THE SOUTHEKN PLANTER, 

ggpotea to MQvitultun, horticulture, an* tixt momtlxoltt mns. 



Agriculture is the nursing mother of the 
Arts. — XenopJion. 



Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts 
of the State.— Sully. 



FRANK: G. RUFFIN, Editor. 



P. D. BERNARD, Proprietor. 



Vol. XII. 



RICHMOND, APRIL, 1852. 



No. 4. 



STATE AGRICULTURAL CONVENTION. 

Charlottesville, March 1st, 1852. 
F. G. Ruffin, Esa. 

Dear Sir,— Many of your friends in at- 
tendanceupon the Agricultural Convention 
lately held in the city of Richmond, listened 
with great pleasure to the very able address 
read by you upon that occasion. They 
believe it to contain matter of grave import 
to the farmers of Virginia, and are of opi- 
nion that it should have that publicity to 
■which its intrinsic ability and the general 
interest of its subject entitle it. 

If our State possesses, as we believe she 
does, the richest soil, most genial climate 
and cheapest labor on earth, and is yet 
found to compare unfavorably in point of 
agricultural production with some of her 
sister States, less favored by nature, we, 
g»e farmers of Virginia, should know the 
.ruth, investigate the cause, and apply the 
remedy. Proud as we are of her historic 
glory, we should not be blind to the condi- 
tion of her agriculture. We may rest con- 
tent with the laurels our ancestors have 
won; but we cannot feed our children upon 
the bread they made. We, therefore, re- 
quest acopy of your address for publication 
R. W. N. Noland, 
W. H. South all, 

B. F. Randolph, 
W. N. Ragland, 
F. E. G. Carr, 
Jesse L. Maury, 
Step. F. Sampson, 
Jos. W. Campbell, 
J. Wood, Jr. 
F. K. Nelson, 

C. G. Meriwether, 
J. S. Minor, 
Geo. W. Craven, 
Jas. F. Fry, 
John R. Woods, 
J. W. Goss, 
T. W. Meriwether, 
Franklin Minor, 
Chas. Minor. 

Vol. XII.— 4. 



Messrs. Noland, Southall, and others : 

Gentlemen,— Yom note of March 1st is 
before me, requesting for publication a 
copy of the brief address I had the honor 
to report to the Convention of Farmers 
lately assembled in Richmond. Grateful 
for the terms in which your request is 
couched, I comply with it at once; and, 
wanting a better place, beg leave to state 
here, by way of preface, the objects I had 
in view when I prepared it. 

As to a patient who holds his life in his 
own hands, a physician will at once declare 
his disease and its remedy, so I thought to 
present to the farmers of Virginia" their 
actual condition and the remedy for it. In 
doing this it was necessary to compare 
them with the farmers of other States, and 
I selected New York and Massachusetts 
for that purpose. Necessarily omitting a 
full comparison, and thereby, as I conceive 
doing no harm to Virginia, I confined my- 
self to a very brief and imperfect statistical 
exposition of her agriculture; and it was 
not my fault if documents official, and 
therefore presumably authentic, placed 
Virginia behind her contemporaries. But 
I would have been much to blame had I 
not endeavored, as I did, to point out how 
that reproach might be wiped away. 

The address, as you know, was adopted 
by a large majority of the Convention ; 
was re-considered and again adopted —was 
a second time re-considered, and was dis- 
cussed by Messrs. Morson, Seddon and 
Willoughby Newton on the one side, and 
myself and several others on the other 
side, and laid on the table at the instance 
of one of my friends, who thought that in 
view of the application we meant to make 
to the Legislature, it was best to present 
unanimity in our proceedings. To this 
course a majority assented, influenced by 
the same opinion; and I, though differino- 
with them, very cheerfully submitted to 
their decision. This left the address at 
my individual disposal, and I place it at 
yours. 






98 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 






Of the grounds, untenable in my opinion, 
taken by the gentlemen who opposed it, it 
is unnecessary to speak. But I think their 
sensitiveness will not be appreciated, it it 
can be understood, by farmers at large. 
If their apprehension be well founded that 
fanaticism will seize upon the address as 
an anti-slavery argument, I can only say 
what they and I am fully agreed upon, 
that fanaticism is a fool for whose vagaries 
I am not responsible. I am a pro-slavery 
man— I believe it at this time impossible 
to abolish it. and not desirable, if it were 
possible. I believe that when the good 
God established it here he placed such a 
trust in the South as has never been re- 
posed in any other nation—that it was a 
signal mark of favor, and that when, in 
His own wise providence, He shall decree 
its extinction, as I am sure He will, that it 
will be done without convulsion and with- 
out injury to white or black, and in a man- 
ner which cannot be foretold by the wisest 
leaders of the Liberty Party ! This ought 
lo be sufficient on that head, and I cannot 
consent, especially when backed by your 
request, to suppress important, wholesome 
truths, because bad men may make use of 
them. Reptiles will bask in the sum. 

Finally, let me say, that the conception 
and execution of this address is wholly my 
own. If its publication produce displea- 
sure, let it all fall on my head. 

I am, gentlemen, with high respect, 
Your friend and ob't servant, 

Frank: G. Ruffin. 
Shadwell, Albemarle, March, 1S52. 

ADDRESS TO THE FARMERS OF VIRGINIA. 

"The Southern States stand foremost in 
agricultural labor, though they hold but 
the third rank in population." At the head 
of these Southern States, in production, 
in extent of territory, in climate, in soil, 
and in population, stands the Common- 
wealth of Virginia. She is a nation of 
farmers. Eight-tenths of her industry is 
expended upon the soil ; but less than one- 
third of her domain is in pasturage, or 
under the plough. Out of somewhat more 
than thirty-nine millions of acres, she tills 
but little over ten millions of acres, or 
about twentv-six and a quarter per cent, 
whilst New York has subdued about forty- 
one per cent, or twelve and a quarter out 
of her twenty-nine and a half millions of 
acres: and Massachusetts, with her sterile 
soil and inhospitable climate, has reclaimed 
from the forest, the quarry and the marsh, 



about forty-two and a half per cent, or two 
and one-eighth out of her little territory of 
five millions of acres. Yet. according tfl 
the census of 1840, only six-tenih3 of tht 
labor of New York', and four-tenths of that 
of Massachusetts, or, relatively, one-fifth 
and two-fifths less than our own, is expend- 
ed upon agriculture. 

The agricultural implements and ma- 
chinery of Virginia, are worth but sixty- 
nine cents for every arable acre; in New 
York they are worth one dollar and eighty 
cents, and in Massachusetts one dollar and 
forty-nine cents for every arable acre; but, 
as in those States, the breadth of mowing 
and pasture lands is much greater than 
with us— the difference in value of agri- 
cultural implements, to every acre tilled, 
is still greater against us. 

The live stock of Virginia are worth 
only three dollars and thirty-one cents for 
every arable acre; but in New York they 
are worth six dollars and seven cents, and 
in Massachusetts four dollars and fifty-two 
cents. 

The proportion of hay to the same quan 
tity of land is, for Virginia, eighty-one 
pounds; for New York, six hundred and 
seventy-nine pounds; for Massachusetts, 
six hundred and eighty-four pounds. 

Now, "tillage and pasturage are the 
two breasts of the State." Tillage extracts 
from the earth; pasturage indirectly, bi^' 
surely, restores to it. To keep the land u^ 
to its original fertility, still more to improve 
it beyond that point, requires a perfect sys- 
tem of tillage. By that means we are 
enabled to raise large crops, and thus to 
expend, as we needs must, in the form of 
manure, whether in substance or in reve- 
nue, a larger proportion of what we draw 
from the soil. To effect this tillage, and 
to apply this manure, with the least labor 
and to the greatest advantage, requires 
the best implements that can be construct- 
ed, each well adapted to its purpose. This 
rule is undeniable and of universal appli- 
cation. Yet we Virginians do not recog- 
nise it in practice. With access to the 
same markets, and with hundreds of me- 
chanics of our own, who can vie with the 
best Northern manufacturers, we find that 
our implements are inferior, that the New 
York farmer spends upon his nearly three 
times as much as we do upon ours, and the 
Massachusetts farmer more than double. 
But perfect tillage is not all. Pasturage 
is not less necessary as the means of sup- 
porting that live stock which shall aid us 
in tillage, feed us, clothe us, supply the 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



99 



shambles, and make manure. Manure is 
indispensable lo good husbandry. Judging 
from the history of agriculture in all other 

jt countries, we may safely say, that farming 
can never attain to continued perfection 
where manure is not put on with an un- 
sparing hand. By far the larger part of 
this can only be made by stock, which 
should at the same time be made the source 
of profit, at least sufficient to pay the cost 
of their keep, so that, other things being 
equal, it is a safe rule to estimate the con- 
dition of a farming district, by the amount 
of live stock it may possess and the provi- 
sion made for their sustenance. Applied 
in this instance, we see that the New York 
farmer has invested in live stock two dol- 
lars and seventy-six cents, and the Massa- 
chusetts farmer one dollar and twenty-one 
cents per acre more than the Virginia far- 
mer. In pasturage we cannot tell the dif- 
ference. It is well, perhaps, for the honor 
of the State, that we eannot. But in hay, 
New York has five hundred and ninety- 
eight pounds, and Massachusetts six hun- 
dred and three pounds more per acre than 
we have. This, however, does not present 
the true state of the case. Landlocked by 
mountain barriers, as yet impassable for 
the ordinary agricultural staples, or de- 
barred from their production by distance, 
and prohibitory rates of transportation, 
most of the wealth and exports of many 

► considerable portions of our State consists 
of live stock alone. What proportion 
these parts bear to the whole, we have 
been unable definitely to ascertain; but it 
is no doubt so great as to warrant us in 
assuming a much more considerable dis- 
parity than the statistics show in the live 
stock of the whole Atlantic slope, as com- 
pared with New York and Massachusetts. 
And we shall appreciate still more highly 
the skill of the Northern farmer, if we re- 
flect that a readier market for every, the 
mo3t trivial product of his farm, operates 
a constant temptation to breakup his rota- 
tion and diminish his stock. 

In the above figures, carefully calculated 
from the data of authentic documents,* 
we find no cause for self-gratulation, but 
some food for meditation. They are not 
without use to those who would improve 
the future by the past. They show that 
we have not done our part in the bringing 
of land into cultivation; that notwithstand- 



* Abstract of the Seventh Census, and the able 
work of Professor Tuck«r, on the " Progress of 
United States in Population and Wealth." 
4 D 



ing natural advantages, which greatly ex- 
ceed those of the two States drawn into 
parallel with Virginia, we are yet behind 
them both — that with forty and' sixty per 
cent, respectively of their industry devoted 
to other pursuits into which it has been 
lured by prospects of greater gain, they 
have done more than we have done. In 
one word, they prove the general inferiority 
of farmers in Virginia. More individual 
comfort and belter food, and more luxury 
is enjoyed by us here, and more money, 
we know, is made, than at the North. — 
There is too, with some of our farmers, a 
vast deal of energy, and they afford many 
instances of very remarkable and praise- 
worthy skill. But notwithstanding these 
things with lands low in price, and labor, 
which, if not '-intelligent," is still so cheap 
that, with all our wastefulness, we can raise 
some of our staples and sell them at a pro- 
fit, when the same acreable produce would 
starve the frugal free-soil farmer, we must 
yet confess that much is due to our climate. 
On the other hand, the frigid and inhospi- 
table North compels to efforts which are 
here unnecessary; and the labor which 
cultivates the earth, from which they wring 
their scanty earnings, cultivates also the 
hardier virtues of our nature, which again 
re-act upon the soil. 

Nor upon that alone. Whilst our popu- 
lation has increased for the lasst ten years, 
in a ratio of 11.66, that of New York has 
increased in a ratio of 27.52, and that of 
Massachusetts at the still heavier and more 
startling rate of 34.81. With a territorial 
area thirty per cent, larger than New York, 
we have but little more than one-third 
of her Congressional representation; and 
Massachusetts, only one-eighth our size, 
comes within two of our number of repre- 
sentatives, we being cut down to thirteen, 
while she rises to eleven. And thus we, 
who once swayed the councils of the Union, 
find our power gone and our influence on 
the wane, at a time when both are of vital 
importance to our prosperity, if not to our 
safety. As other States accumulate the 
means of material greatness, and glide 
past us on the road to wealth and empire, 
we slight the warnings of dull statistics, 
and drive lazily along the field of ancient 
customs, or stop the plough to speed the 
politician — should we not, in too many 
cases, say with more propriety, the dema- 
gogue ! 

State pride is a good thing, it is one 
mode in which patriolism is manifested. 
But it is not always a wise thing. Cer- 



100 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



tainly not, when it makes us content on 
small grounds. And when it smothers up 
improvement in self-satisfaction, it is a 
most pernicious thing. We have much to 
be proud of in Virginia. In intellect and 
fitness to command, in personal and social 
qualities, in high tone and noble bearing, 
in loyalty, in generosity, and magnanimity, 
and disinterestedness, above all, in moral 
purity, we once stood, let us hope, still 
stand, pre-eminent among our sister States. 
But the possession and praclice of these 
virtues does not comprise our whole duty 
as men or as citizens. The great decree 
which has gone forth ordaining that we 
shall "increase and multiply and replenish 
the earth," enjoins upon us quite other 
duties, which cannot be neglected with 
impunity. So we have found out by expe- 
rience — for we have neglected these duties. 
And when we contemplate our field of 
labor, and the work we have done in it, we 
cannot butobservethesad contrast between 
capacity and achievement. With a wide 
spread domain, with a kindly soil, with a 
climate whose sun radiates fertility, and 
whose very dews distil abundance, we find 
our inheritance so wasted that the eye 
aches to behold the prospect. 

We shall not stop to enquire at whose 
door lies the cause or the blame of this 
devastation; or to ascertain whether it has 
not sprung from natural and unavoidable 
causes. We address ourselves to the re- 
medy. That remedy, farmers of Virginia, 
depends on you ; and it is hard to say whe- 
ther it imports more to yourselves or so- 
ciety. With a new Constitution, we enter 
upon a new order of things. By universal 
suffrage, and by making all the most 
important offices elective, an additional 
amount of power has been infused into 
our political system — an additional amount 
of energy also. The restless activity of 
the people will not be stayed; and agricul- 
ture, whether for weal or wo, will feel and 
respond to the impulse. Two courses are 
before you — either to neglect the new du- 
ties which claim performance at your 
hands, thereby to sink below the depths of 
party spirit into the foul abyss of partizan- 
ship, and see yourselves degraded to a 
nation of tools and dupes; to surrender 
the whole direction of public affairs to those 
who make a trade of politics, and pander 
to the worst passions of the people whom 
they corrupt and abuse and betray — either 
this, or to take that control which rightly 
belongs to you, the natural rulers of the 
State and representatives of its conserva- 



tism, to foster public spirit and private enter- 
prise, to instruct, enlighten, defend and pro- 
vide for the people, to give a right direction 
to the public mind, and to protect it from 
that bondage which the demagogue would 
impose, and which is rivetted by an unin- 
formed and selfish and narrow spirit — these 
are the alternatives — choose ye between 
the two! You must conquer by action, or 
submit by inaction! Why not conquer? 
It is not difficult. Men instinctively wor- 
ship law and order, because it is necessary 
to self-preservation. The true strength 
and excellence of government never did 
lie, God forbid it ever shall lie, in mere num- 
bers. Moral influences control its opera- 
tions, as certainly as gravity controls our 
steps. But unlike gravity, these influences 
are inert and require to be put in motion. 
It were invidious to particularize, but we 
may point in general terms, to States north 
and west of us, in which, as one or the 
other of these alternatives predominates, 
we see steadiness, loyalty and virtue, or 
the germs of restlessness, anarchy, gross- 
ness and debasement. Such tendencies 
now await us; one or the other we must 
speedily assume. Our population is be- 
ginning to increase. The far West has 
receded too far for further emigration. Our 
people will stay at home. They cannot 
be driven abroad; population will press 
upon subsistence, and we must make pro- 
vision for it, or it will make provision for 
itself and become a curse, instead of a 
blessing. 

But how shall this provision be made? 
By agricultural improvement, in the first 
place; by so developing the resources of 
the State as to keep all our citizens at work. 
By this means, we have every confidence 
that, in a few years, we shall regain the 
ground we have lost; and go as far ahead 
of other States as they are now ahead of 
us. This is no idle boast. In spite of the 
comparative bad management which we 
have proved to prevail in Virginia, it ap- 
pears from the census of 1840, that the 
total value of agricultural produce, includ- 
ing, of course, what was consumed on the 
farm and otherwise applied to agricultural 
uses, was, in round numbers, in Virginia, 
New York and Massachusetts, fifty-eight, 
one hundred and eight, and nine and a half 
millions of dollars respectively, being to 
each person employed in agriculture in 
these States, $186.60, $240 and $108, 
showing an excess in favor of Virginia 
over Massachusetts of forty-two and a half 
per cent, and of New York over Virginia 



v\ 






THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



101 



of twenty-two and a half per cent. Though I 
we should not despond too deeply, nor ex- : 
ult too highly on account of this deficiency j 
\ or excess, since an inspection of the tables 
of production will show that the difference 
is mainly due, on the one hand, to the grade 
til' staples as dependant on climate and soil, 
and on the other, to the greater value of 
their an n al productions. 

Thus we find that in 1840 Massachusetts 
produced upwards of five millions of bush- 
els of potatoes, or sixty bushels to each 
integer of her agricultural industry, whilst 
we made less than three millions of bush- 
els, or 8.30. But of wheat and corn we 
made upwards of thirty-five millions of 
bushels, and Massachusetts a fraction un- 
der two millions. At that time, too, there 
was a bounty on the production of wheat, 
which stimulated its growth beyond the 
steady capacity of the State, as proved by 
the returns of the last census, which, put- 
ting her wheat crop at twenty-nine thou- 
sand seven hundred and eighty-four bush- 
els, shows a deficit of one hundred and 
twenty-eight thousand one hundred and 
thirty-nine bushels, as compared with the 
product of 1S40, whereas in Virginia there 
is a general increase of fifty per cent, and 
much larger, we know, as to tide-water and 
all that part of the State tributary to Rich- 
mond. On the other hand we find, when 
compared with New York, that we made 
of wheat $31.50, of corn $54— $85.50 per 
hand, and she of wheat $27, of corn $15 — 
$42, or more than one hundred per cent, 
deficit. But in value of live stock and dairy 
products and hay, we made $102, $4, $8.30 
respectively— $114.30; and she $121, $23, 
$61.70 — $205.70; or nearly one hundred 
per cent, excess. The excess of value of 
her oat and orchard crop, about offsets the 
value of our tobacco crop, and leaves the 
difference in favor of New York mainly 
dependant on wool. As there is an evident 
mistake in the number of pounds of wool 
in Virginia, in the census report of 1840, 
we shall not state the figures, but refer in 
lieu of it to the more satisfactory report of 
the present census, which shows an excess 
in New York of thirty-eight per cent, in 
sheep, but only twenty-eight and a half 
per cent, in wool, or in that stock which 
the New York farmer feeds and we starve, 
an advantage in our favor, referable to cli- 
mate alone, of nine and a half per cent. 
But our capacity for grass and hay and for 
live stock and their products, is fully equal 
to theirs, and what i3 true of sheep, is 
equally true of every other sort of farm 



stock. With this cheering exhibit in our 
favor, we think it only necessary for the 
farmers to co-operate heartily, and all that 
our condition requires can be soon attained. 
If we can agree to meet each other, and 
to discuss our wants, state our experience 
and practices, compare our opinions and 
concert plans for action, the task is more 
than half accomplished. For reflection 
will have begun to rouse us to reform. 

But it is not likely that a meeting for 
such purposes alone, will possess sufficient 
i interest to call farmers together often, and 
keep them convened long enough to do 
[ much good. We would, therefore, pro- 
pose, as an additional attraction, the for- 
1 mation of an Agricultural Society. Let 
, this be properly organized; let it establish 
I shows and fairs for the exhibition and sale 
! of live stock and farming implements; let 
liberal premiums be judiciously bestowed 
on these and kindred things, on farms and 
! on new and useful inventions; let addresses 
i be delivered by our most intelligent prac- 
i tical farmers, and never, when it can pos- 
sibly be avoided, by any other class of 
I men ; let this whole thing be a festival, and 
if an interest is not awakened in behalf of 
agriculture, it will be because of deplorable 
I mismanagement, or because the farmers 
i of Virginia are not actuated by the motives, 
! which, under similar circumstances, have 
! never failed to influence the same class of 
men elsewhere. 

There may be some who will object to 
1 Agricultural Societies as useless, if not per- 
nicious humbugs. We have not time now 
to argue the question at length with such 
i persons, or to require of them, as we right- 
fully may, to offer a better substitute for 
the do-nothing policy which we propose to 
supplant. Our faith is strong in the good 
effects of such Societies, which are not 
only useful, ss exhibitions of the skill of 
I the farmer, and of his best friend, the me- 
chanic, and as affording in farm manage- 
ment, in stock breeding, and in implements, 
models for the diligent enquirer, and en- 
couragement to competitors for excellence, 
but, also, as a means of eliciting, inciden- 
tally, much valuable information from those 
who compose such Societies. It has been 
well said, recently, that "the principles of 
exhibitions has been recognised by all 
nations and in all climes. Man naturally 
i seeks to enlist the sympathy of his fellow 
man towards the object which he admires. 
The world's history tells us, that every 
people, according to the spirit of its time, 
and national feeling, has held exhibitions 



102 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



of that which it held in highest esteem." 
At present, they are the "order of the day."* 
And, with the recent triumph of Virginia's' 
skill at the World's Fair, when M'Cor-. 
mick's and Hussey's reapers bore off, 
the palm from all sorts of competition, 
and where America contributed substance, 
whilst Europe offered gewgaws, we should 
be the very last to reprobate or abjure 
them. 

But who ever heard of Northern people 
spending money where it did not pay, and 
continuing to do it year by year? If it is 
true that we can safely follow them in a 
matter of dollars and cents, we may take 
a lesson from the late report of the Trea- 
surer of the New York State Agricultural 
Society. According to that document, we 
find that the total receipts of the Society 
for the last year, including the State con- 
tribution of $880 43, was SI 7,218 85, of 
which sum $11,954 25 was received for 
entrance tickets and contributions at the 
State Fair, all paid by individuals who love 
their money at least as well as we do. Of 
this sum $5,155 73 was distributed in pre- 
miums, and only $1,000 13 expended in 
salaries. When it is considered that this 
striking exhibit is made, after an experience 
of twenty years, we think it very safe to 
conclude that it evidences utility, good 
management, and a public spirit beyond all 
praise. Shall we not emulate if? The 
details of the management of other Socie- 
ties, which it were tedious to recount, ex- 
hibits similar, if not equal, results. 

The last question we shall discuss, is 
that of the finances necessary to start and 
sustain such a Society. We must have 
money. It has been decided to introduce 
a bill into the General Assembly asking 
for an appropriation of State money, con- 
ditioned on an equal, individual contribu- 
tion, and the enactment of such provisions 
as shall secure to the State Society the 
certain collection and full fruition of their 
funds. To those who object to the tax thus 
proposed to be laid, we beg leave simply 
to say, that there are 76,704 farms in Vir- 
ginia, and that,should thewholetax amount 
to $10,000, a sum we cannot hope to real- 
ize, it would make just thirteen cents for 
each farm; iftheyquarrel with that amount, 
we reduce it forty per cent, for the inde- 
pendent appropriation of $4,000 already 
made, for the employment of an Agricul- 
tural Commissioner and Chemist, which 
leaves 7 8-10 cents. If this does not quiet 
their fears, we can tell them that about 



one-half of it will be contributed by others 
than farmers. 

To those who are expected to raise the 
individual sum, we appeal by all the con- 
siderations we have adduced and by all 
the other motives which should actuate 
them. We ask the man of moderate means 
to make an outlay which will reimburse 
him one hundred fold. We ask the rich 
man to become at once a life member, and 
to make his children such, that so, he may 
evince his liberality, and may not suffer 
the stinging reproach that he is surpassed 
in his virtue by his poorer neighbor. We 
appeal to all to keep up the character of 
their country for generosity. 

But' we are well aware that, with the 
mass of men, such addresses as these are 
not efficacious. Individual solicitation is 
necessary to rouse the majority of man- 
kind, who rarely act in large bodies from 
concurrent impulse. Is it not then the duty 
of the active and public spirited few, who 
feel the importance of this thing, and ac- 
knowledge it to themselves, to take it in 
hand and carry it through? Should not 
all such work from a sense of pride if not 
from a sense of duty, and from very shame, 
if not from pride? We challenge them to 
meet us in the field of action, conscious 
that if they beat us, they can but 

"learn us how to lose a winning match." 

Let them come prepared to make such ef- 
forts in this cause as Virginia has made in 
politics, and equal success and ultimate 
supremacy will crown the work. Let them 
accommodate themselves to the spirit of 
the age; let their State's rights mean the 
right to make Virginia the greatest of 
States. Is not such a consummation worth 
some little effort? 

In conclusion, we beg leave to say that, 
in speaking so plainly, but by no means 
despondingly, we have but done our duty. 
Virginians in heart and soul, proud of our 
nativity and of our people, we yet feel 
bound to tell the truth, if it be not pleasant. 
We are too much the friends of the people 
to become their courtiers. 

We make no apology for publishing- the 
foregoing address, because we believe it con- 
tains the truth. We ask for it, not as our own 
production, but as an exposition of Virginia 
agriculture, a candid and attentive perusal. — 
Ed. So. Planter. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



103 



For the Southern Planter. 
DANIEL LEE, M. D. 

Mr. Editor, — In looking over a late number 
of the Southern Cultivator, published at Au- 
gusta, Georgia, and seeing the name of Dan'l 
Lee, M. D. Editor! I was forcibly reminded 
of the graphic picture drawn by Washington 
Irving, of the New England farmer: "The 
first thought," says he, "of a Yankee farmer 
on coming to years of manhood, is to settle 
himself in the world; which means nothing 
more than to begin his rambles. It is not the 
nature of this most indefatigable of speculators 
to rest content with any state of sublunary 
enjoyment. Being at one time settled, and to 
use his own words, 'to rights,' one might im- 
agine that he would continue to enjoy the com- 
forts of his situation; to read, to write for the 
papers, to lecture on some favorite topic; to 
neglect his own affairs, and attend to those of 
the nation, like a U;.eful and patriotic citizen; 
but now it is that his wayward disposition 
begins to appear. He soon grows tired of a 
spot where there is no longer any room for 
improvement. He sells out — and starts to 
again wander. 1 ' 

I think I may safely congratulate the Doctor, 
for, at the same time that he has deserted bis 
home, he is evidently about to abandon his 
principles. There can be no other excuse for 
the random and uncertain reply to the article 
of "A Virginia Farmer" on the "Improve- 
ment of the Naturally Thin and Partially 
Exhausted Lands of his own State." 

Nothing but the prominent place into which 
Dr. Lee seems determined to thrust himself, 
renders it necessary lor me to say a word in 
answer to his reply to my strictures on his 
first article. Indeed he makes no attempt to 
refute a single important point of my argu- 
ment, but contents himself with misrepresent- 
ing me, misquoting me, and actually inventing 
for me; by such flimsy pretexts hoping to 
conceal his own weakness; evidently willing 
that the cause of agriculture should suffer, 
rather than come forward, like a man, and 
acknowledge that he had written "an uncon- 
sidered trifle." 

If truth be his object, why does he tell his 
readers that I had writien three or four pages 
of sectional abuse in the Southern Planter! — 
"My offence hath this extent, no more" — that 
in exposing one great humbug I made allusion 
to others of less moment, though all emanating, 
as it happened, from the same quarter. I was 
not aware that New York considered her re- 
putation assailed, or would cry out "Touch 
not mine anointed, and do my prophet no 
harm," when "A Virginia Farmer" spoke 
slightingly of wooden nutmegs, Berkshire pigs, 
or a deeeplious system of farming. It is im- 
possible for us to entertain a very high respect 
for any of these things, though the one may 
come recommended as the gentleman's hog, and 



the other may be promulgated by a gentleman, 
who has written something for the Patent Office, 

If truth be his object, why does Dr. Lee tell 
his readers, that "A Virginia Farmer" com- 
mits an inexcusable blunder in assuming that 
the principles of agriculture are not the same 
in slave-holding States, as in those States 
which have no slaves'? 

"A Virginia Farmer" perpetrated no such 
folly. On the contrary, he asserted, with em- 
phasis, that THE PRINCIPLES OP AGRICULTURE 

j are the same everywhere, and that all good 
husbandry depends upon the completeness of 
their execution. 
If truth be Dr. Lee's object, why does he 

1 tell his readers, that "A Virginia Farmer ig- 

\ nores all husbandry, and recommends no other 
crops than tobacco and corn'?" 

"A Virginia Farmer" said not one word in 
disparagement of husbandry. He made no 
exclusive recommendation of corn and tobac- 
co. He advised that a new-ground or a foul 
old field should be cleansed with a crop of 
corn or tobacco, in preference to seeding it 

' down in wheat or grass, and using only a har- 
row to prepare the land. Farther than this he 
went not; but attempted to show, that the true 
principles of agriculture being adopted would 
lead lo an increase of grain, of grass, of stock 
and of manure. 

If truth be his object, why does Dr. Lee tell 
his readers, that "A Virginia Farmer is en- 
tirely ignorant of the sysiem of husbandry 
which the good and pious Abel pursued 1 ?" 

If by this the gentleman means the grass 
and stock husbandry, it is sufficient for me to 
say that I did not offer to lay down any parti- 
cular system either of husbandry or of tillage, 
and, therefore, could neither have displayed 
my knowledge nor exposed my ignorance. — 
Does the gentleman expect to advance the 
true interest of agriculture by such unwor- 
thy means'? Or does he not rather hope to 
"darken counsel," and in the mist of words, 
to make his retreat from a position he found 
untenable, if not with credit, at least without 
censure"? 

There are but two other points in Dr. Lee's 
reply which require notice from me. As they 
are matters of importance, I ask for them the 
serious consideration of your readers. 

Dr. Lee says that the plan of manuring an 
impoverished field, or a lot of land naturally 
poor and thin, by cultivating it in tobacco, is 
"fatally defective." 1st, because "the crop of 
tobacco removes from the soil ten times as 
much potash as was contained in the manure-" 
and "secondly, because the tillage necessary to 
its production, exposes the alkalies to be washed 
by rains into the swamps and branches." This 
in the end, "must consume all the most costly 
and important constituents of plants within 
two feet of the surface of the ground." 

This is the broad and unqualified assertion 
of Dr. Lee, and from it there is no appeal, 
because the Doctor informs us that hi "has 
written an article for the Patent Office on the 



104 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



' Study of Soils.' " If this be true of tobacco, 
it is true of every other crop in a greater or 
less degree, and the consequence is inevitable, 
that all tillage of naturally thin or partially 
exhausted lands, must cease, and three-fourths 
of the arable land of our State must be left to 
"the skyey influences;" except, that they may 
occasionally be sown in wheat or grass, with 
the condition that the surface of the ground 
is only to be scarified with the harrow, lest 
the rain should wash out the alkalies. 

Now, sir, "there are many events in the 
womb of time which must be delivered," but 
it is a matter of special wonder to me, that a 
gentleman who aspires to be an instructor in 
agriculture, should pass by without notice the 
accumulated and successful experience of the 
world, and gravely insist on our abandoning 
tillage, and drainage, and manuring— all the 
processes of industry, and embrace with eager- 
ness a system which we are convinced must 
render our lands sterile by idleness. 

It has been ascertained that three-fourths of 
the cleared land in Virginia are in the state 
which Dr. Lee describes as "naturally thin, 
or partially exhausted." These lands, he says, 
cannot be improved by any other system than 
the one which the good and pious Abel pur- 
sued ; in other words, we must set our negroes 
adrift, and turn shepherds! "We have just 
as much reason," he says, "to believe we are 
growing rich, if we put a dime in our pocket, 
and spend a quarter, as we have to believe 
that we are improving our lands when we 
manure them, and cultivate any of the staple 
crops of the country; because such crop takes 
off a larger amount of one or more of the im- 
portant constituents of the soil than was given 
to it in the manure. 

Now, sir, this is the result of writing on 
"the study of soils." To see things as they 
are, is in agriculture, as in every thing else, 
the first rule of good sense. We have some 
farmers in Virginia who have not only written 
about, but have studied soils; and not only have 
they done this, but they have cultivated and 
improved "naturally thin, or partially ex- 
hausted soils." Is Dr. Lee ignorant that in 
Eastern Virginia, wherever the lands have 
been limed and manured, (a practice which is 
rapidly extending,) the crops of corn, and 
wheat, and grass, and manure, and stock have 
more than quadrupled! According to the 
Doctor's theory they should have diminished 
each year. 

If we look to Middle Virginia, embracing 
the tobacco region, do we find anything in the 
cultivation of this cropnecessarily exhausting ] 
or incompatible with the highest state of im- 
provement to the soiH Do we not find the 
farm in the highest state of fertility, as often 
in the hands of a large tobacco planter, as in 
those of a farmer who for years has abandoned 
the crop"? But let us examine this matter a 
little further. 

Wheat on ordinary land we know will not 
grow after wheat. Now no man who is quali- 



fied to pronounce an opinion will deny that 
wheat will grow well after tobacco; and that 
clover, or any of the artificial grasses, will 
take and grow well after the wheat. Indeed, 
there is no preparation which you can give 
land, that puts it in so good a condition as the 
tobacco crop for producing either wheat, grass, 
corn, flax, turnips, cabbage, or any other plant 
that is suitable to the climate of Virginia. 
This is not to be received as the mere asser- 
tion of "A Virginia Farmer." It is the obser- 
vation and experience of every man in the 
State of Virginia who has ever cultivated an 
acre of tobacco and followed it by any other 
crop. Yet Dr. Lee would convince us that 
our lands are becoming rapidly exhausted, be- 
cause the little mineral matter which the to- 
bacco may have left, must have been washed 
into the nearest swamp or branch. 

It has been the practice in many parts of 
Virginia for planters to set apart particular 
lots for tobacco, and to cultivate them in the 
following order: tobacco, wheat and clover; 
and such a course has not seemed to exhaust 
the soil, or diminish the crop. The late Wm. 
Old of Powhatan, who was noted for the high 
degree of improvement to which he had brought 
his estate, (its condition, when he came into 
possession of it, being such that its owner had 
to abandon it, because he could not make a 
living on it,) had but two lots for tobacco, 
which, after once manuring, he cultivated for 
fifteen or twenty years alternately in tobacco 
and oats — returning the oats to the land. No 
planter in the State made larger crops, in pro- 
portion to the land cultivated, or obtained 
higher prices in market, and at the same time 
the other products of the estate were so in- 
creased, and the general improvement so great, 
that but one other farm in his district could 
be compared with it. The culture of tobacco 
is not necessarily incompatible with the im- 
provement of the soil. It is at least a very 
slow poison. 

Mr. William Garth of Albemarle, who is 
now publishing in your paper a series of arti- 
cles on the Management of the Tobacco Crop, 
which will be read with interest, as coming 
from one of the largest and most successful 
cultivators of this crop in Virginia, is also 
one of the largest grass, and grain and stock 
raisers. He has even supplied the New York 
market with some good beef. 

Mr. Garth has been for years in the habit 
of applying his large stores of manure to his 
"partially exhausted lands," and after an am- 
ple return in tobacco, he has been accustomed 
to reap crops of wheat off of the same land, 
quadruple in amount to what it would have 
produced without the previous preparation for 
and cultivation of the tobacco. 

Such lands he rightly considers as perma- 
nently improved, and that under a system of 
judicious management they will continue to 
yield an increased amount of grain, and grass, 
and stock, and manure; but Dr. Lee says that 
the crop of tobacco alone has exhausted the 



MM 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



105 



land of ten times as much potash as the ma- 
nure contained; and that most of the other 
\ important constituents of the soil have been 
exposed by the tillage, and have been washed 
out into the swamps and branches! 

Much of the organic matter or mould too, 
he says, must be sought for in the springs in 
the form of canic or apocrenic acids. But, 

"Facts are stubborn things, 
And canna' be disputed;" 

or overturned by theory. 

I have instanced the practice of Mr. Old 
and Mr. Garth, because at the same time that 
Ihey were known through the State to be large 
and successful planters, it was known that 
tbey had brought their lands to a compara- 
tively high state of fertility. 

I could fill this sheet with facts in opposition 
to Dr. Lee's theory, but the experience and ob- 
servation of every farmer must convince him 
that this new light is one that "dazzles to lead 
astray." 

We must not follow it. A bountiful Provi- 
dence never ordained that the industrious and 
intelligent manuring of the soil should result 
in certain and speedy barrenness. 

"A Virginia Farmer" can never be per- 
suaded, that the Father of all the families of 
the earth means to impose the horrors of star- 
vation upon his children, in spite of their best 
directed efforts to improve the patrimony with 
which he has endowed them. 

"There are more things in heaven and 
earth" than Dr. Lee has dreampt of. Admit 
that each crop in its turn takes from, the soil 
more ef its peculiar food than is returned to 
it in the shape of manure. As long as our 
lands are capable of producing crops there is 
no cause to despond, much less to despair. — 
There is a supply in reserve, ample in most 
cases for our wants, and the diligent and hope- 
ful farmer will never lack. If he will apply 
all Hue available resources of his farm Nature 
will supply every deficiency, 

Every stone, and pebble and bit of gravel 
contains a portion of one or more of the mi- 
neral constituents of soils. The clay is Na- 
ture's store-house for these substances. Al- 
ready abounding in them, it is a wise provision 
that it yields its wealth with reluctance to ihe 
shallow and slovenly cultivator, while it be- 
stows it, with no niggard hand, on the farmer 
who thoroughly breaks, and pulverizes, and 
drains, and manures his land. From their 
strong affinity for the clay, they become incor- 
porated with it as soon as they are dissolved 
by the rains, and I have reason to believe that 
a very small part of the inorganic manures 
is lost in the swamps and branches. 

Lime, as a general rule, has been found uni- 
versally applicable as a dressing for the lands, 
and this in much larger quantities than merely 
as a food for plants. I shall not stop to inquire 
into its mode of action. It is sufficient for my 
purpose to say that in the State of Virginia it 



has been proved, when used along with all the 
other methods of good husbandry, to be the 
substance which all our naturally thin lands 
require to advance them to the state of remu- 
nerative production. The different marls of 
Eastern Virginia and the extensive veins of 
limestone in other parts of the State, offer an 
abundant supply of this material to the farmer. 
I know very well that there are soils which 
require a specific manure before they can be 
improved, but they are exceptions to the gen- 
eral experience of the world, which shows 
that liming, in addition to all the other appli- 
ances which the good husbandman uses, is 
sufficient to improve and preserve the fertility 
of his land. 

There is but one other point in Dr. Lee's 
! reply which requires notice; and by the way, 
I it is the only attempt which he makes to de- 
; fend the principles and practice which he had 
no hesitation in recommending as the best 
means to improve "the naturally thin or par- 
tially exhausted lands of Virginia." He is 
still in favor of laying lands down in grass, 
by the use of the harrow alone. 

"Still harping on my daughter," and being 
of course, unable to bring either the authority 
of science or the weight of experience to his 
aid, he contents himself with drawing a fancy 
sketch of a dairy farm, consisting of a hun- 
dred acres of a foul and worn-out old field in 
Virginia, with the filth burned off and the 
grass seed and manure harrowed in on the 
surface, without any other preparation. 

Dr. Lee says that a northern dairy-man, 
(with the lights of "The Genesee Farmer" to 
guide him,) would stock this field the first 
year with fifty cows. Each cow would yield 
two hundred pounds of choice butter a year, 
which would sell for twenty-five cents a pound 
in any of our cities, and the buttermilk and 
other things would be worth five hundred dol- 
lars more. He would go on adding to his 
stock five cows annually, and in ten years he 
says one hundred acres of deserted old field would 
support one hundred cows, would be worth ten 
thousand dollars, and would yield an income of 
five thousand dollars in butter alone, (pork not 
included!) 

The Doctor adds, that "so sure as grass 
grows, this will be the result." I have my 
doubts. 

I will repeat again what I have already said 
more than once, and what I am confirmed in 
by the opinion and practice of all good far- 
mers; that when land is to be laid down in 
! grass it should not only be clean and well pul- 
1 verized, but all the roots and weeds should be 
| extirpated, and the condition of the soil made 
as perfect as previous thorough tillage and 
manuring can make it. 

If the grass will not grow with the prepara- 
tion which the Doctor advises, of course his 
plan of making a fortune must fail. I think, 
nay, I am certain, that it will fail. But the 
most surprising part of his scheme is, that in 
his twenty thousand pounds of butter, the 



106 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Doctor does not intend to sell any thing but 
air. This, he says, he can demonstrate. We 
will excuse him. He no douht uses the patent 
atmospheric churn. In Virginia we stick to the 
old dash churn, with cuffee at the handle; and 
as in most other things in which he is em- 
ployed, the butter turns out something more 
substantial. 

The Doctor thinks that he lias made a 
grand discovery! That a crop of milk and 
butter may be gently abstracted from the soil 
for an indefinite period, without its showing 
signs of loss; in other words, that you can do 
that by indirection which you could not possi- 
bly do by direct means. In Virginia we have 
high authority for believing that "all flesh is 
grass," and that the milk differs no more from 
the grass from which it is elaborated than the 
bread from the corn or the flour from the 
wheat. The Doctor has jumped at the con- 
clusion that butter is nothing but air, because 
the chemists tell us that the pure animal oils 
consist of nothing but carbon, and oxygen, 
and hydrogen, in the proportions which form 
water. But as we see it, butter is not a pure 
animal oil. A particular process is required 
to render it pure. There is much of the curd 
of miik taken up with, and incorporated in it, 
and this is one of the richest substances in 
phosphates and alkalies which is known. — 
There is, moreover; in all butter a mixture of 
whey, and this also contains more or less inor- 
ganic matter. 

"A Virginia Farmer" has never doubted 
that a dairy farm might be made profitable, 
but he puts no faith in such exaggerated pic- 
tures as the one Dr. Lee has drawn. 

Dr. Lee takes occasion to tell "A Virginia 
Farmer" that "at the great State Fair held at 
Rochester, New York, where one hundred 
thousand persons were expected to dine, good 
table butter was selling in the streets at eleven 
cents a pound, and this," he continues with an 
air of exultation, "the produclof free while labor." 

For the life of me I can see no cause for 

_ peculiar satisfaction at this circumstance; I 

am sorry they did not get twelve and a half 

' cents. We cannot afford to make it even at' 

that price. The wages of labor are too high 

1n Virginia for us to make butter at ninepence. 

Dr. Lee tells us that before he removert to 
Georgia, to edit the Southern Cultivator,, lje 
was himself keeping a dairy farm with some 
fifty cows. 

Now, sir, if an impoverished deserted' old 
field in Virginia, of one hundred acres, will 
yield an income of three thousand dollars, the 
first year, under his system of management, 
and in ten years will be worth ten thousand 
dollars, and yield an income of five thousand 
dollars, and pork wit/wul limit, what must have 
been the profits of a farm of the same size in 
New York, under the Doctor's own eye-'? It 
is impossible for us to restrain our astonish- 
ment, that when the Doctor appeared to "be 
settled and every thing to rights, writing for 
the papers, lecturing on agriculture, and attend- 



ing to the affairs of the nation like a good and 
patriotic citizen," while at the same time he 
was reaping a golden harvest from his dairy 
farm, he should have abandoned all the privi- 
leges of his situation, and yielded up, appa- 
rently without a stuggle, profits which it would 
be idle for us to attempt to reckon. 

The records of the Patent Office throw some 
light on this otherwise mysterious movement. 

"Oil ! that mine enemy would write a book!" 

In the Patent Office Report on Agriculture 
for 1850, Dr. Lee publishes to the world that 
in the State of New York "there are three 
hundred thousand farmers who are yearly im- 
poverishing their lands; that the finest wheat 
districts in the State, yield an average of only 
from five to eight bushels per acre; that much 
land is annually turned out in thin and poor 
pasture for a term of years." ("A Daniel 
come to judgment! yea, a Daniel!") "That 
in nearly half the counties of the State popu- 
lation has decreased, notwithstanding the rapid 
growth of her cities and villages, which de- 
mand an increase of farm laborers to supply 
the mere local markets." "A Daniel, still say 
I; a second Daniel." "The Genesee Farmer" 
and dairy husbandry, do not seem to have an- 
swered. Dr. Lee has administered his two 
panaceas, (either of which, he said, would do 
for Virginia,) yet the patient grows no better, 
but rather worse. The Doctor has become 
alarmed ; has deserted his patient in extremity, 
and has sought, in a distant and strange land, 
a new theatre for his practice. 

As I am only a plain, practical farmer, with 
no peculiar fitness to instruct others in agri- 
culture, or in any thing else — with no single 
qualification for investigating the true princi- 
ples or enforcing the right practice of this 
noble profession, which is not possessed in as 
great, or a greater degree, by each one of my 
associates, I here bid adieu to Dr. Lee and his 
heresies. If error has been exposed and truth 
vindicated, every thing has been accomplished 
which was proposed by 

"A Virginia Farmer." 



For the Southern Planter. 
MANAGEMENT OF SERVANTS. 

Mr. Editor, — At the request of some of my 
friends I send an article on the management 
of servants. 

Young servants should not be suffered to 
run off and hide when the master comes up, 
or any other white person; they should be 
taught to stand their ground, and speak when 
spoken to, in a polite manner; have them well 
clothed, and this thing is more easily accom- 
plished. A lot of ragged little negroes always 
gives a bad impression to strangers, and is often 
the cause of their running away and being 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



107 



hard to manage when grown. Talk to them; 
take notice of them; it soon gives them confi- 
* denee and adds greatly to their value. Some' 
few persons are too strict with servants; but 
for every one who errs in this way, one hun- 
dred may be found who go to the opposite ex- 
treme, and let them idle away their time and 
do no more than half work. The result is, in 
many cases, the master breads, the white fa- 
mily is left in poverty, and the poor negrpes 
are sold. No one can treat negroes well who 
does not make them work, and take care of 
what is made and bought. They become res-> 
tive, run abotot at night for want of exercise 
in the day, to pilfer, and visit, hear the news, 
&c. &c. Adams & Co.'s Express can't beat 
them in the transmission of all sorts of re- 
ports; they travel from ten to thirty miles in 
a night, and many, it seems, do with less sleep 
than almost any other animal. A great deal 
of whipping is not necessary; someis. If they 
know that they will be corrected when orders 
are disobeyed, in a proper manner, it is suffi- 
cient. Kindness when sick, and at all times 
when they deserve, or will permit it, is a great 
thing. The hope of reward and fear of punish- 
ment induce human action in master and ser- 
vant. Never overtask your servant; feed and 
clothe him well, allow a reasonable time for 
sleep, and you will not be apt to injure him by 
work in the day. Never scold nor threaten. . 
Your friend, »' 

W. W. Gilme"r; i 
Ivy Creek, Aliemarle, March 17, 1852. 



For the Southern Planter. 
STEAM AND WATER POWER. 

Mr. Editor, — In some essays which were 
published in the last volume of your useful 
journal I endeavored to enforce upon the 
Southern people the importance of greater at- 
tention to the advantages of steam and water 
power, and labor-saving machinery in general. 
I ascribed the superiority of our Northern 
brethren in the various mechanical operations 
to their greater enterprise in these departments. 

I also urged it as the most efficacious "'re- 
medy" for the interference with the institutions 
of the South. Once convince the Northern 
population that they are dependent upon the 
slave country for a demand and market for 
their fabrics — without which their enterprises 
would sicken and perish — and it would do more 
to accomplish the desirable objects of fraternal 
intercourse and interchange than the whole 
political machinery could effect in a century. 
But manual labor cannot compete with ma- 
chinery — nor can the staple commodities re- 
quiring ir, be as profitable as those which are 
aided by machinery. 

It is the rnanipula lion required by the tobacco 
crop and the consequent number of hands to 
be supported from the soil, that is the fountain 



of that desolation, which invariably follows 
in its train, and not the exhausting nature of 
the plant itself. 

In connexion with this subject I undertook 
to describe some machinery which I had at- 
tached to the water power of a grist mill— con- 
sisting of a grist mill, also fixed to crush and 
grind grain and cob together, with a fan to 
blow off impurities — a large up and down saw, 
and a small one — a circular saw in a work 
bench — a turning lathe — a grindstone, &c. — all 
propelled by the same water wheel, at com- 
paratively little expense, and by a very small 
stream. Having the workmen, and various 
materials convenient, I was induced to enlarge 
the operations by the addition of flour fixtures, 
besides others, which, commanding an exten- 
sive custom, required the aid of some other 
power. This was supplied by a steam engine 
which I had an opportunity of purchasing 
with a warranty of successful performance at 
a comparatively low price, having been pre- 
viously used in a saw mill. While other mat- 
ters may be incidentally discussed, the chief 
object of this communication is to announce 
the perfect and successful harmony of action 
between steam and water power, as I deem it 
the duty of every citizen, particularly every 
farmer, to communicate whatever he may 
deem important to the promotion of the agricul- 
tural interest and whatever may be incidental 
and auxiliary to it. There is no difficulty in 
propelling the whole machinery (though per- 
haps not all at one time) either by water alone, 
or by steam alone, or combined in equal quan- 
tities, or with more of one and less of the 
other. This, I presume, has been done re- 
peatedly in other sections, but I have never 
seen it attempted in the South, except at the 
Swift Creek Cotton Factory, near Petersburg, 
where, I believe, it did not succeed well, in 
consequence of some deftct in the manner of 
its application. It can be attached to any 
part of the machinery which will allow a 
band-wheel to connect with the band-wheel of 
the engine. My saw mill was propelled by a 
horizontal shaft connected by a small spur- 
wheel with the driving-wheel of the grist mill. 
On this horizontal shaft was a face cog-wheel, 
about eight feet in diameter, which propelled 
the saw mill. I had nothing to do but to ex- 
tend a band from the band-wheel of the engine 
on to the driving-wheel of the saw mill, which 
is so connected with the other machinery 
(though easily detached) as to propel the whole, 
if necessary. 1 have had an opportunity of 
testing its performance fully, for during the 
unprecedented dry fall it has been necessary 
to use the engine in assistance of the water 
power, or without it, for more than sixty days 
in succession, and a large portion of many of 
the nights— as the pressure on the various 
operations, particularly the flour department, 
was very great. The hands about the mill 
were of more than ordinary intelligence, but 
had never managed a steam engine. I have 
never, however, had any difficulty on this ac- 



108 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



count. There being a sai'ety valve to let off 
the steam long before the capacity of the en- 
gine is filled, and the water being made hot by 
a condenser before it is conducted into the 
boilers, I do not see the danger from bursting. 
I understand accidents of this kind generally 
happen from the sudden rush of cold water 
into heated boilers. But this is so situated 
that by means of a lead tube from the forebay 
a gradual supply is always afforded to the con- 
denser, where it is heated in its passage to the 
boilers. My engine was of about eight horse 
power, with a single boiler. Another boiler 
was added, which would probably increase it 
to twelve-horse power, though I have rarely 
seen it up to half its power. 

It might be deemed useless to communicate 
the successful co-operation of these two ele- 
ments without discussing the expediency and 
profit of their use or combination. From my 
experience I certainly would not recommend 
the erection of a grist mill to be propelled by 
steam for the benefit of the toll — nor, indeed, 
unless in a very favorable position, any one 
mill, though for wheat or sawing it might be 
profitable. The question might be considered 
whether a person might not use an engine for 
two months in a year at a loss to enhance very 
much his custom during the other ten months, 
as it is known that nothing so much enhances 
the custom of a mill as the certainty of always 
having the grain ground. Before I purchased 
this mill its custom would not have occupied 
it half of each day, and now the constant use 
of both steam and water would not supply 
half the demand; though this is ascribable 
much to the flour and sawing fixtures, which 
were not formerly attached to it. Each indi- 
vidual can judge for himself the effect to be 
produced by such arrangements, much depend- 
ing on the location, &c. My object is only to 
announce the perfect practicability of what I 
have stated, leaving the expediency to be de- 
termined by the peculiar incidental circum- 
stances. While I might doubt the policy of 
the expenditure for any one operation, I might 
not hesitate to recommend it where several 
can be combined. And though I might deem 
the warning "not to have too many irons in 
the fire" very wise and proper, in the general, 
still it might happen that after securing a cer- 
tain amount of power and preparation for one 
department, (suitable also for others,) good 
judgment and prudence might require its em- 
ployment for those other purposes. By putting 
one common rough band-wheel with slats four 
or five feet wide, (not costing five dollars,) on 
the horizontal shaft of the saw mill, I could 
run six bands, propelling that number of the 
different machines. Nothing is now required 
but the cost of a band and ordinary threshing 
box to thresh wheat, which is my purpose; 
and it can also be cleaned and manufactured 
on the spot. Without the least expectation of 
it at first, I found that in preparing for other 
operations, I had all the important and essen- 
tial materials for an extensive tannery. Trees 



I wished to cut down to clear the land and 
supply timber for the saw mill, also affording 
fine bark, otherwise wasted; machinery for 
other purposes, which also grinds bark with 
great facility, and comparatively without ex- 
pense. An engine is considered so important 
in the operations of a large tannery that it is 
considered a judicious investment, though used 
for no other purpose. By means of lead pipes 
the vats are filled with water without trouble, 
of consequence, which is boiled or heated by 
other pipes from the engine, so as to extract 
the substance from the bark in a very short 
time, and obviate the delay incident to cold or 
freezing weather, and lessening very much the 
time, and quantity of bark otherwise required. 
It is under the management and supervision 
of an intelligent gentleman of long experience 
both in England and this country, who is en- 
titled to the credit of its peculiar arrangement, 
and fully open to the inspection and examina- 
tion (as well as every thing about the estab- 
lishment) of any person whose interest or cu- 
riosity might prompt it — not being restrained 
by any consideration of self-interest to with- 
hold anything useful from any apprehension 
of competition, but anxious to communicate 
whatever may be advantageous to the com- 
munity atlarge, or to individuals. Any person, 
however, would be much disappointed in anti- 
cipating any appearance caused by expendi- 
ture beyond the cheapest and plainest practical 
utility. 

My remarks have been more diversified con- 
cerning the operations of a steam engine, be- 
cause while no one department might justify 
the expense, the combination might. I look 
to the introduction of steam into the different 
ramifications of agriculture as one of the most 
certain and most important incidents and con- 
comitants yet to be attained for general use. 
Some improvements, lessening the expense, 
and increasing the facility of managing it, are 
yet to be developed, and it is with much grati- 
fication that I perceive the interest on the sub- 
ject evinced by premiums offered by the dif- 
ferent agricultural associations. In addition 
to the practical advantage there is humanity 
and satisfaction in accomplishing arduous 
operations without the exertion and exhaustion 
of animal muscle. 

With guano to fertilize the land for wheat, 
drills to sow it, reapers to cut it, steam to 
thresh it, and rail roads and other facilities to 
transport it to market, it would be difficult to 
prescribe limits to the productions of our 
country; and though the price per bushel 
might be reduced, the net income might still 
be enlarged, besides the comfortable and hu- 
mane influences which peace and plenty would 
spread throughout our highly favored land. 

These are objects of national importance, 
and as far as is proper should engage the at- 
tention of the government; and it is gratifying 
to witness its beneficial influence through the 
agency of the Patent Office. 

If something could now be done within its 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



109 



legitimate sphere to reduce the price of guano, 
and place it within the reach of moderate 
I means, some atonement would be made for 
the neglect which this most important interest 
I has heretofore suffered; and the politicians 
might thus secure the commendations which 
at their expense are bestowed on those who 
"make two blades of grass to grow where but 
one grew before." 

Edwin G. Booth. 
Nottoway County, Va. 



For the Southern Planter. 

HOW TO ADVANCE AGRICULTURAL 
SCIENCE. 

Mr. Rvffin, — The great reproach of agricul- 
ture has long been its slow progress toward 
improvement. Should I have hit upon one 
chief cause of this, and in some degree its 
remedy, you would, I am sure, value the fee- 
blest ray of light on this our great national 
interest. 

Agriculture is an experimental science, with 
this striking peculiarity, that a whole year is re- 
quired for one experiment. When the falling of 
an apple suggested to Sir Isaac Newton an 
inquiry as to its cause, he could repeat that or 
similar trials to any desirable extent in a short 
time. So also of chemistry and most other 
objects of experimental scientific research. — 
This difficulty as to time is plain and undenia- 
) ble, yet I have never seen it insisted on, or 
turned to any practical account. The remedy 
would seem to be to combine the united efforts 
of many observers, such as we may now find 
in our State Society. The true key to pro- 
gress in this work has, I think, been found by 
the "Hole and Corner Club of Albemarle, 
No. 1," and only requires to be enlarged and 
applied to the whole State, to produce the hap- 
piest results. The leading idea of their asso- 
ciation was to devise, with due deliberation, a 
set of experiments for each year, to be tried 
by select committees, and their exact results 
to be reported. Should the Executive Com- 
mittee of our Society do this office, of plan- 
ning carefully, and, if possible, in tabular form, 
some twenty to fifty experiments, and then 
distribute the duty of their performance to 
some twenty or fifty persons for each one, in 
sections of two or three in different neighbor- 
hoods throughout the State; we could hope to 
Jearn something certain each i year. Should all 
these substantially agree on their special sub- 
ject, then it might be set down as p-oven, if 
any serious contradiction, try it again. These 
gentlemen of the Hole and Corner Club have 
settled sundry points to their satisfaction; but 
if tried on an adequate scale, general convic- 
tion would be the result. 

After selecting the most important matters 
for fall experiment, a list of queries should 
also be proposed, to invite observation and re- 



flection, as well as to elicit information from 
such persons as may happen to know the pro- 
per answers. 

A State fair for live stock, agricultural im- 
plements and rare productions, is necessary, 
as showing important results of labor and in- 
genuity in a pleasing and profitable way; as 
also to encourage association and more ex- 
tended acquaintance among ourselves. But 
so far from being the chief object of our So- 
ciety, I rather look upon them as necessary 
evils. 

Should these views meet your approval and 
be carried out, I shall feel highly gratified; 
for I really believe that the talent and energy 
of our State thus directed and made co-opera- 
tive, will do more to advance our science than 
the isolated and random efforts of "all the 
world beside." The advantage of a State So- 
ciety to draw forth and diffuse what may be 
already known on agriculture is very great; 
but the above views seem to imply an absolute 
necessity for such an institution to insure any 
progress. They certainly afford the strongest 
argument I can conceive for the incorporation 
and endowment of our Society by the Legis- 
lature, as well as for its cordial support by all 
who are, or wish to be, improving farmers — 
As soon expect an individual to build a rail 
road and drag the car himself, as to push for- 
ward the car of agricultural science alone. 
Yours, sincerely, 

Thomas W. Meriwether. 

February, 1852. 



For the Southern Planter. 

TOBACCO. 

[Continued from January No. of Planter.! 

In our first article upon this subject, we 
brought the crop up to the process of hilling, 
and 'his we recommended should be done 
early while there is "season" in the land. In a 
full crop this is often impracticable, and the 
planter is forced to depend for season upon 
the rains that fall after hilling. This should 
not change the shape of the hills. They 
should still be pointed and only so many cut 
off in anticipation of a shower as you have 
plants to fill. If cut off and allowed to stand 
for any considerable time the hills bake and 
require freshening up before being planted. 
Plants stand better in hills freshly cut off. It 
is a common error to cut off hills too high. 
An elevation of six inches above the common 
level is sufficient on ordinary land. Indeed 
we consider land unfit for tobacco that re- 
quires higher hilling. Wet spots, however, oc- 
casionally occur in land cropped in tobacco, 
which rather than leave unoccupied we plant, 
and do so by giving increased height to the 
hill. In advocating low hilling and priming, 
our friend Gilmer says, "it is better to have 



110 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



•«! 



lugs at bottom than at top" and we agree with 
him. 

Planting with too muck season, (upon red 
stiff land particularly,) is fatal to a crop, as 
clods are thus formed about the roots of the 
plant that no after cultivation can reduce. A 
safe rule is never to plant tobacco until the 
land is sufficiently dry to work with a hoe. 

Many persons, (overseers particularly,) err 
in not allowing plants to attain proper size be- 
fore setting them. Small plants may be used 
in new ground, but never in old land, except 
very early in the season, when the beds require 
thinning. 

In planting it is only necessary to observe 
the following precautions: First, to insert the 
plant a little below the depth at which it grew 
in the bed — straightening the roots in so doing. 
Secondly, to press the soil well about the root; 
and thirdly, to avoid bruising the plant either 
with the stick in pressing, or the fingers in 
holding it. Then fold the leaves gently to the 
north, and place a clod or stone on the south 
side so as to shade Ihe plant from the sun. 
This clodding is necessary except in long con- 
tinued rains, when the roots will take hold 
before the sun kills the bud. A thunder 
ihower is not sufficient to dispense with clod- 
ding; on the contrary the hill being heated by 
the sun, a sudden shower will scald the plant, 
unless protected, as recommended. The clods 
should be left on until the roots have taken 
hold, which is usually in from four to seven 
days, and then removed in the evening. 

If planting be done late plaster should be 
applied to the bud as soon as the clods are re- 
moved, but if the crop be forward this opera- 
tion may be deferred until the first of June. 
Plaster is indispensable to the tobacco crop — 
increasing its weight twenty-five per cent. 
When applied to the bud, a very small quan- 
tity is necessary — say from one half to a thim- 
bleful. It is hardly necessary to say that 
missing hills should be re-planted. This, 
however, should be done as soon as possible, 
so as to insure an even crop, and it is better 
to get a perfect stand upon one land before 
you commence on another. 

The amount and kind of cultivation depend 
so much upon circumstances, that it is difficult 
to lay down any general rules for working this 
crop. It is all important that tobacco land 
should be kept at all stages of the crop 
thoroughly light and clean. Of ordinary sea- 
sons, as a first working, we break the land, if 
free of grass, by striking three licks to the 
row with a new ground coulter— or if there 
be much grass, running twice with the coulters 
and spliting the list with a shovel plough, and 
then with hilling hoes scrape down the hills, 
covering up what grass the ploughs have left, 
and breaking the crust around the plant. In 
dry weather it is well to draw a little loose 
dirt about the root. 

The next working we give with the shovel 
ploughs, breaking the land and covering up 
the grass, and follow with the hoes, drawing 



the dirt to the hill, or "hillingup;" and if the 
plant be of sufficient size, " priming off" the 
lower leaves and putting fresh dirt about the f 
roots. This will suffice for new ground, but 
old land will require another working, which 
is given with the plough and hoes, if the size 
of the tobacco admit of it — otherwise with 
the hoe alone. 

The height at which tobacco should be 
"primed" depends upon the variety cultivated. 
We prime the Ruffle to about six inches. 
When the plant has attained sufficient size to 
give the proper number of leaves above this 
priming, it should be at once topped. This is 
done by breaking out the bud with such care 
as not to injure the top leaves, which are very 
delicate and easily injured by rough handling. 
Experience soon renders a hand expert at this 
operation, and it is well to leave it to a few 
hands who have acquired this experience. 
Like every other operation in tobacco topping 
should be done in time, as the smaller the bud 
the slighter the wound inflicted upon the stalk 
by breaking it. 

Early plants on rich land may be topped to 
nine leaves, but we aim to bring the crop 
generally to eight, to which number we top 
until the 10th August, when we fall one leaf 
for each week. 

About the 10th of August it becomes neces- 
sary to "worm and sucker" the crop once a 
week. Suckers should, under no circumstan- 
ces, be allowed to grow longer than a man's 
finger, as their growth greatly exhausts the 
plant. Every planter should wage constant 
war upon the tobacco fly, and to this end we ad- , 
vise the cultivation about the house of the 
sweet or monthly honeysuckle, of which the 
fly is very fond. One of our neighbors, from 
a few bushes, destroyed several thousand flies 
last season. 

As the tobacco plant ripens it thickens up, 
becomes brittle, (breaking when gently pressed 
between the finger and thumb,) and loses that 
peculiar fuzzy appearance it has when green. 
Experience is required in judging when a 
plant is ready for the knil'e. More persons err 
in cutting too green than in letting the crop 
stand too long. As a plant is cut it should be 
inverted over its own stubble and allowed to 
stand until the sun Umbers it sufficiently to ad- 
mit of its being handled without breaking the 
leaves, then collecting the plants, stack and 
cover with bushes, &c. so as to protect against 
sun-burning. It is well to freshen up the land 
on which tobacco is stacked to prevent cod- 
dling. The plants may either be hauled to 
the house and hung, or hung in the field, shin- 
gled down, and hauled upon the stick. We 
usually hang about nifle plants to the stick, 
and place the sticks about eight inches apart 
in the house. We prefer housing the crop at 
once to scaffolding. 

Having allowed the crop to yellow, we 
apply slow fires at first, and increase the heat 
gradually until about the third day, when full 
heat may be applied. The great danger in 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Ill 



firing is in applying too much heat at first. 
We think a better color is given by allowing 
the fires to go down at night than by keeping 
Mhem up constantly. The firing should be 
* continued until the stem is thoroughly cured 
up; and if the crop be allowed to hang in the 
house until warm weather, must be removed 
in warm damp weather to prevent mould. 

Wjl. G-4RTH, 

R. W. N. Noland. 
Ivy Creek, Albemarle, Va. 



For the Southern Planter. 

COLIC AND BOTS IN HORSES. 

The horse to the farmer is the right arm of 
his power, yet his diseases are the least 
known, and the least intelligent prescribe with 
confidence for all his ailments. There is, 
perhaps, not one of our domestic animals 
whose whole natural habits are so changed by 
his treatment. Instead of the green herbage 
and free air of his Datural pasturage, he is 
confined to close stables, and fed upon heating 
and inflammatory food; hence in his domes- 
ticated condition, no animal is subject to such 
violent inflammations, which run their career 
to gangrene and death, with such fearful ra- 
pidity, that his health has been classed as one 
of the three most uncertain things, viz: "the 
beauty of a woman, the love of a boy, and 
the health of a horse. : ' Whatever be the seat 
of his disease he has but one mode of indica- 
* ting suffering. Thus a foundered horse will 
r roll violently from the pain of spirits of tur- 
pentine poured into his feet, and with inflam- 
mation of his lungs he puts his nose to his 
flank. What presumption then is it to admin- 
ister whiskey, spirits of turpentine, and a 
score of other inflammatory medicines to an 
animal already suffering from a dangerous in- 
flammation of some vital organ. I have seen 
somewhere an allegorical painting of a phy- 
sician represented as a traveller in the dark, 
his medicine a bludgeon in his hand, the pa- 
tient his dog, the disease a wolf attacking the 
dog, and the physician laying on with his 
bludgeon, knocking over the patient as often 
as the disease. How much worse must the 
poor horse fare in the hands of brutality and 
ignorance. 

Of horses examined by myself after death, 
one feeding heartily and apparently well at 
night and found dead in the morning, had suf- 
fered from violent inflammation of the sto- 
mach; the cuticular coat having extensively 
separated from the muscular — a second died 
from inflammation and gangrene of the large 
intestines — a third from inflammation and 
gangrene of the small intestines — a fourth 
from inflammation of the lungs. In every 
instance a destructive inflammation of some 
vital organ. Yet the practice in every case 
was to administer remedies calculated to 



aggravate the inflammation. Horses have 
doubtless often got well in spite of these reme- 
dies — but with an animal predisposed to such 
inflammatory attacks, would it not be the 
more prudent plan to adopt another class of 
remedies. Bleed freely first, and then admin- 
ister mild cathartics, with large doses of lau- 
danum, to relieve pain, spasm or stricture. 
The effect of a large dose of laudanum is the 
reverse of a small one — it produces the most 
perfect relaxation. This remedy would be as 
efficient in colic, and would guard against its 
termination in inflammation. A weak solu- 
tion of lye is often a safe and efficient remedy 
in this disease, the lye operating as super car- 
bonate of soda. 

Where the distension was such as to indi- 
cate a dangerous accumulation of air, the 
medicine for hoven cattle, viz. 2 drachms of 
the chloride of lime, dissolved in two quarts 
of water, to be repeated within an interval of 
an hour, if necessary, might answer perfectly 
well. The air generated in the stomach or 
intestines of the horse is the same as that ge- 
nerated in hoven cattle, viz. sulphuretted hy- 
drogen. Upon introducing the chloride of 
lime into the stomach of the hoven animal, the 
chlorine drops the lime, unites with the hydro- 
den, and forms muriatic gas. This gas is 
absorbed by the water of the stomach and 
forms muriatic acid, its bulk being reduced a 
thousand fold ; the muriatic acid unites with 
the lime and forms the harmless muriate of 
lime. Thus has science by her deductions in- 
troduced one of the most valuable of cattle 
medicines. This is no theory, but found in 
practice to be true in every particular. With 
cattle it should be administered by means of 
the stomach pump. 

In Europe veterinary surgeons and physi- 
cians are educated with far more care to ad- 
minister to their domestic animals than we 
often educate our physicians to minister to 
ourselves. They have there the same para- 
site, the bots or grubs that we have here, yet 
those veterinarians consider it as ha mless. 
"The bots cannot, while they inhabit the sto- 
mach of the horse give the animal any pain, 
for they are fastened on to the cuticular or in- 
sensible coat. They cannot be injurious to 
the horse, for he enjoys the most perfect 
health, while the cuticular coat of the stomach 
is filled with them. They cannot be removed 
by medicine, for they are not in that part of 
the stomach to which medicine is usually con- 
veyed ; and if they were, their mouths are too 
deeply embedded in the mucus for any medi- 
cine that can be safely administered to effect 
them." 

If the horse is opened the moment he dies, 
they are never found to have attacked the 
stomach. If he is killed suddenly in health 
and lies until he is cold, they are found always 
to have eaten through the stomach. The bots 
are licked off by the horse and carried with 
the food into the stomach, where they attach 
themselves firmly by means of a hook on each 



112 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



side of the mouth to the mucus membrane. 
When full grown they pass out with the food, 
burrow in the ground and transform into the 
fly. When the horse dies and his food fails, it 
is probably instinctive in them to cut their way 
out. In a horse that had died from an inflam- 
mation of the stomach, the mucus coat having 
extensively separated, they were found ga- 
thered upon the sound parts which they had 
cut through, the inflamed portion having no 
trace of injury from them. In supposing that 
grubs are a disease of the horse, we have 
attributed effects during life to causes happen- 
ing after death — and what nostrums have been 
forced down the throat of the poor horse to 
cure this imaginary disease, and with what 
confidence has the stomach, perforated after 
death by the grubs, been shown as the cause 
of death! 

Th. J. Randolph. 



For the Southern Planter. 

Mr. Editor, — The interest which has been 
awakened in different parts of the State, in 
behalf of the cause of Agriculture, has occa- 
sioned frequent calls for the form of a Consti- 
tution, adapted to the organization of local or 
County Societies, to meet which, I beg of you 
the favor to publish the annexed in the South- 
ern Planter. Aratpr. 

Constitution of the Agricultural Society of the 
County of . 

1. The style of this Society shall be the 

Agricultural Society of the County of ; 

its objects shall be to improve the condition of 
Agriculture, Horticulture and Household Arts. 

2. The Society shall consist of such per- 
sons as shall signify their wish to become 
members, and shall pay, on subscribing, not 
less than dollars, and annually, thereaf- 
ter, not less than dollars; and, also, of 

honorary and corresponding members. 

The officers of the Society shall consist of 
a President, six Vice Presidents, a Recording 
Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, a Trea- 
surer and an Executive Committee, to consist 
of the officers above named, and five other 
members, of whom five shall constitute a 
quorum. The payment of $20 r more, shall 
constitute a member for life, and shall exempt 
the payer from annual contributions. 

The annual contribution for membership 
shall be considered as due, and payable on 

the day of , in each successive 

year. 

The Recording Secretary shall keep the 
minutes of the Society. 

The Corresponding Secretary shall carry 
on the correspondence of the Society, with 
other societies, with neighborhood clubs, and 
with individuals, in furtherance of the objects 
of the Society. 



The Treasurer shall keep the funds of the 
Society, and disburse them on the order of the 
President or Vice President, countersigned by 
the Recording Secretary, and shall make a 
report of the receipts and expenditures of the 
Society at each annual meeting. 

The Executive Committee shall hold stated 
meetings, and adopt particular regulations for 
carrying into effect the general objects and 
instructions of the Society; shall take charge 
of and distribute or preserve all seeds, plants, 
books, models, &c. which may be presented to 
the Society — and shall also have the charge 
of all communications designed or calculated 
for publication, so far as they may deem ex- 
pedient, shall collect, arrange and publish the 
same in such manner and form as they shall 
deem best calculated to promote the objects of 
the Society. 

5. There shall be an annual meeting of the 
Society, at such time and place as the Execu- 
tive Committee may appoint, at which time 
all the officers of the Society shall be elected, 
who shall serve until their successors are ap- 
pointed, and shall have power to fill all va- 
cancies occurring by deaths, resignations or 
otherwise, until the next general meeting of 
the Society. 

Extra meetings may be convoked by the 
Executive Committee. 

Fifteen members shall be a quorum for the 
transaction of business. 

6. This Constitution may be amended by a 
vote of two-thirds of the members attending 
any annual meeting. 



For the Southern Planter. 

GOOD MANAGEMENT. 

Mr. Editor,— Permit me to introduce — 
through the columns of your valuable agri- 
cultural journal— to the attention of the farm- 
ing public, the system and management, so 
plainly visible, on the premisesof Daniel Jones, 
Esq. of James City. Having been afforded 
the gratification of visiting his farm, thereby 
receiving an ocular demonstration of his 
priority in agriculture, as well as the nurture 
of stock, I take the more pleasure in holding 
him up as a beacon, to guide his neighbors to 
that distinction and supremacy, that he has 
so meritoriously attained, by his untiring en- 
deavors to improve in that science, the colors 
of which he has so gloriously borne. He has 
not only proved his loyal devotion to the 
cause of Ceres, but his pastures also stand 
unsurpassed. I have seen, coming forth from 
them, in unbroken phalanx, his herds of cat- 
tle, looking little inferior to those raised on 
our Western prairies. My attention was also 
directed to a group of young hogs, evidently 
showing the choice contents of the granary. 
Upon inquiry, I was informed that, for many 
years, Mr. Jones has been an unremitting sub- 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 



113 



scriber to the Planter, to which is doubtlessly 
attributable his success. 
To those residing near him, I would say, 
I examine for yourselves — and to those at a 
' " distance I would suggest, that they join me 
in an earnest solicitation to Mr. Jones, to ap- 
pear within the Planter, for their edification 
and improvement. Then we may hope for 
a re-invigoration of our worn-out Virginia 
lands. Agricola. 



vvr.''--8r* 




THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 
RICHMOND, APRIL, 1852. 



TERMS. 

One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents per 
annum, which may be discharged by the pay- 
ment of One Dollar only, if paid in office or 
sent free of postage within six months from 
the date of subscription. Six copies for Five 
Dollars; thirteen copies for Ten Dollars, 
to be paid invariably in advance. 

O* Subscriptions may begin with any num- 
ber. 

0*No paper will be discontinued, until all 
arrearages are paid, except at the option of 
ihe Publisher. 

Or Office on Twelfth, between Main and 
Gary Streets. 



POSTAGE ON THE PLANTER. 

The following are the rates of postage on 
the Planter, per quarter, for the distances an- 
nexed — to be paid quarterly in advance: 

Not over 50 miles, 1 j cents. 

Over 50 and not over 300 miles, 2£ cents. 

Over 300 and not over 1000 miles, 3j cents. 

Ovpt 1000 and not over 2000 miles, 5 cents. 

Over 2000 and not over 4000 miles, 6$ cents. 

Over 4000 miles, 7i cents. 



TIMELY WARNING. 

All subscribers who do not order a discon- 
tinuance before the commencement of the new 
year or volume, will be considered as desiring 
a continuance of their papers, and charged 
accordingly. 



STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

The Executive Committee met in Richmond 
on the 19th of February, and adopted a consti- 
tution and a scheme of premiums for exhibi- 
tion. We shall publish such part of our pro- 
ceedings as we deem interesting in our next 
paper. At present we have no room for them. 
The scheme of premiums we are particularly 
pleased with, and call attention to it now in 
advance of its appearance. 

We learn that the application to the Legis- 
lature for an appropriation is very favorably 
received. We are glad to hear it, and hope 
we may not be put off with the excuse of hard 
times and heavy taxes. If the farmers of 
Virginia would only stir themselves, and write 
to their members in the Legislature, there 
could be but little doubt of our getting all we 
want. As it is we can but hope. 

We are sorry to have to report but a small 
addition to the list of members of the Society. 
The farmers cannot be got to take the trouble 
to solicit subscriptions, and even here in the 
city of Richmond, where there are not less 
than one thousand who would join at a word 
if the thing was brought to their minds, we 
have less than two hundred. We hope the 
farmers can be shamed into something better. 



PLANTATION AND FARM BOOK. 

Mr. J. W. Randolph, the publisher, has sent 
us the Plantation and Farm Instruction, Regu- 
lation, Record, Inventory and Account Book, 
for the use of overseers; and for the better 
Ordering and Management of Plantation and 
Farm Business in every particular. 

We have looked into this book, which is so 
arranged as that an overseer or the owner, if 
he chooses, can keep an accurate record of all 
his transactions and of all his stock, imple- 
ments, &c. To men who mean to do this, as 
all should, it is a valuable work and will show 
them how to do it. But as farmers generally 
conduct such things, it will not be of much 
use, not from its defects, but from their own. 

We hope that many farmers will buy the 
work, (it costs only $2 for 103 pages ruled 
and otherwise arranged with great system, 
including many very valuable tables and ge- 
neral remarks,) and make an effort to keep 
things straight. 



114 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



CORN-VERY IMPORTANT. 

As many persons will have thinned their 
corn before the Maynumberof the Planter can 
reach them, we advise our readers now to leave 
a part of their crop only partially thinned, for 
the use of the hogs. Let them leave at the rate 
of an acre for every thirty hogs, the corn to be 
cut up and fed whole to the hogs, stalk and all, 
as soon as they have gleaned the harvest field, 
or before, if they cannot be put into it. This is 
no theory — the best farmers in the State have 
practised it for years. It fattens hogs in the 
summer, saves corn, and is both cheaper and 
better than root crops. We have tried it for 
eleven years, and never regretted it. "We 
shall speak of it again in May. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 

We have nothing to do with the advertise- 
ments of the Planter. We make not one cent 
by them, and make it a rule to recommend 
nothing that we do not approve, whether ad- 
vertised or not. But as some complaint has 
been made, we beg leave to present the expla- 
nation of the proprietor. Mr. Bernard says 
that so long as the subscription list is as mea- 
gre as at present, he cannot afford to reject 
advertisements. The Planter is now larger 
than it was at first, though the price has not 
been increased— more than a third larger— and 
it is half the size of the old Farmer's Register, 
which cost five times as much money. We 
are daily receiving letters of encouragement 
and approbation, and shall try to keep up to 
the high standard we have adopted, but we 
shall be compelled as a revenue measure to in- 
sert advertisements. We shall, for the most 
part, however, only put in such as are connected 
with the farmers' interests. 

Our list of payments is published in the 
Planter because it saves postage, either to the 
subscriberor the publisher. Whenevera sub- 
scriber desires a receipt, he can get it, but he 
will have to pay postage. Postages are a 
heavy item in a newspaper office. 



We ask attention to the communication of 
Mr. Richardson. It alone is worth to those 
who seek to improve, ten times the price of 
the Planter. 



CORRESPONDENTS. 

Several very good communications on hand 
are unavoidably delayed. They shall appear* I 
in their order. 



For the Southern Planter. 

MANAGEMENT OF A FARM IN PRINCE 
EDWARD. 

" He who by the plough would thrive 
Himself must either hold or drive." 

So said Benjamin Franklin, a great practi- 
cal man. In this part of Virginia, where the 
lands are poor and the people not the most 
skilful in managing them, I, on my part, de- 
termined from early life to manage so as to 
make up by energy, economy and neatness in 
executing my work, the deficiencies of my 
land in rich and valuable qualities; and unless 
I am much mistaken the individual who fails 
to act upon this principle, whether in Virginia 
or elsewhere, must see his property rapidly 
diminish in value, and finally change hands. 
By birth a Virginian, and even believing that 
I live in a land possessing as many or more 
advantages than any State in the Union, I 
have, with an onward march, a steady course, 
and a never-tiring disposition, worked outfaith- 
fully whatever I undertook to do, and will hold 
on to the old ship until she sails right; aiding, 
in my humble measure, in the great and good 
work of reform. When passing through many 
parts of this country, I view the work of our 
ancestors, the fields made barren by their reck- 
less mismanagement, for a moment I am filled 
with doubt and overcome with gloom and sor- 
row, and ask myself "can the work of reform 
be carried out so as to stimulate the youthful 
sons of Virginia to remain and lend a helping 
hand, or shall we by our bad example, con- 
tinue to spread desolation and ruin, quietly 
folding our arms, and making no effort to 
check the current of emigration rapidly rolling 
on in pursuit of Western treasures'!" Those 
who charjge their residences seek to benefit 
themselves thereby. Yet how often do we see 
this fair and glowing Western vision melt into 
gloom and ruin. True, many succeed: but 
such might attain the object of their ambition 
here as elsewhere. When once a change in 
Virginia management shall become apparent, 
and the current of public opinion shall set in 
this direction, then will a check be given to 
the restless and wandering spirit of emigra- 
tion; then, and not till then, will Virginians 
settle down permanently and lend a helping 
hand to the great work of reform. I speak 
from experience. Virginia presents the greatest 
attraction to her sons; nothing is wanting but 
energy, a determination to go to work, and 
when once embarked in the good cause, not 
to spend a shilling where only nineper.ce has 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



115 



been made, but to lay up something yearly; 
and never to cultivate five acres of land to 
pake five barrels of corn when one will do 
t*the work; never to fatten twenty hogs for two 
thousand pounds of pork when len will make 
the quantity; never to spread twenty loads of 
manure over two acres of land when it is not 
more than half enough for one. Let us try 
and work upon this principle, and we will 
make more money, improve our lands faster, 
live better and enjoy every thing around us, 
and the home we once thought of giving up 
lo the stranger as worthless and uninviting 
will become a pleasure and a joy to us. 

The above is a preface to a statement of my 
management of land and manures, and a par- 
tial account of my mode of cropping, &c. 
which a friend has requested me to send you. 
It may not be improper in me to do it, whether 
I shall be received familiarly or not by the more 
enlightened and skilful farmers and planters 
of Virginia, for it is a very poor flower that 
the bee can gather no honey from. 

My principal crops are tobacco, wheat and 
oats; each crop being yearly turned into money 
as soon as it can be done, except enough wheat 
for family consumption and seed. The oat 
crop being valuable is likewise sold, except 
seed. I cultivate small crops of corn upon 
the three-field system, and never fail to make 
enough and some for sale; in fact, 1 try to sell 
something of every thing I raise. In the com- 
mencement of operations on my farm where I 
now live, seven years ago I laid off for tobacco 
and wheat, (my corn land being generally 
,.$ seeded in oats and the best parts in wheat,) 
seven lots, each being manured when put in 
tobacco. I generally seed three in wheat, one 
after tobacco and two on clover fallow, never 
permitting my lots to remain in clover for 
wheat but one year. But the lot designed for 
tobaeco remains one year longer, as will be 
seen by the following diagram, illustrating the 
rotation: 

No. 1.— 1st year tobacco and wheat; 3d year 
wheat fallow; 5th year wheat fallow. 

No. 2.— 1st year wheat fallow; 3d year wheat 
fallow; 6th year tobacco and wheat. 

No. 3. — 1st year wheat fallow ; 4th year to- 
bacco and wheat; 6th year wheat fallow. 

No. 4. — 2d year tobacco and wheat; 4th year 
wheat fallow; 6th year wheat fallow. 

No.5.— 2d yearwheat fallow; 4thyearwheat 
fallow; 7th year tobacco and wheat. 

No. 6— 2d yearwheat fallow; 5th year to- 
bacco and wheat; 7th year wheat fallow. 

No. 7.— 3d year tobacco and wheat; 5th year 
■wheat fallow; 7th year wheat fallow. 

Should either of the lots become foul with 
cheat or cockle, it can be easily remedied. ! 
"When first heading out, a single hand with a 
scythe in a few days can remove all noxious | 
and unwelcome visitors of this kind. As my 
little means and hands increase, I enlarge the 
size of each lot. Having carefully selected 
the best soils for these crops, good barns are 



built and located conveniently to the lots im- 
mediately on the side of the farm roads. 

I find I cannot get on well without directing 
much of my time and attention tq, the subject 
of raising and applying manures. With regard 
to the latter I differ very much irom many 
men called good managers, for I contend that 
all, and particularly farm manures, should be 
kept as near the surface as possible. I may 
be mistaken, but practice and experience have 
been and are my daily guides, and it would 
seem that any discriminating mind could rea- 
dily see the superior results of that mode of 
application. 

All manure raised after lot No. 1 has been 
manured and hilled up— the same having been 
completed by or before the first of May — is 
conveyed to lot No. 4. No. 1 being manured 
and hilled for tobacco, No. 4, designed for to- 
bacco the second year, and Nos. 2 and 3, de- 
signed for wheat, as is No. 1, after the tobacco 
crop. 1 continue to carry off my manure 
through the summer and fall up to the first of 
of December to lot No. 4, and spread and 
coulter in when deposited, much pains being 
taken in spreading, and the heaps never being 
permitted to remain long unspread. After the 
first of December I cease to haul out manure, 
and break up that part of lot No. 4 not already 
manured, with three-horse ploughs. The ro- 
tation having been thus completed, as seen by 
the diagram, I return the eighth year to No. 1, 
for tobacco and wheat, as before. The whole 
surface having been manured welcomes me 
back, and I manure it again, with the promise 
of a better yield, both in tobacco, wheat and 
clover; and so on with the rest. By this rota- 
tion, continued from year to year, any estate 
may be redeemed. 

After the first of December my cattle are 
brought to the farm-yard immediately in front 
of my stable door. The yard has a southern 
exposure, and ricks are made in it for straw 
or other coarse food: cornstalks and straw are 
deposited as fast as the cattle can trample 
them, the stable manure, with the aid of the 
mould of the earth, ashes, &c. being carefully 
spread every week over the entire farm-yard, 
This operation continues to the first of April, 
when the entire mass is formed into one bulk. 
When it begins to heat it is removed as quickly 
as possible to that part of the lot not manured 
by the first of the December previous, the land 
having been first well harrowed over. The 
summer and fall manured land, including cow 
pens, &c. being crossed with coulters, is har- 
rowed in like manner. After which, instead 
of turning under any part of it, the whole lot 
is bedded with three-horse ploughs, then hilled 
into large hills, keeping the manure as near the 
centre and foundation of the hill as it can be 
done, and avoiding clay to much extent in the 
centre of the hill. 

Summer cow pens are a part of my summer 
and fall manuring. Each of these, as often as 
a new one is made, is broken up with a two- 



116 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



horse coulter, and lightly top dressed with chaff 
or wheat straw. Either aids very much in 
mellowing the land after being trodden, and 
by their use the pens can be removed sooner, 
so that a larger surface can be manured. All 
land manured in this way makes fine crops 
and is left by them in fine condition, though 
not better than from the summer and fall ma- 
nuring. Grazing, except at certain seasons 
of the year, I am opposed to. At those sea- 
sons the cattle, though few in number, are kept 
in the farm-yard; plenty of litter is provided 
for bedding and a shelter to protect them from 
the sun, in which way manure may be raised 
rapidly. I am very much inclined to think 
every farmer should adopt this method as much 
as possible. The manure I raise in this way 
is heaped and deposited before the first of 
December. 

Some of your numerous readers may ask 
why scatter stable manure over the farm-yard 1 
Because I think it the very best use 1 can 
make of it. Were I not a raiser of farm-yard 
manure, surely I would take off the stable ma- 
nure to the land designed for a crop as fast as 
it was made. How often do we see a failure 
of crops from ordinary manuring, and parti- 
cularly on thirsty lands in moderate seasons! 
The tender plant requires something to feed 
upon better adapted to its condition than coarse 
manure. I would as soon expect a newborn 
infant to eat bread as a tender young plant to 
take root on ordinary farm-yard manure, unless 
there should be a wet season, which is apt to 
give a poor crop. 

My straw, stalks and chaff being about as 
much as I can turn into manure, I do not use 
leaves, which I think a very poor thing. My 
fodder, hay, oats, straw, chaff, &c. are all 
stacked on the lot intended for tobacco the 
next year. In handling these articles and 
hauling them from the stacking place there is 
an amount of loss and shattering which will 
improve two or three acres yearly. In the 
course of thirty years I have thus enriched 
from sixty to one hundred acres, which aids 
very much when manure is scarce. True, I 
run some risk of fire, lightning, &c. but I am 
willing to take it for such a result. Besides, 
nothing looks more ridiculous or slovenly than 
stacks all about on the farm. 

I plant my tobacco as soon after the 1st of 
May as the plants are ready, never waiting 
for a season. Unless the beds are to dry, the 
hills are ready with a good season as soon as 
my hilling is completed. So soon as a stand 
is obtained, the entire crop is " sided" with 
the one horse Dagon plough and "scraped 
down," a quick operation. When the plant 
starts to grow, with the same plough I throw 
back the furrow and hill up, and repeat the 
operation as rapidly as it can be done, running 
the hill up of a good size, and of a sugar loaf 
shape. I avoid late workings, prime low and 
top to eight, nine and ten leaves, so as to have 
a uniform crop. By priming low and turning 
the hill up, as directed, the moisture is re- 



tained, and heavy and long continued rains 
pass off without firing the crop. Much good 
results from low priming — the crop mature! 
sooner, is much richer and more leafy. 
Should the grass put up the latter part of Au- 
gust and 1st of September, let it come. In 
the case of the best crop I ever made, the 
crab grass grew very bold and headed out, 
and my neighbors asserted that my crop was 
terribly set in grass. So it was; but by de- 
sign. That crop ripened finely. The last, 
being a wet year, grass aided very much in 
checking firing. In dry seasons grass will 
not interfere, and in wet one's it will produce 
no injury, but a great benefit. But on light, 
quick, gray lands, should the crop be a late 
one, adopt different management. 

For fallowing wheat lands, I consider July 
and August the proper months. I never use 
the subsoil plough, but break up with a three 
horse plough, and re-fallow with the same. I 
prefer seeding from the 1st to the 20th of Oc- 
tober, but rarely ever get done so soon. I 
like best a soil with a slight mixture of clay, 
and a good crop of clover, and weeds well 
worked in and brought near the surface. I 
keep the seeding up with the re-fallowing. I 
cover with drags; after them follow the hoes, 
distributing all turfy matter, breaking clods, 
&c. and levelling off all and every impression 
of the drag teeth, leaving the entire field as 
neat as the best cultivated gaiden. On all 
light, gray lands, unless too rolling, after 
seeding, for before if likely to rain,) a careful 
ploughman, with the aid of a boy, lays off 
water furrows 13 feet wide. This is done 
with a two horse Dragon plough, its point 
two-thirds worn — any other not so much worn 
will throw up wheat and leave none in the 
bottom or side of drains; hand rakes are 
made for the purpose, and each furrow is 
raked back as laid off, consequently the wheat 
is not left in heaps. In order to check the 
force of water all lands laid off are angled, 
and each angle aids very much in doing so 
after heavy or long continued rains or snows. 
Should any washing appear, I use wheat straw 
in the place trodden in with the foot, which is 
all sufficient. I never make a gully, but try to 
stop all I can. I am opposed to hill side ditches, 
except in certain localities, believing that 
much injury results from them on light lands, 
particularly if they are half cut, and not 
attended to, as is loo often the case. 

The tobacco land is prepared and seeded in 
the same way as the fallow; and as much 
pains are taken in seeding oats. The scythe- 
man can thus perform a better, easier and 
nicer day's work, and save the grain better. 
I cut close to the ground, wheiher the crop is 
heavy or light, and tie up in bundles. 

For corn, the land after being ploughed is 
well prepared by drags. I never plant early; 
generally a month later than my neighbors; 
and by rio means until every tobacco hill has 
been made. My work is then fairly before 
me and under vay control, and every crop can 



»■ 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



117 



?e kept in good order. Besides, corn late 

inted comes up and grows off much better, 
pjfi gets out of the way of birds, worms, &c. 
much sooner, they having more to feed on. 
The past crop I did not finish planting until 
the first week in June, and never had a finer; 
rue I had the advantage of ihe late rains. In 
planting I lay off the rows five feet apart, with 
a two horse Dagon running twice in the fur- 
row, so as to open it as deep as the plough 
will cut, then sow guano along the row, at the 
rate of 200 lbs. per acre. A three-tooth har- 
row, with the front tooth out, will cover the 
guano deep enough; and after that, the corn 
is dropped and covered with the foot or hoe. 
Except in a very dry season, a good crop will 
be the result. The cultivation is done with 
harrows as much as possible. 

I never make less than two hogsheads of 
tobacco to the hand, generally about three 
plants to the pound, except in difficult and 
bad seasons. I have increased my wheat crop 
since 1844, without ihe aid of guano, from 220 
to upwards of 1200 bushels, though I seed 
only 20 more. Ten years ago my place did 
not yield 150 bushels, and none for market. 
Then it was a wreck: the assessor's books 
will shew whether there has been any improve- 
ment. I feel it and enjoy it, whether the 
books shew it or not. For the last five years 
my land, negroes, teams, &c. including every 
expenditure, nett me over ten percent.; and 
my family enjoys a fair living in the bargain. 
During this period one crop was lost by hail 
?nd fresh, which was not balanced by the 
J\rery high price obtained for the last. 

I keep no overseer at home. I am by them 
as an old bachelor was by the girls. Being 
asked why he did not marry, he replied, 
"such as I would select to make me a good 
•wife would not have me, and such as would 
have me are not worth having." So it is with 
myself and overseer?. 

H. G. Richardson. 

Prince Edward, Feb. 2, 1852. 



For the Southern Planter. 
DRAINING. 

Mr. Editor,— In my last, I promised you a 
communication on the subject of draining. I 
now proceed to redeem that promise — pre- 
mising that, as I had resolved to "mend my 
■ways" before the receipt of your private phi- 
lippic against all villainous promise-break- 
ers, generally and specially, you need claim 
DO credit to yourself, for the tax I shall fre- 
quently attempt to impose on your readers. 

In the system of husbandry pursued in 
many districts of our country, a striking de- 
fect, and one, on various accounts inexcusa- 
ble, is the neglect of and apparent indifference 
to proper drainage. It would be interesting to 
ascertain the quantity of land on our farms 



not brought into cultivation, as also the 
quantily cultivated, but producing only a fourth 
or half crop from excess of moisture, and the 
probable annual products, if reclaimed by a 
judicious system of draining. A comparison 
of the profits of such lands in these two con- 
ditions, their superior fertility and increased 
facility of culture in the one case over the other, 
would readily indicate the importance of the 
subject. 

By far the greater portion of the branch 
flats of our Piedmont district, was once very 
poor. Of this, we have abundant evidence in 
the traditionary history of the country, as well 
as in the character of what is now the subsoil. 
Originally the surface of these flats was com- 
posed of a tenacious, whitish clay, or of an 
admixture of clay and gravel almost imper- 
vious to water. Besides the oiten feeble but 
perennial springs found in lhese locations, 
and having no regular outlet, the rain water 
from the hills, gradually finding its way along 
the veins of rock or gravel, till they terminate 
on the beds of clay on the margin of the flats, 
issues forth in innumerable springs from the 
base of the hills, saturates the flats and forms 
unsightly and unwholesome bogs and marshes. 
The original settlers of the country, scarce of 
labor and having an abundance of rich lands, 
employed these wet lands as the convenient re- 
ceptacle of the rubbish and useless timber of 
the adjacent slopes, thereby greatly expediting 
the heavy labor of clearing the land of its ori- 
ginal forests. In the reckless mode of culti- 
vation, then in vogue, of the surrounding hills 
in tobacco and corn, immense quantities of the 
richest virgin soil were washed down from the 
uplands by heavy rains, and spread over 
these flats. The annual decay of the luxuri- 
ant vegetation thus induced by these rich de- 
posits, and the constant accession of addi- 
tional mould from the hills, have, in process 
of time, formed a highly fertile alluvial soil 
to the depth frequently of several feet: effec- 
tually covering up and concealing many of 
the springs at the base of the h'ills, as well as 
those in the body of the flats. But these 
springs nevertheless exist, and the water dis- 
charged by them is found in or upon the sub- 
soil, at depths varying with the depth of the 
alluvial soil. Hence it is, that, in very many 
instances, where the surface is apparently 
sufficiently dry to produce heavy crops, as 
soon as the growing plant has attained suffi- 
cient strength to send forth its roots to a 
greater depth in search of food, it comes in 
contact with a saturated subsoil, or the earth 
is kept too cold by evaporation, proceeding 
from the proximity of too much water, and 
the plant assumes a yellow sickly appearance, 
from which it rarely recovers. Hence, also, 
the necessity of deeper drains in such locali- 
ties amongst us than in almost any other sec- 
tion: for if the hard pan or stratum of clay 
and gravel that, in all cases, under lies the 
alluvial deposit is not penetrated, the labor of 
draining is rarely remunerated. Presuming 



118 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



that the character of the subject on which we 
are to operate is now sufficiently understood, 
we proceed at once to the task of reclamation. 
The first and most important consideration, 
in surveying a flat with a view to thorough 
drainage, is the location of the principal ditch, 
into which the various small tributaries are to 
be conducted. Upon this often depends the 
success of costly operations. Its position 
should always be determined with reference 
to the lowest points — with as few angles or 
curves as possible — with depth sufficient to 
vent ordinary freshets, acting at the same 
time as a drain, and with all the fall of which 
the nature of the ground is susceptible. Hav- 
ing completed this as a base line of operations 
(and it will generally be found most judicious 
to draw it on one side or the other of the flat, 
as it thereby intercepts and receives at once 
all the springs on that side,) all other drains 
necessary to be made, should commence on 
this. These, it will invariably be found, 
should be extended to the base of the hill on 
the side opposite the main ditch, and some- 
times intersected by others extending along 
the base of the hill, so as to form a diagram 
resembling the letter T. The depth of these 
lateral and cross ditches should be regulated 
according to that of the main one — the depth 
beneath the surface of the clay and gravel 
subsoil, (which should always be cut through,) 
and the degree of fall. The deeper they are 
the better, always observing to maintain a 
gradual and even descent to the main stream. 
In the beds of these cross sections, when com- 
pleted, pure clear water, which before had no 
vent, will be frequently observed to boil up 
more or less boldly; and also on the sides, 
from between the loamy soil and clay subsoil, 
it will be found trickling into the ditch, dis- 
colored, and resembling the deposits from 
Chalybeate Springs. It is the latter chiefly, 
which is so fatal to growing crops, even in 
locations where the appearance of the surface 
gives no indications of its presence. My ob- 
servation has led me to the conclusion that 
these cross or diagonal drains, at intervals of 
from twenty to forty yards, when effectually 
made, thoroughly reclaim all such lands, ren- 
dering them with good tillage, highly produc- 
tive in corn, wheat and grass. It is some- 
times exceedingly difficult in low, boggy 
marshes, to determine the precise location of 
a spring, from the quantity of water present 
at all seasons, on the surface. In many such, 
a dozen ditches, none of which happen to 
strike on the sprinc, may prove unavailing. 
The desired spot can always be ascertained 
and much unprofitable labor saved, by a care- 
ful examination in very cold weather. At 
such seasons, the water passing slowly through 
and over the mud becomes chilled, and freezes, 
except immediately over and around the 
spring. A stake set up at this point, desig- 
nates the line of future operations. In many 
situations on our flats, this white clay soil, 
owing to peculiarity of location, is entirely- 



free from deposits from the adjacent hills, anc 
is invariably poor — extremely retentive j>i 
water, and unimprovable by ordinary appli^ I 
tions of manure. When thoroughly drained 
however, by intercepting latent currents and 
affording means for the rapid transition ol 
rain water, the soil very soon assumes a 
darker complexion, becomes more friable, and 
by a light application of lime and manure 
may be made highly productive; but, withoul 
either, is greatly improved. 

Open ditches in a soil upon which frost acts 
powerfully, should always be cut very sloping 
on the sides. One three feet wide at top need 
not be more than twelve or fifteen inches at 
bottom. By thus concentrating the current, 
casual obstacles are washed out and the for- 
mation of hammocks prevented. A due re- 
gard to neatness of appearance, as well as I 
economy of soil and labor, requires that all 
lateral and cross drains should be covered. 
And it will always be found conducive to thfei 
strictest economy to perform the work of 
covered drains in an effectual and lasting 
manner. The depth of these drains will of 
course vary according to the situation of the 
ground; but whenever practicable, and the 
fall will admit it, they should be from thirty, 
inches, to three feet deep, and from eight to 
twelve inches wide at bottom, according to the 
material which is to compose the underdrain. 
In England and Scotland, where underdrain- 
iwg is carried to greater perfection than in any 
other country in the world, pipe tile, a very 
simple and not costly material, has superseded 
almost every other mode. In this eountn^ 
however, this device has been but very par- 
tially introduced, and the most common mate- 
rials in use are pine poles and rock; either of 
which answer a good purpose if skilfully dis- 
posed. Poles being less durable, should be 
used only where suitable stone cannot be ob- 
tained. They should be straight, from three 
to five inches in diameter, to suit the width of 
the bed of the ditch; one on each side, and a 
third resting on them, so as to cover the aque- 
duct between them, which should be an open 
space equal to a curve of three or four inches. 
Any unavoidable openings between the top 
and side poles, should be chincked with split 
pieces of timber, to prevent the entrance of 
obstructions, and the whole covered a few in- 
ches with dry leaves, straw or sod. The drain 
is then completed — requiring only the earth to 
be drawn in and securely pressed down with 
the feet. Another excellent mode is, to break 
the stone into small pieces from one to two 
inches in diameter, and to fill the ditch with 
them tothe depth of ten or twelve inches, cover- 
ing it as in the case of poles. Through this bed 
of stone, the water finds easy access into the 
drain from the sides and bottom, and readily 
passes off into the main stream. The most 
common method when stone is employed is, 
to line each side of the ditch with suitable 
rock, resting firmly on the bottom, and to 
cross lay this with long fiat pieces extending 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



119 



3 icross the ditch. This mode leaves a vent I the year eighteen hundred and rhirty-seven, I 
i>r the water similar to that between the I luckily fell in with the Essay of Mr. Edmund 
Jes, but in this as in that case, care should Rufflnon CalcareousManures; beingdelighted 
retaken to secure the openings against the | with the work I made it a matter of study; 
admission of obstructions. The plan which j but theory without practice is dead, being 
I usually adopt is, to combine the advantages j alone, as one in olden times stated. Says he, 
9f the two methods last described by tilling in j "show me your faith without works, andl win 



an the rock culvert with five or six inches of 
small stone, so that, should the open vent 
from any cause become obstructed, the water 
can still find its way through the small stone 
without damming, and being forced to the 
surface. 

In conclusion, I will submit a single sug- 
gestion farther. Our open ditches, once made, 
receive little attention afterwards, till the field 
adjacent is brought into regular cultivation. 
During this interval of neglect, (a period 



show you my faith by my works." Thus I 
commenced the application of lime, and have 
continued it to the present day, and expect to 
do so as long as I shall remain on terra hrma. 
I hold lime in the highest estimation, and the 
true basis of all farming operations: yet I do 
not view it in the light that many do. After 
years of practice, I view lime in the very 
light of Mr. Ruffin, that it is not a manure, 
but a corrective of acid, and decomposer of 
vegetable substances: and although after an 



from two to five yeaTS,) they are partially I application of lime, some crops seem to luxu- 
filled up by the sliding of the banks, by dry J riate as though they had been living on the 
weeds and grass, and by hammocks, formed [ fat of the land, only proves that the disorder 
in the first instance by very slight obstructions j has given way and obstructions have been re- 
when the stream is low— thus increasing the i moved by the application of lime. I have not 
labor of cleaning them, causing overflows, and I discovered the increased growth anticipated 
choiring the mouths of the underdrains — ren- j by others, but have generally an increase of 
dering them frequently useless. Now a little j perfection in weight and'measure ; it is gene- 
timely care mav entirely obviate these diffi- : rally the case that persons unacquainted with 
culties. Immediately after heavy showers or ' lime use it too freely. In this country and 
freshets, when the current is very strong, a Europe there are some who advocate from two 
careful hand with a hoe should pass quickly lo five hundred bushels to the acre, and 1 am 
down the streams, removing hammocks and willing to give the credit for their opinion, 
other impediments. This will give increased i My experience would not allow me to use 
velocity to the swollen current, which will more than fifty bushels to the acre; and I am 
more readily wash out the sediment that may ! fully satisfied that ten bushels of strong quick 
have formed, and render the stream less liable * lime will be more than any of our cereal 
jj> future obstructions. The time thus con- ] crops will consume, even though it were 
iaramed would be insignificant compared with known by analysis that they consumed 
that ordinarily required to effect the same ob- more; and at this period of my communica- 



ject and the work infinitely better done. 

J. Newman. 
Feb. lltf, 1852. 



For the Southern Planter. 
LIME. 



tion I will state an original idea, whichfis this, 
does not the preparation of a substance, and 
the analyzing of that, in some way or other 
change its nature 1 To be plain, does not the 
burning of wheat straw and like substances 
change their nature"? I am not prepared to 
say it does, or does not. Yet I am prepared 
to say, that the action of fire does change the 
entire nature of other substances, and they 
, cannot by any process be brought back to 
Mr. Ediinr,—Th<i subject of lime is one . their original state. I should be glad to see 
that claims the attention of the farmer at the ' this question answered. From the above pre- 
present day— and like all other subjects is mises my conclusions are the following: and 
liable to abuse in its application, and is sus- first, as we, the farmers of Virginia, have no 
ceptible of criticism and investigation. It is ' surplus capital, it will be to our advantage to 
stated and proven by analysis that lime enters make an equal distribution of what we have, 
into the composition of all the crops which and instead of applying fifty bushels of lime 
we cultivate, but to what extent is not known ; to the acre, apply twenty, which will be suffi- 
to the great mass of farmers, nor will they be cient. We shall get over our fields much 
able in this generation to ascertain the fact. ' sooner, and can commence a second applica- 
This being the case, it will be found necessary \ tion, which should be done every third year, 
to avail themselves of all the light which ! Another important item with the farmer is 
may be galhered from the labaratory of na- time; and it is the hobby upon which many 
ture, reason and experience; but there is a ! ride to ruin. Well, we will try to inform our 
lamentable fact, which needs not the light of friends how to save time. One of the great 
philosophy to explain, that men are so wedded ; ways is lo spread every thing you haul out in 
•to their opinions, and attach so much impor- ■ the name or shape of manure from the cart 
tance to self, they are left to leave the old , Of course we do not suppose that any one 
paths in which their fathers have trod. In [ has such a thought as to drop lime in heaps— 



/ 



120 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 






if they do they are twenty years behind the 
times— and I Tear, circumstances being equal, 
they will remain so. Manure may be spread 
from the cart perfectly regular. It will never 
be done so if dropped in heaps. Should the 
manure be coarse, pitch forks should be used — 
if fine, long crummy shovels. My lime 
spreader stands in the cart and can spread 
almost to perfection ten corn rows at a time. 
I have never used any other than shell lime. 
I have green poles cut to form the outside of 
the kiln— commence by laying three logs on 
the ground, at equal distances, to give good 
ventilation. Lay a bed of good dry wood — 
then notch four poles as for a hog pen — fill in 
with shells, and so on to the top. When the 
kiln is completed, it will be found best to set 
it on fire at the commencement of a moderate 
rain — the water keeps down the heat. When 
the kilns are burnt commence hauling. Do not 
wait for rain or air to slack the lime. Throw 
on a few buckets of water, and in a few 
minutes you will have a load slacked. When 
the cart leaves throw on a few more, and so 
on, and you will have nice, dry fine lime, 
and you can lime your land as it ought to be 
done. 

I leave the subject for the consideration of 
those who may think it worthy their notice. 

c. c. s. 

Northumberland Co., March 1, 1852. 



For the Southern Planter. 

MANAGEMENT AND APPLICATION 
OF MANURES. 

Mr. Editor. — It was an apothegm of the an- 
cient Jews "that no man discharged his duty 
to his country, who died without having planted 
a tree, built a house, or left a child behind him." 
And I think, if applied to the tiller of the soil 
in our age, that it might be appropriately im- 
proved by adding, and without having "made 
two blades of grass to grow where but one 
grew before." 

The writer has been farming some six or 
seven years, and during that time has been a 
close observer of all its operations, with a view 
not only to its immediate profits, which have 
always been remunerating, but also to the im- 
provement of his land. And it is with the 
hope of being able to assist some of his younger 
brethren of the plough, that he ventures to ap- 
pear in the pages of your journal, with a few 
general suggestions on what he conceives to 
be the best management of manure and its 
most economical application. 

The farmer wishes the quickest returns for 
his labor, and no small portion of it would be 
occupied in making manure, if the returns 
from it were generally as quick and as remu- 
nerative as they can be made. But he cannot 
afford to wait for years before reaping the ad- 
vantages of that labor. And if the manure 



should be spread upon grass, in the spring, foi 
fall fallow, it will be two years before it cap 
pay more than the improvement to the laf 
And if left in the farm-pen during the summit 
(as is too often the case,) to spread upon wheal 
in the fall, the loss will be great and the returns 
from it no sooner, and not so much. But il 
properly prepared and in time for a summer, 
crop, and the greater part of it can be, it is 
worth almost as much as stable manure for 
corn and tobacco, will produce a good crop ol 
wheat after the corn, and secure a good, healthy 
stand of clover. We endeavor always to have 
our farm-yard manure moved early in March 
to the field upon which it is intended to be 
used, and there composted with the manure 
from the horse stables, cattle stalls, &c. by first I 
spreading down a layer of farm-pen manure, 
about twelve feet wide, twenty-four feet long: 
and eight or nine inches thick, and covering 
this over with a few bushels of charcoal dust, 
if it can be obtained, or the ashes from coal 
kilns will answer by increasing the quantity; 
then a layer of stable or other rich manure 
three or four inches thick; to be well dusted 
over with plaster. The pile should now be 
chopped over with a grubbing hoe, in order to 
mix the manures. Then commence again with 
the farm-pen manure, and continue as before 
until the heap is four and a half feet high, and 
abouteightfeeton the top. In a month the whole 
mass will be equal to stable manure, and if 
the season should be dry, will produce a better 
crop. We have occasionally had to reverse 
the heap, from fear ot too great heat, but not 
often found it necessary. Hogs should not he. 
permitted to run to them, as they would teav 
them down, and very much retard putrefaction. 

Aftercleaningout the farm-pens, they should 
be again well littered with leaves, weeds, corn- 
stalks, straw, woods mould, &c. to at least 
one foot deep, to absorb the liquid excrements 
of the cattle, and to be composted again later 
in the spring. Any coarse manure that cannot 
be reduced to a proper condition for the sum- 
mer crop may be spread upon young clover, 
or on the field intended for fall fallow as soon 
as the cattle are off of the yard. 

I am aware that in some of the remarks that 
I have made, that I have run counter to the 
views of some of the best practical farmers of 
our country. This, however, although I may 
regret it, I could not avoid without laying aside 
my own experience. 

I first adopted the system of composting all 
of my coarse manures in the spring of 1848, 
from the circumstance of having used a large 
quantity of farm-yard manure the two previous 
years for corn, turning under a part of it and 
spreading the rest on the surface, without, in 
either instance, having experienced, apparent- 
ly, any benefit to the corn crop, and but a very 
slight improvement to the succeeding crops of 
wheat and clover. 

I accounted for its want of action from the 
fact that decomposition was very slow and 
not sufficient, at any time, to generate the am- 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



121 



monia, of which its nitrogenized matter was 
susceptible of being converted into, or to evolve 
ir\ any active form, the fertilizing principles 
c Z tained in the matter of which the manure 
was composed. 

Influenced by these views, 1 have, for the last 
Tour years, composted all of my coarse ma- 
nures', with the view of promoting more rapid 
iecoraposition. And in this way of preparing 
from the crude material, a fit food for plants, 
if easy assimilation by them and ready for 
iieir wants, without, in any instance, having 
net with disappointment in the value of ma- 
nures in this way. 

In composting manures containing much 
Hiimal matter, care should be used to avoid 
naking the heaps too high, as the heat caused 
>y too rapid fermentation, together with heat 
wssibly evolved by the absorption by the water 
n the manure of any free ammonia that may 
De extricated, would become so great as to de- 
feat the object in view, and not only vaporize 
ill of the ammonia, but leave a pile of dry, 
mmt material, scarcely worth hauling. 

In order to furnish a sufficient quantity of 
inlphuric acid to forma fixed, but very soluble 
:ak with the ammonia, plaster should be used 
.bundantly, and charcoal dust to absorb the 
jaseous elements of the manure should not be 
)mitted. We use plaster with all of our ma- 
lures, and think to advantage; but would pre- 
fer not to use it with guano, which contains, 
ilready formed, the carbonate of ammonia, 
tnd not being subject to the ordinary influences 
if our decomposing vegito-animal manures, 
: ""oimmonia is not so liable to be driven off; 
)V.'when mixed with the earth it unites with 
tn additional equivalent of carbonic acid, 
; brminga bi-carbonate, much less volatile than 
. he carbonate, and not nearly so soluble as the 
ulphate, which dissolves in three times its 
: veight of cold water, and is therefore liable 
D o be carried off in solution whenever much 
: irater falls to the earth, and which, I think, 
> iceounts readily for the want of action from 
• juano in many instances when mixed with 
s )laster. 

That the carbonate of ammonia in guano, 

K when mixed with the soil, becomes a bi-salt, 

' nuch more permanent in the air than the car- 

: tonate, I think does not admit of a question. 

i t is well known that the carbonate of the 

'■ hops, or more correctly the hydrated sesqui- 

arbonate, (consisting of three equivalents of 

I tcids,twoof ammonia and twoof water; and 

his is the form that it exists in guano,) by expo- 

nre to the air, or by careless keeping, becomes 

I bi-carbonate, (consisting of four equivalents 

>f acid, two of ammonia, and two of water,) 

ilrnov. inodorous, and requiring eight times its 

reight of water to dissolve it. 

But the advocates for mixing plaster with 
roano, in their sanguine efforts to fix the am- 
Donia, seem only to have dreaded "aerial 
ixcursions/' by the volatile salt, without once 
laving their attention drawn to the greater 



danger of aquose voyages (if I may be al- 
lowed the expression) of the fixed salt. 

But in the putrescent manures made on the 
farm, the ammonia is liable to be decomposed 
and disengaged by the heat caused during fer- 
mentation, and would finally make its escape 
in the air, if it were not by some acids having 
an affinity for it. And the most convenient as 
well as the cheapest for this purpose, is the 
sulphuric acid contained in plaster. The mu- 
riate acid of common salt would prove equally 
efficacious as a fixer, forming with it the mu- 
riatic of ammonia, called in commerce sal- 
ammoniac, which is quite as soluble as the 
sulphate, and can possess no advantages over 
it; and is therefore objectionable on the score 
of cost. 

The manure pile being the prime source of 
agricultural success, no spare lime should be 
unimproved in collecting materials for com- 
post-heaps, such as woods mould, ditch bank, 
the mud thrown in piles the year previous out 
of old ditches, the scrapings from fence corn- 
ers, the ashes from coal-kilns, &c; and hauling 
them together in quantities sufficient to make 
a pile twelve feet wide, twenty-four feet long, 
and five feet high, with the addition of manure 
from the horse stables, cattle stalls, hog pens, 
&c. Experience at borne and observation 
elsewhere, have fully satisfied me that such 
heating manures should never be spread im- 
mediately when taken from the stables, but 
always to be used for making compost-heaps. 
And if properly made, one load is wonh more 
for any crop, will last longer, and secure a 
better stand of grass than the same quantity 
of raw stable manure. 

A sufficient quantity of material being hauled 
together to form a heap— when the stables 
want cleaning out, the manure should be car- 
ried immediately to the pile and composted, 
by first laying down a layer of woods mould 
six inches thick, and covering this over with 
five or six bushels of charcoal dust, or double 
the quantity of ashes from coal-kilns; then a 
layer of stable or other rich manure, three or 
four inches thick, and sprinkle that with plaster 
till white. Commencing again with the wood 
mould, ditch bank, &c. mixed together, spread 
down another layeras before, six inches thick; 
throwing over it the charcoal dust— then the 
manure and plaster, continuing in the same 
manner until the pile is five feet high and about 
eight feet across on the top. We use about 
two bushels of plaster in a heap of the given 
size, and always finish the pile when com- 
menced before quitting it, and sometimes make 
them smaller, being governed by the quantity 
of manure in the stables, and prefer to make 
ihe heaps in moist weather, as they are ready 
for use sooner than if made of dry materials. 
In a month or six weeks, you will have a 
pile of fertilizing matter, equal in bulk to three 
times the amount of stable manure used to 
make it; and worth more than three times as 
much. When used, compost heaps should 



122 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



always be cut down perpendicularly, in order 
to keep the manure well mixed. 

Stable manure used in this way loses none 
of its ammonia. There is no smell about the 
pile, and when open for use it is perfectly 
sweet. 

Another fruitful source of manure, if pro- 
perl}'' attended to, is about the kitchen and 
cabins. Keep woods mould hauledjconvenient 
to these places, and have the soapsuds, lye and 
other waste waters, the leached ashes, yard 
sweepings, scrapings from the wood pile, clean- 
ings from the hen house, &c. &c. all thrown 
together upon it, with a few bushels of char- 
coal dust, and occasionally sprinkled with 
plaster and stirred over. 

The quantity of manure made in this way, 
would surprise any one who has never tried 
it. It is the richest and most permanent ma- 
nure that accumulates on the farm ; and, withal, 
keeps such places clean and sweet, and obvi- 
ates a noxious source of disease. It should, 
therefore, meet with the favorable attention of 
every one, as the means not only of increasing 
the products of their fields and gardens, but 
also as conducing in no small degree to the 
health of their families. 

The wheat crop of late years is too preca- 
rious, to justify the farmer of limited means 
to make large investments in guano, especially 
at its present prices. And if he would avail 
himself of the means around him, arid exert 
his energies a little in making manure, he will 
find the inducements to purchase it to grow less 
every year, will save his money for other useful 
purposes, and not lay himself liable to be im- 
posed upon with an adulterated article, as the 
writer was last year in the purchase of a small 
lot of Peruvian guano, which was, as he ve- 
rily believes, more than one-fourth common 
salt. I have learned that one of my neighbors 
was similarly imposed upon with the adulte- 
rated manure. Jas. A. Reid. 

Madison, February 5, 1852. 



For the Southern Planter. 

THE LIVINGSTON COUNTY PLOUGH. 

Mr. Editor, — After some reflection on the 
subject 1 have come to the conclusion that the 
slowness of our progress has been, in a mea- 
sure, caused by the partial view of the subject 
which many of our farmers take when starting 
out in the career of agricultural improvement. 
Caught by the novel theory of some misled en- 
thusiast, or the well puffed nostrum of some 
designing speculator in agricultural quackery, 
the young hand at the plough is apt to lose 
sight of those means and appliances, so neces- 
sary to success— and when convinced of the 
fallacy of the plan he has been pursuing, or 
of the undue importance he has attached to 
an article of only moderate intrinsic value, he 
becomes alive to the fact, that by patient in- 



dustry, aided by an enlightened attention to 
the well-established improvements in evenj de- 
partment of his business, success in a2riculture 
only can be secured. Now it is, that he lofjaj 
out for the best implements, as well as the best 
manures, and becomes satisfied that a good 
plough is not the least important of the many 
wants of a farmer disposed to do justice to 
his profession. 

In undertaking to advise a fellow-traveller 
in the path of improvement, who has arrived 
at the point above indicated, as to the choice 
of a plough, I do not rely entirely on my own 
experience in the matter; but believe in the, 
recommendation I shall make, I may, perhaps, 
I Mr. Editor, have your own sanction, while, at 
! the same time, many of the best farmers, both 
in Augusta and Albemarle, will coincide with 
me in saying that in all the combined requi- 
I sites of a good implement, suited to our labor 
and our general wants, the cast plough known 
as the Livingston County Plough, is unsur- 
passed. As compared with the M'Cormick 
Plough, the best article in general use previous 
' to the introduction of this cast plough, the 
saving in cost is fully one-third, if not more. It 
I can be run at less expense, and it is the general' 
impression, in my neighborhood, that there is 
a saving of one-third in horse-power. A con- 
sideration in this matter, which, in my opinion, 
should not be overlooked, is, that this is a' 
Virginiawanufo.ctured article, and 1 thinkthe en- 
terprising gentleman, who, contendingagainst 
great prejudice and difficulty, has succeeded 
in establishing on a large scale, in the county 
; of Augusta, a furnace and factory for the cojjj 
struction of these ploughs, is justly entitled^' 
the character of a public benefactor — wh,1s 
I at the same time, I am happy to state, thatf 
unlike many other manufacturing enterprises 
in Virginia, this one has paid well, and the ' 
demand for this plough is large and increasing. 

Whilst commending the plough manufac- 
tured at Mr. Bryant's establishment, I am not ! 
disposed to disparage others, made in this or \ 
other States. I have no doubt that many of 
them possess great merit; but the Livingston 
Plough, from the fact that it has not a single-^ 
screw or particle of wrought iron about it (un- 
less it be in the clevis;) combines a degree of ji 
simplicity and cheapness that I have never ii 
known in any other plough, foreign ordomestic. 

In this connexion, Mr. Editor, I cannot help 
being struck with the importance of the sys-' 
tern of District Agricultural Societies, acting' 
in conjunction with a General State Society, •„ 
as recommended by the recent Agricultural 
Convention held in Richmond. The members 
would bring to the attention of the District ) 
Societies all new improvements of every de^'ij 
scription. Such as these Societies should |' 
think of sufficient importance would be carried > 
up to the notice of the State Society, where, all in 
deemed worthy of general adoption, might re- ;i 1-, 
ceive such notice and commendation, as would ■jl 
gain for them the confidence of the community,! 
Yours, respectfully, W. 



,; 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



123 



PAYMENTS TO THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 

From March 1st to April Is/, 1852. 

ftjSl persons who have made payments early 
loagh to be entered, and whose names do 
3t appear in the following receipt list, are 
iquested to give immediate notice of the 
nission, in order that the correction may be 
iade in the next issue: 

erthier Bott, to January, 1853, 
[ilton Garnett, to January, 1853, 
)hn Stewart, to January, 1853, 
ady Cawthorn. to January, 1853, 
'homas Young,' to January, 1853, 
)hn Horsley's estate, to January, 1S52, 
dmund Townes, to January, 1853, 
amuel Hancock, to January, 1853, 
[. L. Reeve, to January, 1853, 
Dhn G. Jefferson, to January, 1853, 
jhn N. Shields, to January, 1853, 
.. H. Drewry, to January, 1853, 
[. T. Drewry, to January. 1853, 
dward C. Robinson, to January, 1853, 
». M. Dunwoody, to Jauuary, 1854, 
ol. R. F. Parker, to January, 1853, 
M. Bennett, to January, 1853, 
u P. Ellis, to January, 1853, 
Warwick Woods, to January, 1853, 
.nderson White, to January, 1853, 
»mes Massie, to September, 1852, 
imes Morriss, to September, 1852, 
r. J. A. Michie, to July, 1852, 
imes T. Sutton, to January, 1853, 
)hn Gilmer, to January, 1853, 
^a T. Dunkum, to January, 1853, 
it'G. Overton, to January, 1853, 
.^Lindsay Walker, to July, J852, 
amm S. Garret, lo January, 1853, 
ane Ashby, to January, 1853, 
)hn Th. Smith, to January, 1853, 
ol. Joseph Martin, to July, 1852, 
eorge Rogers, to January, 1853, 
icob W. Morton, to March, 1853, 
r. Cyrus M'Cormick, to October, 1852, 1 00 
. C. M'lntyre, to January, 1853, 
. D. M'Craw, to September, 1852, 
dward Carter, to January, 1853, 
r. P. Thornton, to January, 1854, 
Tm. Johnston, to January, 1853, 
enry A. Sydnor, to January, 1853 
[Laughlin & Carter, to January, 1853, 
homas M. Arnest, to January, 1853, 
fm. P. Tucker, to January, 1853, 
ev. R. B. Moon, to January, 1853, 
ev. J. Tinsley, to January, 1853, 
A. Ingram, to January, 1853, ) 
. N. Neblett, to January, 1853, $ 
dmunds Gee, to January, 1853, 
It. Shackelford, to January, 1853, 
mes W. Hall, to January, 1853, 



SI 00 

3 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 

4 00 



$1 00 


1 00 


3 00! 


1 00 | 


1 00 ' 


2 00] 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


5 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


2 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


2 00 


1 00 


I, 1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


5 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1, 1 00 


2 00 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 



Mo oo 



1 oo 
1 oo 
1 oo 



J 



R. Harrison, to January, 1853, 
fm. S. Bart, to January, 1853, 
ilas Emory, to January, 1853, 
fm. Matthews, to January, 1853, 
eorge C. Hannah, to January, 1853, 



1> 5 00 



H. L. Plummer, to January, 1853, 
George L. Aiken, to January, 1853, 
John M. Scales, to January, 1853, 
John A. Ratcliff, to January, 1853, 
S. Golden, to January, 1853, 
John Poe, to March, 1853, 
T. Calbreth, to January, 1852, 
Wm. H. Henning, to January, 1853, 
Robert C. Davis, to January, 1853, 
Thomas Wiley, to January, 1853, 
R. A. Willis, to January, 1853, ' 1 00 

B. Grant, to January, 1853, 1 00 

Edmund Goode, to March, 1853, 1 00 

John S. Hardaway, to January, 1853, 2 00 
Col. S. M'D. Reid, to January, 1853, 2 00 
Dr. Georse Morton, to January, 1853, 1 00 
John R. Mann, to January, 1853, l 00 

Thomas Green, to March, 1853, 1 00 

J. G. Fulton, to January, 1853, "] 

Philip Airhart, to January, 1853, i, 

O. Miller, to January, 1853, 
Dr. Wm. B. Blair, to January, 1853, 
David Landis, to January, 1853, 
Jacob Sanger, to January, 1853, 
Richd. H. Dudley, to January, 1853, 
Addison H. Coiner, to January, 1853 
Samuel Sanger, to January, 1853, 
Thomas Reeves, to January, 1853, 
A. Miller, (3 copies,) to Jan. 1853, 
Felix Richards, to March, 1853, 
Dr. Benj. Lewis, to January, 1853, 
A. Cheatham, to July, 1852, 
Capt. Thos. Bronaugh, to January, 1853, 1 00 
George E. Welsh, to January, 1853, 1 00 

George W. Daniel, to January, 1853, 1 00 
M. B. Carrington, to January, 1853, 1 00 

J. P. Taliaferro, to January, 1853, 1 00 

George Taylor, to January, 1853, l 00 

H. G. Richardson, to July, 1852, 1 00 

Wm.Cullingworth, Sr. to January, 1853, 2 00 
George S. Smith, to January, 1853, 7 00 

Thos. H. Ellis, to January, 1853, 3 00 

L. W. Glazebrook, to January, 1853, 2 00 
T. L Page, to January, 1853, 
H. Rhodes, to January, 1853, 
Dr. P. H. Anderson, to January, 1853, 
Washington Swoope, to July, 1*852, 
R. V. Watkins, to July, 1852, 
Capt. G. Choice, to January, 1853, 
James Withers, to January, 1853, 
J. W. Reese, to July, 1852, 
Ben. E. Anderson, to January, 1853, 
Joseph P. Terrill, to January, 1853, 
Wm. M. Watkins, to September, 1853, 
Vincent Phillips, to January, 1853, 
David C. Anderson, to January, 1853, 
Col. R. Rowzie, to January, 1853, 
W. P. Ouisenberry, to January. 1852, 
John Morton, to January, 1853, 
Winslow Robinson, to January, 1853, 
George C. Smith, to January, 1853, 
Dt. Joseph Flippo, to January, 1853, 
D. D. Ferebee, to January, 1853, 
Jas. D. Scarborough, to January, 1853, 
C. L. Die ken, to January, 1853, 
83 \ W. H. Roy, to January, 1851, 
00 Dabney Minor, to September, 1852, 



1 54 



1 00 
3 00 
1 00 
1 00 

1 00 

2 00 
1 00 
5 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 



00 

00 

00 

00 

00 

00 

1 00 

1 00 

1 00 

1 00 

1 00 

1 00 

1 00 



/ 



124 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, 






Henry E. Sipes, to January, 1853, $1 

Thomas T. Munf'ord, to January, 1853, 1 

A. W. Nolting, to January, 1853, 1 

T. I. Redmond, to March, 1853, 1 

Daniel Jones, to January, 1853, 1 

Capt. Arthur Slaughter, to Jan. 1853, 1 

John E. Schley, to October, 1852, 1 

Capt. David Pugh, to January, 1853, 1 

Robert Carmichael, to January, 1853, 1 



B. R. Johnston, to January, 1853, i 

Wid. Munford, to January, 1853, 
Mrs. Cynthia B. Boston, to Jan. 1853, 
Frank: Fry, to January, 1853, 
James T. Carier, to January, 1853, 
F. M. Turbeville, to July, 1852, 
E. G. Booth, to January, 1853, 
Capt. R. H. Boston, to September, 1852, 



Col. Thos. Carshaden, to January, 1853, 1 00 j Benj. F. Watkins, to April,' 1853,' 



Col. Charles Blue, to January, 1853, 
James D. Watts, to January, 1852, 
Austin H. Fergusson, to January, 1853, 
Dr. N. T. Green, to January, 1853, 
Col. Thos. Loyall, to January, 1853, 
Col. J. Griggs, to January, 1853, "S 

Wm, A. Sheffield, to January, 1853, j 
John T. Wootton, to January, 1853, | 
Maj. John L. Dillard, to Jan. 1853, f 
Capt. O. R. Dillard, to January, 1853, | 
Peter W. Watkins, to January, 1853, J 
Rev. S. J. Spotts, to January, 1853, 
Luke P. Terpley, to September, 1853, 
Dr. Josiah Lawrence, to July, 1853, 
Dr. John E. Nicholson, to Jan. 1853, 
W. S. Dulany, to January, 1852, 
Thomas Yerby, to January, 1852, 
J. B. Lightfoot, to January, 1852, 
Henry Fitzhugh, to January, 1853, 
John Baker, to January, 1852, 
John R. Taylor, to January, 1853, 
Ro. Garland, to January, 1853, 
John R. Taylor, to January, 1853, 
J. M. Bullock, to January, 1853, 
J. Ferneyhough, to January, 1853, 
Michael Wallace, to January, 1853, 
Thos. W. Anderson, to January, 1853, 
Z. C. Vaughan, to January, 1853, 
Alexander Moseley, to January, 1853, 
John W. A. Saunders, lo Jan. 1853, 
John Lackland, to January, 1853, 
Benjamin A. Cox, to January, 1853, 
James M. Johns, to January, 1853, 
Melville M. Johns, to January, 1853, 
J. Y. Hardy, to January, 1853, , 

Rev. S. J. Price, to January, 1853, 
S. Crenshaw, to January, 1853, 
J. A. Elliott, to January, 1853, 
T. M. Gilliam, to January, 1853, 
N. Cunningham, to January, 1853, 
Wm. M. Womack, to January, 1853, )■ 
P. H. Jackson, to January, 1853, 
Dr. W. T. Walker, to January, 1853, 
Thomas Clarke, to January, 1853, 
John Hughes, to January, 1853, 
J. A. Watson, to January, 1853, 
J. A. Dalby, to January, 1853, 
W. C. Davis, to July, 1851, 
R. H. Pollard, to January, 1853, 
C. B. Foggs, to January, 1853, 
Charles A. Scott, to July, 1852, 
R. G. Grigg, to January, 1853, 
John W. Broadnax, to January, 1853, 
Wm. Turnbull, to January, 1853, 
George B. Clark, to January, 1853, 
Dr. Aaron B. Haskins, to January, 1853, 1 
Robert Gibbony, to January, 1853, 1 



1 00 | Randolph Keats, to January, 1853 
3 " 

4 

1 
1 



5 00 



John T. Hairston, to January, 1853, 
Henry A. Winfree, to January, 1853, 
J. J. Bowman, to July, 1851, 
Edmond, Davenport & Co. to Jan. 1853, 
Gen. S. A. Williams, to January, 1853, 
Judge W. W. Crump, to January, 1853, 
Dr. R. H. Nelson, to January, 1853, 
James F. Huffman, to April, 1853, 
Edmund T. Morris, to April, 1853, 
O. B. Barksdale, to July, 1852, 
Col. Wm. O. Harris, to January, 1853, 
00 ! Dr. H. Curtis, to January, 1853, 
00 | Col. Edwin Shelton, to January, 1853, 
00 | John S. Mills, to January, 1853, 
00 S. Coates, to April, 1853, 
00 Mess. Jackson & Williamson, to Jan. '52, 



00 



A. Bailey, Jr. to January, 1852, 
C. A. Anderson, to January, 1852, 
Capt. D. E. Bailey, to January, 1852, 
Col. Thomas Pugh, to January, 1852, 



CO 
00 
00 
00 

00 i John A. Chappell, to April, 1853. 
00 Dr. T. L. Walker, to July, 1853,' 
00 ! George W. Carter, to January, 1853, 
00 Robert E. Dejarnette, to January, 1853, 
00 i Dr. Wm. S. Brockenbrough, to Jan. 1853, 
00 Dr. G. Moseley, to January, 1853, 
Dr. J. L. Burruss, to October, 1852, 
Thomas W. Garrett, to January, 1853, 
Temple Walker, to January, 1853, 
> 5 00 Col. Thomas S. Jones, to January, 1853, 
James Hodlett, Jr. to January, 1853, 
James A. Smith, to January, 1853, 
Leroy Campbell, to January, 1853, 
Thos. M. Stubblefield, to January, 1853, 
Dr. L. B. Price, to January, 1853, 
Wm. J. Weir, to January, 1853, 
Charles Smith, to January, 1852, 
N. W. Burwell, to January, 1853, 
James Dickerson, to January, 1853, 
10 00 H. R. Woodhouse, to January, 1853, 
T. R. Dunn, to January, 1853, 
Dr. B. F. Taliaferro, to April, 1853, 
Capt. R. M. Nimmo, to November, 1852, 
A. White, to January, 1853, 
J. H. Cook, to January, 1853, 
R. H. Lipscomb, to January, 1853, 
00 Jas. H. Johnson, to January, 1653, 
00 Columbus Davis, to January, 1853, 
00 Wm. S.Carter, to January," 1853, 
00 Richard G. Bibb, to January, 1853, 
00 Thos. Arvin, to January, 1853, 
00 S. P. Hackett, to January, 1853, 
00 S. G. Davis, to January, 1853, 
00 Geo. P. Keesee, to January, 1853, 
00 James Garland, to January, 1853, 
00 Rev. O. Bulkley, to January, 1853, 



1 00 
1 00 



1 00 | 

2 00'| 



00 

00 



l 001 



00 
00 
00 1 
00 



1 00' I 

1 00 

2 00' 
1 00' 
1 00' 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 0Q' 
1 00 
1 00 
1 00' 
1 00' 
1 00 
1 00 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



125 



LEWIS G. MORRIS' Third Annual Sale, 
by Auciion, of Improved Breeds of Do- 
mestic Animals, will take place at Mount 
-Vordham, Westchester County, (11 miles 
■ om City Hall, New York,) on Wednesday, 
June 9, 1852. James M. Miller, Auctioneer. 

Application need not be made at private 
sale, as I decline in all cases, so as to make it 
an object for persons at a distance to attend. 
Sale positive to the highest bidder, without 
reserve. 

Numbering about fifty head of Horned 
Stock, including a variety of ages and sex, 
consisting of Pure Bred Short Horns, Devons 
and Ayrshires; Southdown Buck Lambs, and 
a very few Ewes; Suffolk and Essex Swine. 
Catalogues, with full Pedigrees, &c. will be 
ready for delivery on the 1st of May — to be 
obtained from the subscriber, or at the offices 
of any of the principal Agricultural Journals 
or stores in the Union. This sale will offer 
the best opportunity to obtain very fine ani- 
mals I ever have given, as I shall reduce my 
herd lower than ever before, contemplating a 
trip to Europe, to be absent a year, and shall 
not have another sale until 1854. 

It will be seen by reference to the proceed- 
ings of our State Agricultural Society that I 
was the most successful exhibitorof Domestic 
Animals at the late State Fair. 

I will also offer a new feature to American 
Breeders — one which works wel) in Europe, 
that is, letting the services of male animals; and 
will solicit propositions from such as see fit to 
try it. 

Conditions. — The animal hired to be at the 
>isk of the owner, unless by some positive ne- 
.. Ject or carelessness of the hirer; the expense 
%f transportation to and from to be borne 
jointly; the term of letting, to be one year or 
less, as parties agree; price to be adjusted by 
parties — to be paid in advance, when the Bull 
is taken away; circumstances would vary the 
price; animal to be kept in accordance with 
instructions of owner before taking him away. 

I offer on the foregoing conditions three 
celebrated Prize Bulls "Major, 1 ' a Devon, 
nine years old; "Lamartine," Short Horn, 
four years old; "Lord Eryholme," Short 
Horn, three years old. Pedigrees will be 
given in Catalogues. 

At the time of my sale, (and I would not 
part with thetn before,) I shall have secured 
two or three yearly setts of their progeny; 
and as I shall send out in August next a new 
importation of male animals, I shall not want 
the services of either of these next year. 1 
would not sell them, as I wish to keep control 
of their propagating qualities hereafter. 

I also have one imported Buck, the prize 
winner at Rochester last fall, imported direct 
from the celebrated Jonas Webb; and also 
five yearling Bucks, winners also, bred by me, 
from Bucks and Ewes imported direct from 
the above celebrated breeder; they will be let 
on the same conditions as the Bulls, excepting 
that I will keep them until the party hiring 



wishes them, and they must be returned to me 
again on or about Christmas day. By this 
plan the party hiring gets rid of the risk and 
trouble of keeping a Buck the year round. 
All communications by mail must be pre-paid, 
and I will pre-pay the answers. 

L. G. MORRIS. 
Mount Fordham, March, 1852— 3t. 



Right Hand. 



Left Hand. 



LIVINGSTON COUNTY PLOUGH. 

rjTHE subscriber having greatly increased 
X his facilities for manufacturing the above 
Ploughs, will be able to supply orders for 
Ploughs or Castings on a larger scale of the 
following numbers and sizes: 
No. 1. One Horse Plough 
No. 2. Light 2 Horse Plough 
No. 2i. : ' " " " 

No. 3. Heavy" " 
No. 4. Three Horse Plough 
No. 4. Heavy 2 Horse Plough 
No. 5. Three Horse Plough 
No. 6. Four Horse Plough; but 

generally used for 3 horses. ) 

These Ploughs are now displacing all others 
in many counties in Virginia. They are com- 
posed entirely of cast iron, with chilled points, 
&c. From the simplicity of their construction, 
and the ease with which they are kept in order, 
they are peculiarly adapted to lave labor. 

Persons desirous of further information con- 
cerning these ploughs are referred to the fol- 
lowing gentlemen, who now have them in use: 
Wm. A. Woods, Esq. Charlotte County, 
G. S. Harper, Esq. Appamattox County, 
David Anderson, Jr. Louisa County, 
F. G. Ruffin, Wm. Garth and P. PI. Goodloe, 
Esqrs. Albemarle County, Virginia. 
Persons disposed to deal in the Livingston 
County Plough, in neighborhoods where they 
are not already introduced, and on sale, will 
please address M. BRYAN, 

Steel's Tavern, Augusta Co. Va 



DAILY AND WEEKLY DISPATCH. 

THE Daily and Weekly Dispatch, publish- 
ed at the office on Governor street, near 
Main, Richmond, Virginia — commenced in 
October, 1850— have reached a very astonish- 
ing popularity. The Daily Dispatch is a 
penny paper and has an immense circulation 
in Richmond and contiguous towns. It affords 
the best medium for advertising. Subscribers 
in the country furnished with the paper at the 
low price of Four Dollars per annum. 

The WEEKLY DISPATCH is published 
at One Dollar Per Annum, and is therefore 
one of the cheapest Newspapers ever publish- 
ed. It is a handsome sheet and coutains the 
News of the Day, together with Literary Se- 
lections from the very best sources. The list 
is already very large and constantly increasing. 
No paper will be sent until paid for in advance. 
Hugh R. Pleasants is the chief contributor 
to the editorial columns of the Daily and 
Weekly Dispatch. Address the Proprietor, 
Richmond, Virginia. 



SB 



126 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



SANDY POINT FOR SALE AT 
AUCTION. 

THE undersigned, prevented by engage- 
ments requiring his undivided attention 
elsewhere from residing on his farm, will sell 
publicly, unless previously sold privately, (and 
of which due notice will be given,) at the 
Bullingbrook Hotel, in Petersburg, on Wed- 
nesday, the 26th day of May next, at 11 o'clock, 
A. M. without reserve or regard to weather, 
that valuable, highly improved and heavily 
timbered estate, known as SANDY POINT, 
situated on James River, in the County of 
Charles City, Virginia, 45 miles below the 
City of Richmond, and 32 miles below the 
City of Petersburg. 

This fine body of land contains 4,453 acres, 
and has been advantageously divided into four 
well located farms, with dwellings, commo- 
dious barns, &c. and into five valuable lots of 
timbered land, exclusive of an ample allot- 
ment of wood and timber for each farm. 

Persons desirous of investing in lands of a 
quality not often in market, are invited to ex- 
amine this estate. 

Printed bills giving the qantities in the sub- 
divisions, &c. will be furnished, and accurate 
plats exhibited to applicants. 

Possession given of the timbered lands im- 
mediately after sale; of the farms, at the end 
of the year, with the privilege of fallowing 
and seeding wheat. 

Terms — One-fifth cash; balance in five an- 
nual instalments for the farms; for the tim- 
bered lands, one-third cash and three annual 
instalments; credit payments to bear interest, 
and to be secured by deeds and approved en- 
dorsed negotiable notes or bonds. 

R. B. BOLL1NG. 

Address to Petersburg, Va. 

fe — tf Pannill & Sons, Aucts. 



AGRICULTURAL WAREHOUSE. 

THE subscriber continues to manufacture 
Agricultural Machines and Implements, 
such as Horse Powers, Threshers or Drums, 
Fan Mills, different patterns; Seed Drills, dif- 
ferent patterns; Corn Mills, Corn and Cob 
Crushers, Straw Cutters, Corn Shellers, a va- 
riety; Hill Side and Sub Soil Ploughs, Culti- 
vators, Harrows, Grain Cradles, Reapers, &c. 
&c. all of which will be made in the best man- 
ner, and of approved patterns. My Horse 
Power and Drum, with self-oiling box, have 
been tested three seasons, and uniformly pro- 
nounced to be the best in use. 

Machines repaired in the best manner. — 
Castings in Iron and Brass furnished at short 
notice. H. BALDWIN, 

ap— 3t 148, Main street. 

OSAGE ORANGE PLANTS FOR 
HEDGES. — A few thousand raised by 
myself, for sale. 

WM. H. RTCHARDSON. 
Richmond, Jan, 1, 1852. — 3t. 



VALUABLE AGRICULTURAL 
WORKS for sale by NASH & WOOD- 
HOUSE, Eagle Square. 

The Complete Farmer and Rural Economi>Q> 
and New American Gardener, by T. J. Fessert- 
den, in one volume, about 700 pages, cloth, 
gilt— SI 25. 

Johnston's Agricultural Chemistry — a new 
edition, in one volume, 12mo. cloth, gilt — ©1 25. 

Johnston's Elements of Agricultural Che- 
mistry — 50 cents. 

Johnston's Practical Agriculture, one vol. 
cloth — 75 cents. 

Buist's Family Kitchen Gardener, cloth — 
75 cents. 

Hoare's Treatise on the Cultivation of the 
Grape Vine on open Walls — 50 cents. 

Sheep Husbandry, by H. S.Randall— SI 25. 

Stephens' Book of the Farm, complete — $4. 

Browne's American Poultry Yard, tenth edi- 
tion— $1. 

Allen's American Farm Book, one volume — 
SI. Mail edition— 75 cents. 

Allen's Diseases of Domestic Animals, one 
volume — 75 cents. 

Chemistry Made Easy for Farmers, paper — ' 
25 cents. 

Southern Agriculture; or, Essays on the 
Cultivation of Corn, Hemp. Tobacco, Wheat, 
&c— SI. 

Dana's Prize Essay on Manures — 25 cents. 

Miner's American Bee Keeper's Manual — 
SI. Mail edition — 75 cents. 

Brown's American Bird Fancier— 50 cents. 
Mail edition — 25 cents. 

Canfield on the Breeds, Management, StrWva 
ture and Diseases of Sheep— SI- *? 

The American Architect, the cheapest and 
best work of the kind published in the world, 
complete in 24 numbers, at 25 cents each, or i 
S5 for the work complete — $(S bound in two 
volumes. 

Youatt and Martin's Treatise on Cattle, 
with one hundred illustrations, edited by Am- 
brose Stevens, Esq. — SI 25. 

Youatt on the Breed and Management of I 
Sheep, with illustrations — 75 cents. 

Elements of Agriculture, translated from the 
French, by F.G. Skinner, adapted for Schools — 
25 cents. 

Gunn's Domestic Medicine; or, Poor Man's 
Friend in Affliction, Pain and Sickness — S3. 

mar — ly 



UNION AGRICULTURAL WARE- 
HOUSE AND SEED STORE. 

"D ALPH & Co. No. 23 Fulton street, New 
LL York, near Fulton Market, Dealers in all 
the most approved Agricultural and Horticul- 
tural Implements, Imported and American 
Field and Garden Seeds, Ornamental Shade 
and Fruit Trees, Guano, Bone Dust, Poudretfe, 
&c. Wrought Iron Ploughs, Trucks, Barrows, 
&c. &c. always on hand. Also, the Excelsior, 
or California Plough. mar 3t 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



127 



ANALYSIS OF SOILS, &c. 

THE undersigned is prepared to execute 
the analyses of Soils, Guano, Marls, Plas- 
ter, &c. &e. at the Laboratory of the Virginia 
Military Institute. Packages may be for- 
warded through Webb, Bacon & Co. Rich- 
mond, or Echols & Pryor, Lynchburg. 

Persons desiring further information will 
please address 

WILLIAM GILHAM, 
Prof. Chem. and Agriculture, V. M. I. 
Feb. 1, 1852. Lexington, Va. 

FRUIT AND ORNAMENTAL TREES 
AND SHRUBS. 

THE Subscriber offers for sale a select as- 
sortment of Fruit and Ornamental Trees 
and Shrubs, a number of new Evergreens, and 
a good collection of Greenhouse Plants, espe- 
cially of Camellias, Roses. Geraniums; also, 
Dahlia Roots, Pceonias, with Bulbous Roots, 
Garden and Flower Seeds, &c. 

All orders thankfully received and promptly 
attended to. Prices moderate. 

The subscriber is commencing a Nursery 
for the growth of Fruit and Ornamental Trees 
and Shrubs, in which the greatest care will be 
taken to grow only those fruits that are adapted 
to the climate; and all will be worked on 
seedling stocks. The subscribei has secured 
the services of an experienced Nurseryman, 
and thinks he will be able to supply those who 
may favor him with orders with good Plants 
at reasonable prices. 

Catalogues will be published soon and can 
|>e had on application. Address 

JOSEPH RENNIE, Richm6nd,Va. 

COMMISSION HOUSE IN RICHMOND- 

WITH the view of giving our friends and 
all others who may favor us with their 
patronage, the advantages of both markets, we 
nave established in the City of Richmond a 
house for transacting a General Commission 
Business, to be conducted by Tazewell S. 
Morton, under the style of Tazewell S. Mor- 
ion & Co. 

The business of Watkins & Morton, will 
be conducted in Petersburg by Samuel V. 
Watkins, assisted by John A. Morton, as 
heretofore. 

It is our purpose to adhere strictly to the 
Commission Business; giving our undivided 
attention to the sale of the staple products of 
the country, viz : Tobacco, Wheat, Corn, Flour, 
Cotton, &c. 

We return our thanks for the liberal patron- 
age that has been bestowed on our concern in 
Petersburg, and to the dealers in produce and 
merchandise in that city we feel under many 
obligations for the generous liberality and 
punctuality we have at all times met with in 
our transactions with them. 

TAZEWELL S. MORTON & CO. 

Richmond, Va. 
WATKINS & MORTON, 

Ja 3t Petersburg, Va. 



TO AGRICULTURISTS. 

MORRIS & BROTHER have received the 
following valuable Books, pertaining to 
Agriculture: 

Elements of Scientific Agriculture, or the 
connexion between Science and the Art of 
Practical Farming. This was the prize essay 
of the New York State Agricultural Society; 
by J. P. Norton, M. A. 

Elements of Agricultural Chemistry and 
Geology; by Jas. F. W. Johnston. 

American Agriculturist, for the Farmer, 
Planter, Stock Breeder, and Horticulturist; 
by A. B.Allen; numerous plates. The 8th 
and 9th volumes of this most valuable work are 
received, also complete sets. Every farmer 
should have this work. 

American Farm Book, on Soils, Manures, 
Drainings, Irrigation, Grasses, Grain, Roots, 
Fruit, Cotton, Tobacco, Sugarcane, Rice, and 
every staple product of the United States. — 
This is a perfect farmer's library, with upwards 
of 100 engravings; by R. L. Allen. 

Farmer's Manual, with the most recent dis- 
coveries in Agricultural Chemistry; by F. 
Faulkner. 

A Muck Manual for Farmers; by S. L. 
Dana. 

Farmer's Land Measurer, with a set of use- 
ful Agricultural Tables; by Jas. Pedder. 

American Husbandry. — Series of Essays on 
Agriculture, with additions; by Gaylord and 
Tucker. 

Farmer's Encyclopedia; by Cuthbert W. 
Johnson. 

Productive Farming, with the most recent 
discoveries of Liebig, Johnston, Davy, and 
others. 

European Agriculture, from personal obser- 
vation; by Henry Coleman. This is a very 
popular work. 

Johnson's Chemistry and Geology, with their 
application. 

Johnson's Dictionary of Gardening; by Da- 
rid Landreth. 

London's Gardening, for Ladies; by A. J. 
Downing. 

Squarey's Agricultural Chemistry, Bonssin- 
gault, Rural Economy, Buist's Kitchen Gar- 
dener, Landscape Gardening, and Rural Ar- 
chitecture; by A. J. Downing. 

Fessenden's American Gardener. 

American Fruit Book, with full instructions- 
by S. W. Cole. 

Downing on Fruit Trees. A 

Theory of Horticulture; by Lindlly. 

Florist's Manual; by H. Bourne; 80 colored 
engravings. 

Bridgman's Kitchen Gardener. 

In addition to which, Morris & Brother have 
all of the late Works on Agriculture, Horti- 
culture, and Raising Stock, of any celebrity. 

Richmond, March 12, 1851.— ly 



128 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



CONTENTS OF NUMBER IV. 



PAGE 

State Agricultural Convention.— Address 
to the Farmers of Virginia by Frank: 

G. Ruffin 9" 

Daniel Lee, M. D 103 

Management of Servants 106 

Steam and Water Power 107 

How to Advance Agricultural Science . .109 

Tobacco 109 

Colic and Bots in Horses Ill 

Consu'tution of Agricultural Society 112 

Good Management 112 

State Agricultural Society 113 

Plantation and Farm Book 113 

Advertisements 114 

To Correspondents 114 

Corn — Very Important 114 

Management of a Farm in Prince Edward 1 14 

Draining 117 

Lime 119 

Management and Application of Manures 120 

The Livingston County Plough 122 

Payments to the Southern Planter 123 



BOOKS, PIANOS, MUSIC, &C. 

NASH & WOODHOTJSE, Wholesale and 
Retail Dealers in Books, Piano Fortes, 
Stationery, Music, &c. 139, Main St. Rich- 
mond, Virginia. 

Constantly on hand, a full supply of stand- 
ard Agricultural Works. 
oct — tf 



WILLIAM P. EADD, 

APOTHECARY AND DRUGGIST, 

No. 319, head of Broad Street, Shockoe Hill, 

Richmond, Virginia. 

DEALER in English, Mediterranean, India 
and all Foreign and Domestic Drugs and 
Medicines; also, Paints, Oils, Varnish, Dye 
Stuffs, Window Glass, Putty, &c. For sale 
on the most accommodating terms. 

§2j= Orders from Country Merchants and 

Physicians thankfully received and promptly 

attended to. 

ja 1851— tf 



AGENCY FOR THE PURCHASE AND 
SALE OF IMPROVED STOCK. 

STOCK Cattle of all the different breeds, 
Sheep, Swine, Poultry, &c. will be pur- 
chased to order, and carefully shipped to any 
part of thf United States, for which a reasona- 
ble commission will be charged. Apply to 
AARON CLEMENT, Philadelphia. 
Refer to Gen. W. H.Richardson, Richmond, 
Virginia. 

N. B. — All letters, post-paid, will be prompt- 
ly attended to. ap— tf 



GREAT REDUCTION IN PRICES OP 
HATS AND BOOTS. 

J. H. ANTHONY'S FASHIONABLE HAT | 
STORE, Columbian Hotel Corner. 

THE cheapest place in the city of Rich- 
mond to buy Hats and Boots is at the 
above store, where every article sold may be 
relied on as represented. By this means he 
has gained a good run of custom, and his cus- 
tomers feel satisfied. Below is a list of his 
prices, which will be strictly adhered to: 
Best quality moleskin, - $3 50 

Second quality " 3 00 

Best quality silk, - - - 2 50 
Secoi.d " " 2 00 

Fine Calfskin Sewed Boots only three dol- 
lars and fifty cents. 
Also, Caps, Shoes and Umbrellas. 
J. H. Anthony has made an arrangement 
with one of the best makers in the city of 
Philadelphia, to supply him with a handsome 
and substantial Calfskin Sewed Boot, which 
he will sell at the unprecedented low price of 
three dollars and fifty cents. The attention of 
gentlemen is respectfully solicited, as they are 
the best and cheapest Boots that have ever 
been offered for sale in this city. He intends 
to keep but the one kind, and sell them at one 
price- se — ly 



ri^HE RICHMOND AND PETERSBURG 
_L RAIL ROAD COMPANY respectfully 
inform farmers living on the Roanoke River 
and on the line of the Raleigh and Gaston 
Rail Road, that they are transporting tobacco *J 
and other produce between Richmond and Pe- *$>, 
tersburg with promptness and despatch, run 
ning daily trains of eight wheel covered cars, 
securing tobacco and goods from damage. 
Tobacco consigned to the care of J. Lynch, 
Rail Road Agent, Petersburg, will be for- 
warded, free of commissions, to Richmond. 
Goods purchased in Richmond and consigned 
to the Rail Road Agent at Gaston will be for- 
warded up the river without charge for for- 
warding. THOS. DODAMEAD, 
Sup't R. & P. R. R. 
June 24, 1851— tf 

VIRGINIA AXES. 

THE undersigned, in connexion with their 
Rolling Mill, have erected an extensive 
Manufactory of Axes, Hatchets, and Tools 
generally, which they warrant equal to any 
manufactured, and offer at Northern prices. 
They solicit the patronage of the agricultural 
community. 

R. Archer, -^ R. ARCHER & CO. 
A. " 



Jtl. ARCHER, -v 

A. D. Townes, f 
R. S. Archer, j 
C. Dimmock. / 



oct — ly 



BOOK AND JOB PRINTING executed 
at this Office with neatness and dispatch. 
Office South Twelfth Street.