THE CULTIVATOR. 
97 
for being tedious. My intention, when I commenced writing, was 
simply to mention the matter of business with which I began, and 
to ask a favor—it is this:—I know that an editor ought not to be 
expected to become the private correspondent of every obtrusive 
subscriber he may chance to have. But will you, in one line, re¬ 
commend a person who would willingly become such] I wish to 
know more than I do about vetches, chicory, alsike clover, and 
many other matters. I received a few seed from a friend the last 
spring, under the name of Egyptian clover, much mixed with chico¬ 
ry and other things, which I never saw before. The clover put 
forth white blossoms soon after coming up, has, perhaps, as many 
blooms as leaves, and after the bloom falls, the seeds are retained in 
a reddish colored bur, somewhat resembling in shape the bur of the 
teasel. This may, possibly, be the alsike clover. It was, unfortu¬ 
nately, sown in very springy ground, and has been nearly drowned 
by wet weather. It is inclined to grow erect, and to branch but 
moderately, and that entirely above ground. I may wish for a friend 
in your region, who would be willing to answer inquiries about such 
matters, to attend to small agencies, in the way of transmitting 
small parcels of grass-seed, choice stock, &c. should I think proper 
to send for them. It has struck me that my professional brother, 
Dr. Beekman, might be the man. I leave this matter to you.* 
Allow me now, sir, in tendering to you assurances of my highest 
personal respect, to associate therewith my warmest wishes that the 
Cultivator may find its way into every house in Virginia, and thus 
become a strong tie between two states, in danger of being disse¬ 
vered in feeling, by papers of a very different description. 
Your most ob’t, &,c. W. S. MORTON. 
Near Farmville, Prince Edward, Va. 3 Oth June, 1836. 
ADVANTAGE OF ALTERNATING CROPS. 
Mr. Buel —Feeling a desire to lend my aid in improving the con¬ 
dition of agriculture, I have attempted to write a few fines on that 
subject. It is painful to see the tardiness with which many advance 
in this cause; they continue to follow in the beaten paths of their 
fathers, and to pursue the same system, although they receive but a 
scanty remuneration for their labor. These remarks I think are pe¬ 
culiarly applicable to those who continue to apply their unfermented 
manure as a top-dressing to their grass ground. In order to see 
more clearly the error of their practice, let us enter into some esti¬ 
mates as to the profits they receive, in comparison with the profits 
received under a different system. We will suppose their annual 
product two tons of hay per acre, which is about the quantity 
from the acre in this vicinity, in a season; this, at $22 a ton, 
makes. $44 00 
Fall feed,. 2 00 
Income,. $46 00 
Expense of cutting, drying, &c. a ton, say $5,.... $10 00 
12 loads of manure at the barn, at $2 a load,.... 24 00 
Carting and spreading the same,. 2 50 
Interest on land, allowing it worth $100 per acre, 6 00 
Expense on the acre,.... - 42 50 
Leaving a clear profit of. $3 50 
or 9| per cent on the land per acre. 
Now let us estimate the advantage derived from applying the ma¬ 
nure to corn ground, and will allow the land to be worth the same 
as in the preceding estimate. 
24 loads of manure, at $2 per load,. $48 00 
Carting and spreading,. 5 00 
Expense of raising and harvesting corn crop,. 8 00 
Interest on land,. 6 00 
$67 00 
60 bushels of corn, at $1 per bushel,. 60 00 
Loss, first year,. $7 00 
Perhaps some will smile, as they look at the result of the first 
year, and say their system yields the most profit; but let us conti¬ 
nue our system three years longer, and then look at the result: 
* We have not heard of any experiments being made with either of these 
plants, except with the first, and the culture of that has not been persisted in. 
We tender our services to Mr. M. in the way asked, till our friend Dr. B. or 
some other better man than ourselves shall offer.— Cond. 
2d year—Oats, say 40 bushels per acre, at 60 cents, the 
present price,. $24 00 
Seed, sowing and harvesting,.$4 00 
The straw will pay for carting, thrashing, &,c. 
Clover and herds grass seed, as we would advise 
they should be sown with the oats,. 3 00 
Interest on land,. 6 00 
- 13 00 
Gain, second year,. $11 00 
3d year—Three tons of hay may be expected this year, from two 
mowings ; this, at $18 a ton, amounts to. $54 00 
Expense of cutting, drying, &c. $5 a ton,.$15 00 
Interest on land,. 6 00 
- 21 00 
Gain, third year,. $33 00 
4th year—Clover and herds grass, 2 tons at $18 a ton, amounts 
to. $36 00 
Expense of cutting, &c. $5 a ton,.$10 00 
Interest on land,. 6 00 
- 16 00 
Gain, fourth year,. $20 00 
Average clear profit, $14^ per year, or 204 per cent interest per 
acre yearly, which makes more than twice the profits per acre ob¬ 
tained by applying the manure to mowing ground. 
Perhaps it may be said that the price put down for the manure is 
too high—if so, the profits would be still greater. 
If my estimates are not correct, (they are estimates made from 
observation and practice,) I hope some of the friends of agriculture 
who are in favor of applying their manure to grass' grounds, will 
point out my errors. Yours respectfully, 
Willimanselt, June 20, 1836. W. CHAPIN. 
EDUCATION—FEMALE HABITS. 
J. Buel, Esq. —When I take into consideration the philanthropic 
object and office of your paper, in calling up the instruction of past 
ages, and of diffusing the improvements of the present, I am com¬ 
pelled to tender my acknowledgment of its merits and usefulness. 
At a period when public and private patronage was almost with¬ 
drawn from the great subject of Agriculture in this state, you vo¬ 
lunteered the high and arduous office of rescuing it from declension; 
and of instituting a medium of disseminating information at the 
cheap rate, which should be accessible to all those who have curi¬ 
osity and interest. 
I have read, with intense interest, your papers and recommenda¬ 
tions on the education of youth, and on the improvements of roads. 
If some few of the older members of our community are wedded to 
their old opinions and habits, I would leave them undisturbed. But 
as it is a matter of necessity that the human mind should be always 
active, let us train the rising youth to the highest degree of percep¬ 
tion, and necessarily of enjoyment. And if this patrimony should 
be ill received or misused, with stoic firmness, let us bear unmerited 
reproach. Let their attention be awakened to the most lively cu¬ 
riosity, and a fixed and inflexible determination to a single object of 
pursuit. This has guided all the great men. of former days to emi¬ 
nence and usefulness. Vaccillation and irresolution are always 
abortive. Man requires the strong impulse of necessity, or the en¬ 
kindling fire of curiosity, to bring his energies into operation, and 
preserve him from the enervating and debilitating influence of indo¬ 
lence. 
I have sometimes been influenced or subjected to the restraint 
imposed by the pressure of business, and the selfish inducement of 
not going out of one’s own concerns. But the grand progress of 
modern improvement is such, that a man of taste cannot refrain 
from going abroad, (whether viewed as the attainments of human 
intellect, or as the disclosures of Almighty beneficence,) to see the 
wonders of canals, rail-roads, the magic power of steam, husband¬ 
ry, &c. &.c. And a man of philanthropy cannot restrain the senti¬ 
ment of diffusion —to extend these benefits to every son and daugh¬ 
ter of Adam, who will receve them. 
I have read in your paper the eloquent recommendations of the 
Rev. H. Colman; they are harmonious to my ear. I wish they 
may vibrate to the extremes of our common country. 
While we are importing Durham Short Homs and Saxony Sheep , 
