THE CULTIVATOR 
195 
milies aware of its excellence, (as well as of my other 
wines,) as a medicine, send from considerable distances 
around, to procure it in case of sickness. A neighbor 
some two month since, was attacked with a complaint 
that usually lasted him for some weeks. I sent him a 
bottle of my oldest and best wine, which he avers cured 
him in a few days. As it is unequivocally the pure juice 
of the grape, churches in this region prefer my wine for 
communion occasions. 
Some of my Scuppernong vines of 10 or 12 years old, 
yielded their half barrel a piece, the vintage just past. 
Yet this is small compared with a vine procured of me 
some 8 years since, and planted in a garden, which yield¬ 
ed a barrel last year, (1 have not heard from it this;) and 
of another on the sea coast of this state, tl.at aione covers 
near a quarter of an acre, and yields five barrels annually, 
besides supplying its owner and neighbors with most de¬ 
licious fruit during a season of near two months. The 
Scuppernong far out goes any sort of grape I have ever 
heard or read of, (except it may be the famous Ham¬ 
burgh of England, at Hampton,) as to yield of single 
vines. But yet my Halifax, and others, fall not far short 
of it as to yield by the acre. I plant all but the Scup¬ 
pernong 10 feet each way; but for that 30 feet each way 
full near. At 40 feet, well managed, they will form a 
canopy over head in 10 or 12 years. Some branches of 
mine at that age, extend 60 feet each way. 
As instances of yield per vine, of other kinds, I name 
that 20 of my Vine Arbor (some of them young and com¬ 
paratively small,) yielded the past vintage near a barrel 
of wine; and about 60 of my Halifax, more than two 
barrels. 
As an instance of the rapid increase of a vineyard in 
the South, when fairly uniier way, I state that }'ear be¬ 
fore last, I made about 8 barrels of wine; last year 12; 
and the past vintage of this season between 20 and 30; 
and next year I calculate on 40 or more. Particularly 
in the Carolinas and Virginia, where cotton is becoming 
no longer a profitable staple, considerable attention is a- 
wakening to the importance of vineyards. Among various 
late applications for rooted vines (I have nearly 2,000,) 
and cuttings, a gentleman in South Carolina applies for 
several hundred rooted Scuppernongs, (this kind does 
not succeed with cuttings, though well with ever so 
small roots,) and asks their price. I named as a medi¬ 
um price, 20 dollars per hundred for largest, or two year 
old, in nursery; 15 for one year old, and 10 for the sea¬ 
son layers or smallest rooted. 
I close this communication, (now longer than intend¬ 
ed,) by an observation on the self-manuring plan, or that 
indicated by nature’s process. Woods (particularly our 
Southern piney old fields,) are renovated by the annua] 
fall of leaves. But apart from art, as well as nature, a 
vineyard could not be self-manured; for the loaves would 
blow away soon after falling. Therefore, I scarify the 
ground on the eve of frosts; and immediately' after the 
falling of the leaves I rim over the ground again with a 
cultivator or han-ow. 'fihis done every fall, there is no 
need of otherwise keeping up the fertility of the soil. 
Another mode I use, is to cover some depths with pine 
leaves or other litter, and every year or so add more; a 
similar moile to that by which I double my crops of 
wheat and other small grain, and at the same time con¬ 
tinually increase the fertility of the soil by securing a 
clover crop and otherwise. 
As to the modes of planting, trimming and sealfolding 
the vines, and various processes of making wine to se¬ 
cure its excellency and safe keeping, or various things 
pertaining to what I have denominated “ The American 
System of Vine Culture,” I may communicate again 
shortly' for your very useful periodical. 
Yours, &c. S. Weller. 
Brinklcyville, Halifax co., N. C., Nov. 14, 1843. 
VIRGINIA LANDS. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker— The attention of the 
public has been fr-equently invited to the advantages 
which a portion of the state of Virginia now ofifers to the 
industrious and enterprising who may be disposed to set¬ 
tle there. Great numbers have availed themselves of 
them, and many are at yn-esent seeking favorable loca¬ 
tions. To such I desire through your valuable paper to 
address myself. 
I am the owner of the estate called Oak Hill, th.e resi¬ 
dence of the late James Monroe, Ex-President of the U. 
States, which lies in Loudon co. near Aldie and Lees¬ 
burg. It consists of upwards of 2000 acres, finely wa¬ 
tered and in every respect capable of high improvement. 
The climate is inviting, and the portion of country of 
which it forms a part, requires nothing but an active, in¬ 
dustrious and commercial population to render it one of 
the most flourishing parts of the U. States. It is distant 
from Washington, Alexandria and Georgetown, about 33 
miles, and in a direct line from the Potomac about 9, and 
from the Chesapeake and Ohio canal say 12. 
With such as may be disposed to unite in the cultiva¬ 
tion and improvement of this property, I will make very 
advantageous terms. I will lay off proper portions, and 
furnish all the necessary stock and farming utensils to 
those who may be disposed to work them on shares. Al¬ 
though I prefer not to sell, I will advance to purchasers 
of small tracts money to stock them, and require nothing 
in cash, postponing payments so as to afford full oppor¬ 
tunity to realize them from the property itself. Any 
other offers tending to the improvement of this estate I 
would be glad to receive, and to which if addressed ’to 
me at the city of Washington, I will give prompt atten- 
•■ion. Yours, Sam’l L. Gouverneur. 
ABORTION—USEFUL SUGGESTIONS—MARLING. 
We give place to the following paper, notwithstand¬ 
ing its length, on account of the valuable facts and sug¬ 
gestions it contains. The mass of excellent papers now 
on hand, however, reminds us that in all eases conden¬ 
sation and conciseness are desirable, as we find even the 
large and close columns of the Cultivator unable to con¬ 
tain all the favois of our increasing list of correspond¬ 
ents. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker—A s much inquiry has 
been made lately with regard to abortion of cows,which 
has been very prevalent this year in many parts of the 
country, and as from a multitude of facts a coincidence 
of circumstances may sometimes be observed, by which 
a general principle or correct theory may be founded, or 
an incorrect one unfounded, by discovering the absence 
of coincidence, I give you for publication, if you think 
it worth a place in your paper, a few instances of abor¬ 
tion which I have noticed; and I mention them in part 
to answer the inquiry (inquiry in form, though a kind of 
challenge in spirit,) of “D.,” in the August no. of the 
Cultivator, viz: whether the disease has been known to 
prevail except where the cows fed upon the luxuriant 
herbage of low, damp, rich pastures. Unless the " er¬ 
got” which he thinks produces the disease, is something 
that pertains to dry food as well as green herbage, or the 
germ of the disease is retained a long time in the ani¬ 
mal, it will appear from what follows that the conditions 
he mentions are not necessary to the production of the 
disease. In December, 1840, I was viewing the im¬ 
proved stock of Mr. R. Sample, on James river, Va., 
and noticed that abortion prevailed among his cows, 
which was deeply regretted by Mr. S., as he had set 
much value on the calves in prospect; but though a very 
observing and careful farmer, he was unable to assign a 
cause for the disease. The cows were then, and had 
been for a considerable time, feeding on wheat chaff. 
It was suggested to him that the chaff might be the cause 
of the cows aborting, but he thought it not probable, 
since it was common for his cattle to feed on chaff at 
that season of the year. Their drink was pure brook 
water. I observed that the disease prevailed on several 
other plantations also, and in every case the cows were 
feeding freely on chaff. This circumstance strongly in¬ 
clined me to the belief that smut or something else not 
common to grain was contained in the chaff and pro¬ 
duced the disease. The latter part of last winter, seve¬ 
ral of the cows of Mr. G. Faile of East Chester, N. Y. 
aboi’ted, though they received every attention that a very 
careful husbandman could bestow. They were warmly 
and drily stabled, regularly fed and watered, and fur¬ 
nished, I believe, with as much salt as they would eat, 
for I think this is Mr. F.’s practice. I am sure he neg¬ 
lects nothing that will contribute to the thrift or com¬ 
fort of any thing in his care. This case at least causes 
a doubt of the efficacy of “ D.’s ” panacea, salt. Some 
of the cows were springing, and the embryo of others 
little more than half grown. When, upon inquiry, I found 
Mr. F. was feeding chaff (o his cows, I was confirmed 
in my belief that something connected with chaff pro¬ 
duced the disease. But since the disease has prevailed 
quite extensively this season among cows on green food 
only, I am inclined to doubt the correctness of the opi¬ 
nion I had formed, unless the ergot is common to both 
grass and grain. Here I observe in myself the same 
fault or weakness lhat I have sometimes observed in 
others, viz: the disposition to form conclusions and es¬ 
tablish opinions, not upon the knowledge of the action 
of some known principle, but upon some single circum¬ 
stance. 
Would it not be well for editors, when opinions of 
doubtful authority are advanced, to accompany the arti¬ 
cle with what cautiousness might suggest, especially if 
the article might lead one, in adopting the opinions con¬ 
tained in it, to incur expense or hazard? These sugges¬ 
tions may seem to be justified by what follows. 
Several persons in Connecticut, having seen it stated 
that fish oil put upon fruit trees would keep off insects, 
applied the oil on plum and peach 'rees, the result of 
which was the trees all died. A farmer in Maryland, 
was informed that to soak seed wheat in slrong brine 
and roll it in lime, would prevent smut; he accord¬ 
ingly soaked all he intended to sow in a strong brine 48 
hours, then dried it by rolling in lime; the consequence 
of which was, none of it gi’ew. Another put his seed 
wheat through the same process, (but it was not so long 
in soak,) and it grew well; and not having enough 
soaked, he finished sowing the field with unprepared 
wheat from the same parcel, and at harvest found the 
brined and limed was free from smut, while the other 
was badly smutted. Why this discrepancy? Did the 
first destroy the vitality of his seed by soaking it too 
long? From the experience of many of the best wheat 
growers, I am satisfied that this preparation of seed is 
advantageous when rightly conducted. Notwithstanding 
you or your correspondents may have many times given 
the proper method of preparing seed, would it not be 
well to repeat it annually, immediately' before sowing 
time? This idea of a thing appearing in its appropriate 
season, brings to mind what a gentleman in Virginia 
told me, namely, that three or four years ago, as he was 
about to begin to ci^t his clover, he was looking over the 
Cultivator, just received, and found an article directing 
how to cure clover hay, which at another season of the 
year he said he might not have noticed particularly, but 
as it came opportunely and seemed reasonable, he adopt¬ 
ed it, and it was worth at least $20 to him that season. 
Might not some of your correspondents be more useful 
by being a little more explicit in their communication.^, 
and what is obscure in any degree, would it not be well 
for you to elucidate? A word or phrase not in common 
use among farmers, whose meaning would be obvious 
to you, might be “ Greek,” that is, unintelligible to 
many of your readers. Hence I suggest that in addition 
to your dictionary of terms, you give the meaning, 
where it occurs, of any word or phrase of doubtful im¬ 
port, especially of scientific terms not commonly under¬ 
stood among farmers. I know that some think that what 
you now devote to definitions might be better filled 
with other matter, but I believe most of your readers 
regard that as a valuable part of your paper. 
In a paper of such extensive usefulness and circulation 
as the Cultivator, it would be impossible to satisfy all. 
While some seek to learn all that is known, and to pro¬ 
mote the discovery of what is unknown, and to make all 
as free and general as the dews of heaven, and rejoice 
when they see any thing which may benefit somebody, 
if not themselve.s, others are satisfied with what little 
knowledge accident has forced upon them, unless it be 
something whose benefit is tangible—in other words, 
that will return to their hands as many cents as it cost, 
wtih large interest, and this they would monopolize. So 
it may he perfectly in character for some to complain 
that they' don’t get the worth of their money—that “ too 
much is published that don’t concern us here:” at the 
same time, if you will question them, you will draw 
from them the acknowledgment that some one article 
has saved them more than the paper cost for the year. 
I have heard men, who take your paper because it is 
profitable, on lighting upon an article, (of acknowledged 
useiulness somewhere,) which was not appropriate to 
their particular business, complain that they did not want 
to pay for a paper devoted to interests not their own. 
Farmers—yes, farmers—liberal and spirited as they are, 
complain that a paper is too much southei-n—too much 
northern—too much eastern—too much western, because 
it contains, it may be, an article upon the culture of cot¬ 
ton and tobacco, or upon wool growing and root culture, 
or upon the use of lime and the refuse of a comb or 
woollen manufactory, or upon the manufacture of lard 
oil, and sugar from cornstalks. Do what you will for 
Haman, he is dissatisfied so long as Mordecai is ft the 
gate. A gentleman in Virginia said, three years ago, 
that he had taken the Cultivator one year, but would 
never take it again. But why this hostility to the Culti¬ 
vator? Is it not the farmer’s friend? Does it not col¬ 
lect the experience and the improvements of the whole 
fraternity of farmers, and thus, by circulating as it does 
through every part of the country, disseminate useful 
knowledge that might otherwise be confined to very 
narrow spaces, and has it not the patronage and con¬ 
fidence of the best farmers of our country? “Yes, it 
had my confidence; it recommended the putting of lime 
on land, and I followed the recommendation, and lost 
$60 by it. I put on 80 bushels to the acre, and it is all 
lost—worse than lost, for it has injured the land.” But 
did the Cultivator direct that you should put lime on all 
land, and did you first ascertain whether your soil needs 
liming, and have you, before condemning it, allowed 
time for the lime to have its proper effect, by being 
thoroughly incorporated with the soil, and if it ul¬ 
timately jirove a failure, would it not be well for 
your experience in the case to be made known through 
an extensively circulated paper like the Cultivator, that 
other farmers may guard against a similar loss? “ Yes, 
every body ought to know it.” This burst of feeling 
came with a tone not so much indicating a wish to ben¬ 
efit others as to avenge a supposed injury'. So you see, 
Messrs. Editors, that you and your correspondents may 
become the subjects of imprecation as well as of prayers. 
But what is the sequel of the case before us? Why, the 
lime, has had time to be well mixed with the soil, has 
proved itself to be equal to all that was claimed for it in 
the once execrable article, and the gentleman now thinks 
he will be not $50 the worse, but $1,000 the better for 
taking the Cultivator. It is needless to tell you he is 
now an advocate for agricultural papers. Does not the 
case naturally suggest the following refleetions? 1st. 
lhat it is important that those who communicate infor¬ 
mation be careful not to assert for facts what is mere 
conjecture, and that facts and experiments be so expli¬ 
citly stated as not to be misunderstood. 2d. That it is 
injudicious to adopt any expensive improvement on a 
large scale without knowing its applicability to the in¬ 
dividual case. 3d. That it is quite unreasonable to ex¬ 
pect a thing to operate in a time and manner contrary to 
its nature. And 4thly. W^hen we conceive ourselves 
injured. It would be advisable to wait for second sober 
thoughts before we break forth in denunciation, lest we 
injure real friends. 
Permit me here to mention another instance of the 
value of calcareous manure. Major A. Stuart, Au¬ 
gusta county', Virginia, four years ago gave a part of a 
field a liberal dressing (the quantity per acre I don’t 
know,) of marl, which is abundant on his farm. The 
first y'car he noticed its effects carefully, hoping to see 
an improvement in the crop, but he was disappointed, 
for the effect he thought was rather injurious; and being 
thus disappointed, he concluded the marl was worthless 
to him, and don’t recollect to have noticed any effect 
from it the second year; but the third year he was call¬ 
ed upon by such visible tokens of improvement in the 
clover crop which was on the field, that he could no 
longer be indifferent about the marl. This year, the 
field being in wheat, he found the improvement still 
greater, the difference being as three to one in favor of 
the marled portion of the field, and this difference being 
