136 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
5. “ On what soils is the practice of fallows most beneficial?” Wheat 
soils, or those having a considerable proportion of clay in them. This be¬ 
ing thesoil, only upon which clover can be profitably and extensively cul¬ 
tivated, I would recommend summer fallows only, where this description 
of soil was found, and the clover husbandry practised. Upon this kind of 
land, without clover, I should not hesitate to adopt winter fallows; in 
other words, the English naked fallows, stirring them with single ploughs 
through the summer, in preference to depending on a late summer fallow. 
The influence of the sun on this description of soil, recently exposed, is 
not as injurious as on sandy soils, and by no means equal to the evils aris¬ 
ing from the hard and untillable state into which our summer sun bakes it. 
The remarks on this head sufficiently express my opinion, as to “ the 
profitable introduction of fallows where a reduced sandy soil and hot sun 
preclude clover.” 
6. “What is the difference of product between wheat after one plough¬ 
ing on grazed land and that not grazed, or is either practised?” Both are 
practised, and when the vegetable matter is turned into the earth, in a fa¬ 
vorable state for rotting, that is, with some remaining succulence, and 
succeeded by a suitable season to promote putrefaction, the great agents 
of which are moisture and heat, the more that has been turned in, the bet¬ 
ter the succeeding crop, and the less the injury sustained from its matura¬ 
tion. But in the two last dry summers, I have known some fields of fal¬ 
lowed wheat almost destroyed by the dry vegetable matter remaining 
undecomposed in the soil. It seems therefore, to follow, that the less 
vegetable matter turned into the soil, the better for the immediate crop, 
unless it is prepared by decomposition into the food of vegetable life. 
7. As to “ the period that land may remain under grass, for improve¬ 
ment, fallowing without causing the crop to be foul”—there is a differ¬ 
ence of opinion among the farmers of this quarter, but I think there is a 
preponderence in favor of the opinion, that clover, (we cultivate no other 
grass,) ought to be ploughed the summer twelve months after sowing it, 
and of course where it is cut at all, the same year of taking off the crop. 
My own practice has been to plough in clover the summer two years 
after sowing it, thinking it reasonable that the land would be more improv¬ 
ed by its longer rest, and giving the whole growth of the year it is plough¬ 
ed to thesoil; but the result, especially for the two last years, has disap¬ 
pointed me. It may be objected to my practice generally, too, that the 
earth becomes much more firmly settled, and is brought into tilth with 
greater difficulty. On the other hand, it may be said, there can be but 
little more than the mere roots counted upon for the improvement of the 
soil, where the first crop is taken for hay, and the second for seed; and 
this, too necessarily limits you to the latest period for the performance of 
your ploughing for the fallow crop, thereby diminishing the chance for a 
timely preparation. Where clover is sown merely for the improvement of the 
land, and not intended to be cut at all, there is little doubt that the best 
time for ploughing it in, would be the summer twelve months after sow¬ 
ing it; but that seems to be an obj ectionable clover system, on more accounts 
than one, which affords neither hay or seed. The other practice, of cut¬ 
ting hay and ploughing the same year, has been practised by the best far¬ 
mers on this river, and as they are more experienced, and have been more 
successful than myself, I cannot in justice but recommend their practice, 
in preference to my theory. 
8. “ What depth of ploughing is necessary where the soil does not ex¬ 
ceed three or four inches?” As far as my experience has gone, the depth 
of ploughing should in all cases depend upon ihe character of the subsoil. 
Light soils, based on sterile sand, I would plough no deeper than the ve¬ 
getable mould; but where clay is the foundation, and especially of that 
description which is fertilized by exposure to the atmosphere, I would 
bring up the largest possible proportion of it, that would leave the soil in 
undiminished productiveness by the mixture; nay, I should be inclined to 
increase the proportion to a small diminution of its immediate productive¬ 
ness, for the sake of the great future amelioration. Upon all good wheat 
soils, the ploughing should be as deep as three horses can perform with 
the best constructed plough. I am sure I know of no upland soil, that 
would not be rendered entirely unproductive, for at least one year, by 
being ploughed eighteen inches or two feet; for although some of our 
clays become fertile, by exposure to the atmosphere, it requires the ope¬ 
ration of at least one winter, for any sensible effect to be produced. It is, 
however, stated, that the celebrated Fellenburgh, whose scientific and 
agricultural establishment, at Hofwyl, has attracted so much attention 
throughout Europe, has ploughed two feet deep, with an implement re¬ 
quiring the power of fourteen horses. During my residence in the lower 
country, and in the course of my experiments on the sandy soils of that 
section of the state, I am satisfied that I did great and lasting injury to 
some land by ploughing it about six inches deep. This land was on a poor 
sandy foundation. 
Having gotten through your queries, I will add, as succinctly as possible, 
my thoughts on a plan of husbandry, suited to the light sandy lands of the 
lower parts of the state. I should adopt a system excluding clover, be¬ 
cause from the nature of your soil, and the generally reduced state of the 
land, the attempt at the field culture,upon a large scale, would be attend¬ 
ed with no other result but the loss of your seed; and as summer fallows 
should only be practised as the concomitant of clover, those likewise I 
should consider as out of the scheme. 
Assuming it as the basis of all good husbandry, that for every exhaust¬ 
ing crop, there ought to be some counteracting improvement, I would 
cultivate no more land in corn than I could manure. This I think can be 
effected under a six-field rotation, which would reduce the quantity to be 
manured to one-sixth of the arable surface, and the succession of crops 
should be, first, corn; second, wheat; third, pasture; fourth, peas, and 
all leguminous crops; cotton, pumpkins and potatoes, might occupy a cor¬ 
ner of this field; five, wheat; six, pasture. 
The first, and most ostensible objection to this scheme, is the apparent 
small proportion of corn, not insuring a sufficiency of that necessary crop; 
and secondly, the difficulty of raising the required quantity of manure.— 
In answer, it may be said, that in the best cultivated counties of England, 
we are told, they manure as much as one-fourth of the arable surface 
yearly. It is true that some part of this manure is derived from other re¬ 
sources than those of the farm; to wit, their towns, manufactories and 
marl-pits; but the improvement derived from all these sources, I presume 
does not amount to the difference between one-sixth and one-quarter_ 
Besides, all the tide-water districts of Virginia abound in marl, so that, 
in this respect, you, in all probability, stand on an equal footing with the 
English farmers—and if all that labor, which is now bestowed on clearing 
land, and renewing our quick decaying fences, and other perishable im¬ 
provements, which ought to be substituted by more permanent ones, were 
directed judiciously to the accumulation of the materials of fertility; dig¬ 
ging marl, collecting rich earth from bottoms and swamps, those depots of 
nature, which are constantly, by the operation of natural causes, swallow¬ 
ing up the primest principles of fertility, to be added to the materials com¬ 
mon to every farm; I am persuaded, we should find there would be less 
labor in collecting the means of fertilizing an acre, than in preparing it, 
from the forest state, and enclosing it for a crop. 
An accurate statement in detail, of the relative expense of manuring 
an acre of land, and bringing one from the forest state into cultivation, 
is a desideratum as much called for in Virginia husbandry, as any that 
has ever occurred to my mind. If I am not much mistaken, it would 
prove, that less labor would be required to improve the lands throughout 
Virginia, than it has taken to reduce them to their present deteriorated 
state. 
As to the objection that one-sixth part would be an insufficient portion 
of the arable land to have in corn, it may be replied, that that portion, 
manured at the rate of 20 or 25 loads, of 30 bushels each to the acre, 
would, on ordinary land, produce a double crop—and, therefore, would 
not only be equal to one-third, the proportion now usually put in corn, 
but would produce the clear saving of one-half of the labor of cultivation, 
besides other almost incalculable advantages. 
Upon your sandy soils, I think you might reduce the quantity of manure 
four or five loads to the acre, below what is necessary to produce the same 
result on the clay lands of the upper country, for light: ands make a much 
better return, for a small quantity of manure, than stiff'lands. I have in¬ 
creased the corn crop 100 per cent upon the ordinary high lands here, 
with 25 loads of 30 bushels each to the acre, which in their natural state 
would produce about two barrels. I am confident equal effects would be 
produced from 20 loads, upon the light soils of Prince George and Surry. 
Where wheat is relied upon as the chief crop for market, as is contem¬ 
plated in the foregoing scheme, the materials for manure would be very 
much increased—and the frequent recurrence of pasturage would be more 
than overbalanced by the additional comforts in living, and the profits to 
be derived from stock, which, with your facilities of communication with 
the best markets, ought to be no inconsiderable item in your annual in¬ 
come. 
The field in peas, &c. would more than compensate for any contingent 
deficiency in the corn crop, leave something for market, and from the 
highly meliorating character of its crop, would be in a better state of pre¬ 
paration for wheat than any grass crop turned in, on sandy lands, that I 
know of. The offal of the products of this field, would contribute largely 
to the general fund of manure. And, until a system is devised to increase 
this fund to an adequate supply, for that field in the rotation which is in the 
most exhausting of all our crops, Indian corn, regular deterioration must 
be the consequence of our tillage. It is in vain to amuse ourselves with 
expedients; practical agriculturists will soon all agree that nothing short 
of a full manuring once in the rotation, will insure general and permanent 
improvement. 
Accept the assurance of my high regard and esteem. 
JOHN H COCKE. 
To Edmund Ruffin, Esq. 
[From Chaplal's Chemistry applied to Agriculture .] 
OF NUTRITIVE MANURES. 
The nutritive manures are those which contain juices or other substan¬ 
ces, which, being dissolved in water, or otherwise divided to the most mi¬ 
nute degree, are capable of being drawn into the organs of plants. Al. 
the vegetable and animal juices are of this description. 
These substances are rarely employed in their natural state for the i- 
