 
But they did not look for “ the return from mill” on 
this day, but towards the close of the next, eyes were 
anxiously strained in that direction; yet the night passed, 
and he came not. The next was the sabbath—usu¬ 
ally a day of rest and thanksgiving in that household. 
Doubt not, many an anxious prayer wmnt up for the safe 
return of their best and absent friend. 
Night closed upon saddened hearts, full of fearful fore¬ 
bodings. Can you fancy the horrors that haunted the 
pillow of the good wife all that night. See how she 
starts at every sound. Do jmu remember I told you in 
the article I have before alluded to, how remarkably quick 
my ear had become. Fancy the same of hers. How 
anxiously she listened for the cheering sound of that well 
known voice—^how the childlike inquiry of the early 
morning, grated upon her ear —“ has father come yet— 
why, what has become of him?” 
While a consultation is holding during the day, as to 
“ what shall we do “ hadn’t we better go after father,” 
a noise is heard at the door. «'’Tis he—there’s the 
horses.” No—a stranger enters. He inquires “ is Mr. 
W. at home?” “No.” “Hain’t he been back from 
mill yet?” “ No! and do tell us where did you get his 
horses?” They came up to my house yesterday morn¬ 
ing, with halters and collars on, and I thought they had 
got away from him, and perhaps he had come on home.” 
“ Oh! then he has perished in the storm.” “No, for 
then the horses would still have been attached to the 
wagon.” 
Ah! thou blessed comforter, hope, that never lets the 
heart sink whilst thou in thy faintest form holds forth a 
single ray. There was dread fear, but hope prevailed, 
until a,messenger, with utmost speed, had learned when 
he left the-mill, and traced him up until the spot was 
reached where he was last seen alive. Then hope for¬ 
ever fled. 
On Tuesday, the fifth day after he was lost, a strong 
force of men and boys, dogs and horses, were spread 
over the prairie, searching in every direction, between 
the groves, near the road he should have passed. To¬ 
wards night, some of the foremost of those who had 
spread away to the north some 6 or 8 miles, raise a shout, 
and away they course at top of speed, toward a small 
black speck seen in the snow. ’Tis the 1 st man’s wa¬ 
gon. He had missed his road, and after wandering, no 
one knows where or how, had fallen into another road 
leading to the north, and upwards of 20 miles between 
houses. Here lay bl:j.g Ijarness upon the ground, cut from 
the hbrses. The re^sqpAvhy he had been compelled to 
stop, was plain. The bolt that held the doubletree on the 
wagon, was lost. The bags had been set up in the wa¬ 
gon to break the face of the storm, and a bed made of 
bran, but no one occupied it now. 
Experience and necessity teaches the pioneer of the 
wilderness to discover tracks and “ signs,” where an un¬ 
accustomed eye would fail. ’Twas such an eye that got 
upon the lost man’s trail and followed it near eight miles, 
where he had pitched forward upon his face—the strong 
man struggling with the stronger one of death—can you 
doubt which prevailed? 
Oh how sad, how solemn, how different was this re¬ 
turn, from that one before depicted to you, from “ the first 
trip to mill.” Then, all was joy and gladness in the 
emigrant’s cabin; now, the wail of wo is poured out in 
sorrow over the rigid frozen corse, whose next and only 
ti’ip wil - be to the dark and silent grave. 
Reader! the m,otto of this paper is, “ to improve the 
soil as W’ell the mind!” I have given you a subject to 
improve upon. May you ever be prepared with care and 
prudent foresight, to guard against the storms that are 
likely to beset your path through life; and while you ga¬ 
ther around your winter firesides, musing over this me¬ 
lancholy tale, let your hearts soften towards those who 
are buffeting the adverse and chilling blasts of life, and 
stretch forth the helping hand ere they fall into that cold 
embrace from which no human hand can warm them in¬ 
to life again. 
I hope many of you have not forgotten that old friend 
of yours of the Western Prairies, and who you will recog¬ 
nise, when I tell you that I am still the same 
Solon Robinson. 
Lake C. H. la. Nov. 25, 1842. 
“ Loss of manure, is loss of crops.” 
AGRICULTURE OF VIRGINIA. 
Farming of Mr. William Weaver, of Rockbridge Co. 
Virginia.* 
Mr. William Weaver, of this county, one of the most 
judicious practical farmers I have ever known, has for 
several years past, been cultivating a portion of his ex¬ 
tensive estate, with distinguished success, upon a sys¬ 
tem entirely novel in this section of country—the Val¬ 
ley of Virginia—a brief outline of which may not be 
unacceptable to some of your readers. 
The traveler from Lynchburg to Lexington, up the 
picturesque and romantic valleys of the James and North 
rivers, cannot fail, if he will but lift up his eyes as he 
approaches the mouth of Buffalo, about 9 miles from the 
lattei-place, to observe, at the distance of two or three 
miles up the river, a cluster of precipitous hills—the 
outposts, as it were, of the Blue Ridge—proudly rear¬ 
ing their green and rounded summits above the adja¬ 
cent valleys, and apparently covered to their very tops, 
by the hand of man, with the richest and most luxuri¬ 
ant vegetation. These steep and rough hills, most ap¬ 
propriately designated by Mr. Weaver, as the “ High¬ 
land Farm,” against which the North river dashes its 
foaming torrent, and which slope in every direction 
from their summits to their base, presenting angles of 
from twenty to fifty degrees, constitute the land in ques¬ 
tion. 
About ten or twelve years ago, Mr. Weaver purchas- 
this farm, now embracing upwards of 800 acres, in se¬ 
veral distinct tracts, at an average price of $2 an acre, 
principally for the purpose of procuring the wood,with 
which it was then covered, with the exception of about 
100 acres of cleared and exhausted land, to supply his 
iron establishment with coal. The native growth con¬ 
sisted of oak, hickory and dogwood, with large pines 
interspersed. The soil is a red gravel, strongly dashed 
with slate, reposing on limestone foundation. So un¬ 
promising an appearance did this land present for agri¬ 
cultural purposes, that when Mr. Weaver told his 
neighbors he intended to make a corn farm of these poor 
and steep hills, a laugh of derision was the only en¬ 
couragement he received. 
As the clearing progressed, Mr. Weaver divided the 
cleared land into four fields, one of 100 acres for stand¬ 
ing pasture, and three of about 120 acres each for culti¬ 
vation. The first field of new ground was broken up 
early in the spring, with McCormick plows, drawn by 
two mules each, and cultivated in corn. The crop did 
not exceed an average of fifteen bushels to the acre. 
In the fall, the field was seeded in wheat, upon which, 
late in the winter, the usual quantity of clover seed, and 
half a bushel of plaster, were sown to the acre. After 
the wheat was removed at harvest, the stubble was 
gleaned by the stock of hogs. Very early next spring, 
an additional half bushel of plaster was sown to the acre 
over the whole field. During the spring, summer and 
fall, not a single animal of any kind whatever, was per¬ 
mitted to invade the clover field, nor was any clover 
cut, except a very small quantity on the most luxuriant 
spots, for the use of the mules while at v.'ork on the 
farm. The next winter, however, the stock of hogs 
was kept in the field, which was plowed up early in the 
spring, and again planted in corn. In the fall it was 
seeded with wheat, and in the winter sown with clover 
and plaster. The other fields, as they came successive¬ 
ly into cultivation, were treated precisely in the same 
manner, with the exception of the standing pasture, 
which has never been plowed up since the first course 
of crops, and of the hundred acres of exhausted land, 
above spoken of,which, being too poor to produce corn, 
was sown first with oats, and then with rye, clover and 
plaster, when it took its course in the regular rotation. 
Now mark the result of this system of cultivation. 
The crops of corn on these poor hills, have for several 
years yast, averaged about forty bushels to the acre, 
while this year’s crop, on a field of 130 acres, is pro¬ 
nounced by competent judges, to be the best in the 
county, on either bottom or upland. The entire field, 
it is supposed, will average upwards of 40 bushels to the 
acre, while many contiguous acres can be fmmd which 
will yield at least 60 bushels.f I have heard some of the 
most intelligent neighbors express the opinion, that it 
was the best field of corn they ever saw. The crops of 
wheat succeeding corn, though improving every year 
with the progressive improvement of the land, have ne- 
* This article originally appeared in the Farmers’ Register 
of September last. An amended copy has been sent us, with a 
request that it might “ be published in the Cultivator, to show 
our Yankee friends that there are some good farmers in the 
South,”—a request with which we cheerfully comply. 
t Since the preceding article was written, Mr. Weaver has as¬ 
certained, by actual measurement, the product of three several 
acres, in diflerent parts of the field. 
No. 1, on the south side of the field, adjoining wood land, by 
which the corn was shaded and considerably injured, yielded 
fifty-two bushels and a fraction to the acre. 
No. 2, on the extreme northern side of the field, also oversha¬ 
dowed and injured by timber, yielded sixty-three bushels and a 
fraction to the acre. 
No. 3, on the highest point of the field on a direct line from 
from Nos. 1 and 2, yielded seventy-one bushels and a fraction to 
the acre. When I say ‘ bushels,’ I mean of course, bushels of 
shelled corn, not of ears. The corn, in each lot, weighed oGlbs. 
to the bushel. _ . ^ u 
The acres measured, were not the best in the field, but about 
a fair average, as Mr. Weaver supposes, of 100 acres of the 
corn—the remaining 30 acres being considerably inferior. Mr. 
Weaver is perfectly confident that the entire field of 130 acres 
will average at least fifty bushels to the acre. 
I will only add that the land and corn were both measured 
with all possible accuracy, under Mr. Weaver’s personal su¬ 
perintendence. Why cannot every farmer in Rockbridge, go 
and do likewise? 
ver been heavy. The average may probably be set 
down at from eight to fifteen bushels, the crops having 
been of late years very materially injured by rust. Mr. 
Weaver’s object is corn, of which immense quantities 
are consumed by his iron establishment. Were wheat 
his staple crop, he would sow it upon a clover ley. 
Mr. Weaver informs me that clover did not succeed 
well on his new ground until it had been well cleansed 
by his second course of crops. It is now generally ve¬ 
ry heavy. His fields were at first much infested with 
sorrel, which has at length been almost entirely extir¬ 
pated. Mr. Weaver regards it as all-important to the 
success of his clover, that it should be plastered, at the 
rate of half a bushel to the acre, about the time of sow¬ 
ing the seed. He sometimes even strews plaster on his 
wheat in December or January, previously to sowing 
his clover seed. He attributes the rapid improvement 
of his soil to the shelter afforded to his land by the thick 
growth of standing clover, as well as to the heavy coat 
of vegetable matter which it enables him to plow under. 
If clover is sown for the improvement of the soil, he 
regards it as a great error to graze it at all. He con¬ 
tends that his standing pastures, which in a few years 
are covered with white clover and green sward, yield 
him more and better pasturage for his cattle than his 
clover fields would afford. Consequently, he never 
plows them up. 
No lime has ever been applied to this land, nor any 
manure, except a few loads annually from the mule sta¬ 
ble to the poorest spots. The improvement has been 
effected exclusively by the use of clover and plaster. 
The land, as steep as it is, does not wash; a result which 
Mr. Weaver attributes to his deep plowing, and to the 
large quantity of long vegetable matter the soil con¬ 
tains, which binds it together, and at the same time 
keeps it loose and porous, enabling it to absorb and re¬ 
tain a large quantity of water. 
Mr. Weaver lays great stress on applying plaster to 
his clover fields, either in the winter, or very early in 
the spring, that it may be thoroughly dissolved by the 
early rains. He attributes much of the benefit he has 
derived from the use of plaster to his practice in this re¬ 
spect, in which he says he is sustained by Prof. Liebig. 
Plaster, it is well known, absorbs a large quantity of 
water, and does not operate on gi’owing plants until it 
is dissolved. 
Mr. Weaver’s mode of cultivating com is as follows; 
In the month of December he sows one bushel of plas¬ 
ter per acre upon his clover field designed the next year 
for corn. He prefers this mode to plastering his corn 
in the hill, as more beneficial to the corn and to the land. 
About the 1st of March, and not earlier, for Mr. Wea¬ 
ver prefers spring to winter plowing, (being more re¬ 
cent, it leaves his land looser and in better order for a 
crop,) he commences breaking up his corn ground, as 
deeply as possible, with McCormick plows, drawn by 
two stout and fat mules, running around his hills, so as 
to throw all the furrows down hill. About the 1st of 
April he lays off his ground in rows, in the same direc¬ 
tion, 4J feet apart, and drills his corn very thick, as he 
never replants. His usual allowance is a bushel of seed 
to five acres. With this quantity of seed he has never 
failed, notwithstanding the depredations of the grub 
worm, &c. in obtaining an abundant stand of plants. 
He commences plowing his corn with the ordinary sho¬ 
vel plow, as soon as he has finished planting, by which 
time his first planting is generally well up. He plows 
and hoes twice, thinning at the first hoeing to the dis¬ 
tance of about 2| feet in the row, leaving from two to 
three plants at a station. This is all the work his corn 
ever gets, and he always lays it by before harvest. He 
endeavors to finish working his corn as early as prac¬ 
ticable, in order to injure the roots as little as possible. 
With this cultivation, his corn field, under his system 
of improvement, is kept throughout the season both 
clean and loose—the great points in the management of 
the corn crop. 
This year, Mr. Weaver has 200 acres in corn. He 
commenced plowing the 1st of March, with six McCor¬ 
mick plows, drawn by two stout mules each; and, with 
the assistance of his overseer and six additional hands, 
he finished planting the whole 200 acres by the 7th of 
May, having in the meantime, with the same force, bro- 
up and seeded 90 acres of oats. Since planting, the 
whole 200 acres of corn have been cultivated by twelve 
hands, six plowmen, and six hoe hands, and six mules, 
and was laid by at harvest, about the 1st of July. Se¬ 
venty acres of the corn, on the home farm, were plowed 
and hoed only once, the corn having been previously 
harrowed in the row with heavy two horse harrows. 
This field, which was a clover ley, will probably yield 
about 40 bushels to the acre. Mr. Weaver confidently 
estimates his entire crop of corn this year, at not less 
than eight thousand bushels. His 90 acres of oats were 
supposed to average between 40 and 50 bushels to the 
acre—making, with his corn, an aggregate crop of 
twelve thousand bushels of grain, as the product of the 
labor of thirteen hands, with the above mentioned team, 
for the brief period of four months. This is what I 
■YyQuPI call very energ’etic and successful farming. Is it 
excelled or even equaled, by any other farmer in the 
United States,.under any thing like similar circumstan- 
CSS? 
Mr. Weaver has a field of 40 acres on his home farm, 
which he cultivates for two successive yep-s in whea', 
and two in clover for hay and seed. His first wheat 
crop, on the clover ley, has averaged, by actual mea¬ 
surement, thirty-six bushels to the acre, weighing 60 
lbs. to the bushel. The second crop is never as heavy 
as the first. He has frequently made two hundred bar- 
