riptlcn REDUCED to TWO DOLLARS Per Annum in Advanco. 








wmm ^mmwmmmm 




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DEVOTED TO 



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Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts.— Xenophon. 
Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts of the State.— Sully. 



CH: B. WILLIAMS, - 
WM. L. HILL, 



Editor and Proprietor. 
General Agent. 



New Series. 



RICHMOND, VA., APRIL, 1868. 



Vol. IL-No. 4. 



COIS^'rEl^TTS : 

Agkicultural Department: 

Report of Commissioner of Agriculture Reviewed, No. 3 

Small Farms, White Labor, and the Tenant System 

Westmoreland, Northumberland, Richmond, and Lancaster Counties: their 

Geographical Situation, Advantages, &c 

Farm Accounts— How to Keep Them 

Mode and Distance of Planting Corn, by F. G. Ruffin 

Raise More Cattle 

Our Exhausted and Abandoned Lands — What Can we do with Them? 

Agricultural Education ■ 

Periodicity in the Seasons 

About Weeds, No. 2 

Immigration 

Deep Tillage Necessary to Effective Surface Drainage 

Fodder for Stock 

HOETICUIiTURAI. DEPARTMENT : 



Agricultural and Horticultural Societies' Premiums 

Planting Vines Deep, by Philo 

Editorial Comments on Philo 

Mildew and Rot on Grape Vines, by H. C. Sleight 

How to Keep Hares from Barking Trees. The Borer in Peach Trees. 

Wine Making, '237. Wine Growers' Association of Ohio , 

Rawles' Janet Apple, 241. Currents in New York Market 

Yellow Aberdeen Turnip 

Household Department: 

On Milch Cows 

Domestic Recipes , 

Editorial Department: 

The Violet in the Snow, by Rev. T. S. W. Mott 

The Va. State Agr, Society, 247. Errors Corrected 

Fertilizers 247. An American Manufacturer Abroad '. 

The Virginia Horticultural and Pomological Society , 

Our Correspondence, 249; Book Notices, &c , 

Commercial Report: 



PAGE. 

193 
200 

205 
208 
210 
212 
214 
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226 
228 
229 
231 

232 
233 
234 
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236 
239 
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241 

242 
244 

245 
247 
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249 
253 
255 



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CII: B. 


WILLIAMS, 






Editor 


AND PrC 


)PRIETOR. 










New Series. 


RICHMOND, VA., 


APRIL, 1868. 




Vol. II- 


-No. 4. 



REPORT OF DEPARTiVlENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

NO. III. 

Dr. Antisell, of the Department, furnishes a valuable and inter- 
esting article on the " Cultivation of the Cinchona in the United 
States." His object is "to call the attention of agriculturists and 
others to the necessity for and advantage of cultivation in the 
United States of that genus of trees which yields Peruvian bark 
and quinine ; and, in so doing, to give an outline of the natural 
history of that family, to detail the steps which have been taken by 
other nations in the effort to obtain within their national limits a 
sufficient supply of that drug so necessary to all inhabitants of 
southern, temperate, and inter-tropical latitudes, and to demonstrate 
the imperative necessity on the part of the government of the 
United States of decided, active and prompt measures to establish 
Cinchona plantations within the domain of this great repuplic." , 

Dr. A. fills this outline ably in the twenty pages devoted to this 
subject. He shows that this genus is diminishing rapidly in its 
native habitat in South America, and will become extinct unless it 
be revived elsewhere. The British people with their characteristic 
philantbrophy and energy are engaged actively in this work in 
India and other colonies. " To the English are due the first, and, 
indeed, the only successful attempts at acclimating these valuable 
trees. Efforts had been made by other nations previously, as by. 
the French and the Dutch. De la Condamine, a member of the 
French expedition of 1735, designed chiefly to obtain astronomical 
results for geodesy, not only was the first who described the Cin- 

VOL. II — 13 



194 THE SOUTHERN [April 

chona living in its native forests, but was also the first who attempted 
to transport some young plants to Paris. In this he failed, as the 
box with the live plants was unfortunately washed overboard, after 
he had faithfully watched over them for eight months. The French 
government, under the reign of Louis Philippe, sent Dr. Wuddell, 
a gentleman of extensive scientific knowledge and well qualified for 
the mission, to South America, with the special object of obtaining 
full information concerning the Cinchona trees." Seeds were carried 
by him to Paris and sown in the Jardin des PlanteSj from which 
the Dutch made a plantation in Java. This was not successful for 
various causes, stated by Dr. A. The English began their efforts 
about ten years ago to raise the cinchona in India, and they have 
several large plantations in successful cultivation. They have three 
plantations in the East, one in Jamaica, and others at the Mauritius, 
Queensland, Natal, and Trinidad. The Dut-ch have one in Java. 

Mr. Buckalew, of the United States Senate, has made efforts to 
introduce the plant into this country ; and it was hoped there was a 
suitable locality for it in Texas. But Dr. A., from personal know- 
ledge acquired there and in California, thinks that the only district 
suited for it, within our limits, is in the latter State between the coun- 
ties of San Luis Obispo and San Diego. The requisites are high 
elevation, without frost, and with abundant rain at appropriate sea- 
sons. It is to be feared that these combinations can hardly be 
found even in that wonderful land. 

" Scarcely seven years have passed since the first plants were 
introduced into India, and there are now nearly a million and three 
quarters of trees scattered over the hill ranges of Ceylon and India, 
from Hakgalle to the Himalayas of Bengal, flourishing everywhere, 
except in those secluded hollows where the night frosts kill them." 

In six years, from 1859 to '65, 1,639,402 pounds, in value ?2,- 
161,250, have been imported into this country, of the varieties of 
bark, sulphate of quinine, &c. New Granada has shipped to us 
half the bark. Nearly all the quinine is imported from England. 

There is an elaborate article of twenty-six pages on *' Ship-Tim- 
ber in the United States." Like the Cinchona, "our white-oak and 
yellow pine forests are ravaged by everybody for indiscriminate 
purposes. From navy-yards to cooper-shops, from railroads to 
street alleys, and from bridge-building to shingle-making, there is 
no quarter given to the oak and no peace to the pine. When we 
reflect that more than sixti/ trades and nearly half a million arti- 
sans flourish and prosper by consuming wood in manufactures in 
the United States, and that by far the greater proportion of woods 



18G8.] PLANTER AND FARMER 195 

used are the very kinds preferred in ship-building, it will become 
manifest that there is real cause for serious consideration of 
the subject of future supplies. Ship-timber now costs nearly or 
quite double what it did ten or twenty years ago ; and what is more, 
certain influences are at work narrowing the circle of woods eligible 
for construction, and thus increasing the difficulty of building a 
vessel for a moderate price. It will yet become a question of im- 
portance among ship-owners, whether there are not other timber 
growths than oak and pine to be found in the forests of tlie United 
States, from which good and durable vessels may be built for rea- 
sonable prices." 

This ought to admonish the land-holders of Virginia and of the 
South to be careful of their forests, for they are destined to be im- 
mensely valuable. Let us no longer waste, but nourish them. The 
railroads will convey them from the mountain to the sea. 

Apart from a little May-flower rhetoric, there is an interesting 
glimpse, in thirty pages, of the " History of the Agriculture of the 
United States," by B. Perley Poore, of Mass. As "the English 
Puritans, who settled in New England, were men who regarded civil 
and religious liberty as the primary object of rational beings," Mr. 
P., after giving us this extra-agricultural information, ought to 
have told us how soon they degenerated to be persecutors — how 
they became the propagandists of slavery — how they taught doctrines 
of secession, and how they persecute vanquished victims. A retro- 
spect like that would have made him more chary of taunts about 
rebellion. If politicians may not, agricultural writers should cease 
from the old device of crying " stop thief!" 

Mr. P.'s retrospect is, nevertheless, interesting, and he culls from 
the National Intelligencer and American Farmer pleasant, if not 
useful, material. 

Mr. Tinden furnishes ten interesting pages, entitled " High 
Farming," being an account of the wonderful energy, in farming, 
of the Hollanders, who have reclaimed great lakes and cultivate 
lands below the level of the sea, whose waves beat in vain upon 
their high and massive embankments. Here, we have no difficulties 
like these to overcome, but we can imitate their example of success- 
ful industry. " Let the farmer, instead of doubling the extent of 
his farm, double the increase of his crops. Let him provide more 
and better shelter for his stock, and thus keep them in better con- 
dition and at a less expense. Let him make a better use of oil- 
cake, both of cotton seed and linseed, for the purpose of fattening 
his*iStock and for increasing the value of manure. Let him study 



196 THE SOUTHERN [April 

to improve his farm buildings, making his house more convenient 
for the use of his family, and his grounds around it more tasteful 
and orntvmental. 

"It is with a view," says Mr. Tinden, "to encourage the farmers 
of the United States to undertake the improvement of their farms, 
and aim at a higher cultivation of them ; to regard difficulties, how- 
ever great, as not insurmountable ; to make a free outlay of capital 
in view of a sure return in increased production, that the article 
has been prepared." It is in this last respect that our farmers in 
past times have been defective; and it is this which makes retired 
merchants or men of business the most successful farmers, because they 
appreciate the expenditure of capital from which profits are to enure. 

A most useful, practical article of nearly thirty pages follows, 
upon " Country Roads." It would be valuable to those sections 
where materials abound for the construction of good roads. 
We have to admit that our system in Virginia is very defective. 
As our population fills up, necessity will compel the making of 
better. We need skilful superintendents, with a proper manual 
showing them the mode of performing their work. There should 
be a classification of the roads, the first and principal labor 
being applied to those of most importance. Let these be well 
graded and gravelled, after complete draining, without which, no 
road, even if made wUh stone, will remain in repair. There are, 
now, too many roads and too little labor. Let the main arteries be 
first regarded — the others will be arranged in due time. It would 
take too much space to do more than make this brief reference to 
the excellent article of the Messrs. French & Shedd, of Boston. 

Rev. Mr. Howard, of Georgia, gives an interesting account of 
the " Empire State of the South," and of her vast resources. It 
is in size equal to England and Wales, and would absorb near half 
a dozen European kingdoms. Cotton has been its great crop ; but 
Georgia is well adapted to the cereals, to fruit, and especially to 
sheep. " With the subject of wool-growing the writer is familiar 
from practice and observation at home and abroad. It is his con- 
viction that, considering the climate, price of land, markets, and 
facilities for summer and winter grazing. Middle and Lower Georgia 
afford a prospect of more rapid fortune in wool-growing than any 
other region within his knowledge. Cotton has heretofore blinded 
the eyes of planters to the value of their land for this purpose. 
There is no reason why the wool crop of Georgia should not be 
larger than its cotton crop ever was." 

About cotton, he says: "During the past year there have been 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 13T 

numerous experiments of Northern men in different parts of the 
South in cotton growing, and about as many failures. They forgot 
the old Latin adage, "The cobbler should stick to his last." They 
were, for the most part, sutlers, quarter-masters, or federal army 
men of one kind and another, who knew nothing of the negro, 
nothing of Southern soil, climate and products, and yet sought no 
advice from those who did. Of course they failed." 

The gold mines of Georgia have been rich; and the writer thinks 
there would be a great rush of adventurers there if they were on 
the other side of the Rocky mountains. " The white marble quar- 
ries of Cherokee county are of great extent, a portion of them 
affording statuary marble. The slate quarries of Polk county are 
now attracting much attention. The slate is considered equal to 
the Welsh, and is now being shipped to New York. The quarry is 
of enormous extent. Hydraulic cement, nearly white in color, and 
of excellent quality, is made near Kingston, Bartow county." 

To do full justice to Georgia would leave little space to " Cali- 
fornia — Her Agricultural Resources," to which Mr. Dunn devotes 
thirty pages, and must now be compressed in two. The accounts 
of this wonderful State have seemed fabulous. Her mineral wealth 
was regarded as her great attraction when crowds sought wealth 
there. Her wonderful agricultural resources are now being devel- 
oped, and are as startling as her mi'neral. Strange is it that a 
Spanish race occupied this Pacific coast for centuries and developed 
nothing except cattle, hides and tallow. In twenty years, Anglo- 
Saxon energy has wrought wonders almost exceeding belief. In 
this time, its population has grown to half a million in California, 
San Francisc) alone having 130,000 souls. 

Her argricultural resources must be stated briefly. " In the ear- 
lier years of grain growing, the average product of W'heat was be- 
tween sixty and seventy bushels to the acre, in favorable seasons. 
Instances were common where large fields of from sixty to one hun- 
dred acres averaged ninety to one hundred bushels, and selected 
acres as high as one hundred and twenty bushels. At the present 
time the average yield of wheat, properly sowed^ in ploughed land, 
is about forty bushels per acre." The next year volunteer wheat, 
with no culture, and after being grazed, yields about twenty-five 
bushels to the acre. These are the highest estimates. In a letter 
copied by the Southern Churchman from the Alta California, there 
is an interesting letter from Dr. Ashe, a Southern farmer, who has 
had sixteen years experience in the San Joaquin Valley, confirms 
Mr. Dunn. He says his own crop has averaged to that time nine to 



198 THE SOUTHERN [April 

twenty bushels per acre, his second year's crop equal to the first, 
■with no expense of sowing. 

" The average yield of barley, where sown on new land or land 
that has not been continuously cropped for a series of years, is 
about fifty-five to sixty bushels per acre in good seasons. Instances 
are very common, however, where the yield has averaged as high as 
from eighty to one hundred bushels ; and in 1854 a field of one 
hundred acres, in Pajaro Valley, Santa Cruz county, averaged 
one hundred and thirty-three and two-fifths bushels of clean, plump 
grain for the whole tract." 

Obliged to pass over other products, we come to the fruits. Be- 
sides maturing early, the fruit is extraordinary in size and great in 
quantity. Specimens exhibited in San Francisco, have weicjhed, of 
apples, (Gloria Mundi,) 32 and 34 ounces; pears, 84 ounces; 
plums, 7 ounces ; apricots, (Moorpark,) 16 ounces ; peaches from 
one-third to one-half size larger than the same varieties cultivated 
in the Atlantic States. All of these fruits are free from the rava- 
ges of insect life. ^' California-grown oranges range from 6 to 12 
ounces each. Lemons of three varieties — Malaga, Sicily, and 
native, of which the native lemon, although of large size, is the 
poorest and little used, range in weight from 8 to 16 ounces each." 
Figs, prunes, currants, raisins, olives, almonds, nuts, and berries 
abound. 

All the vegetables thrive well, and many are grown and gathered 
at every season, equal, and, in some cases, superior to those of the 
Atlantic States. Of the largest varieties grown near San Fran- 
cisco, an Irish potato weighed 7 pounds ; sweet potato, 26 ; beet, 
135; cabbage, '56; turnip, white, 26; turnip, yellow, 14 ; carrot, 
81; onion, 2J to 4 ; tomato, zj-; watermelon, 34; pumpkin, 350; 
crooked neck squash, from 96 to 110 pounds. ^' Of the prolificness 
of the potato, it is a matter of indisputable record, that a Mr. Hill, 
of Pajaro Valley, in 1855, raised from the cuttings of a single 
large potato 853 pounds merchantable weight, which were exhibited 
in San Francisco." 

Textile fabrics, wool, silk, tobacco, and other valuable products 
must be passed over to come to the wines and brandies of Califor- 
nia, w^iich the writer thinks, "from present appearances, will, by 
the close of the present century, out-rank in importance all the 
other agricultural products combined." 

" The soil and climate have proved so well suited to winegrowing, 
that at the present time the number of vines in California probably 
exceeds that of all the rest of the States combined." The number 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 199 

to 1866, is estimated at about thirty millions, of which eight to nine 
millions are bearing vines, the fruit of which is mostly made into 
wine and brandy. " In the Sierra Nevada, below an elevation of 
2,500 feet, there is a belt of land almost valueless for ordinary 
agricultural purposes, that will average twenty-five miles wide, and 
between three hundred and four hundred miles long. The greater 
portion of this land will, in time, be planted in vineyards, as the 
wine produced is of a very superior quality." Los Angelos county 
produced in 1866 between 1,100,000 and 1,200,000 gallons of wine. 
In Sonoma Valley, there is a vineyard of 3,200 acres, of which 400 
are in bearing. "During 1866 there was made one million gallons 
of wine in the Coast Range district, and, with a good crop of grapes 
the coming year will witness an increase of full fifty per cent, in, 
the product." 

These accounts look marvellous ; but coming as they do with the 
impress of ofiicial sanction, our incredulity sinks to wonder and ad- 
miration. 

But, Avithal, California has its wants and its drawbacks, which 
Mr. Dunn states frankly. " In addition to the great superiority of 
climate, the vegetation in California is almost entirely free from the 
ravages of insect life, often so disastrous in the other States. With 
the exception of occasional irruptions of what are termed army 
worm and grasshoppers, there is no insect life to injure vegetation. 
The ravages of those named are seldom of any great extent, the 
sections of country where they prevail at any time being limited. 
One cause for the comparative freedom from insects is the dryness 
of the summer season, and the immense quantity of small insect- 
feeding birds which are to he found throughout all the country.'' 
"In many parts of the State, however, considerable damage is done 
to the grain crops by ground squirrels and gophers, which exist in 
great numbers." * * "Another drawback is the high cost of 
transportation of produce to market, and the limited character of 
the home consumption compared with the crops raised." The ital- 
ics of the above extract are designed to call the attention of owr 
farmers to the merciless destruction of insect feeding birds, which 
ought to be nurtured, not destroyed, though they consume a little 
grain and some fruit. 

" California needs prudent, economical, and enterprising immi- 
gration. Persons must not come with the expectation that Fortune 
will smile on them without their personal efforts to succeed. To 
the honest, energetic and industrious, there are opportunities to ac- 
quire wealth, either by farming, mining, or mechanics, that cannot 



200 THE SOUTHERN [April 

be found in the other States." * * * u ^^ ^l^g j^^jl^ ^^^^ gj^jf^.. 
less, it is the worst place to which they can come." 

The Report ends with thirty-five pages of the meteorology of 
18C6, embracing nearly all the States and Territories. This is val- 
uable for reference, for the running of isothermal lines, and for the 
emigrant who regards temperature as an element of the country 
which he shall select for his residence. 

It is much to be desired that these interestinoj " Aojricultural Re- 
ports" were disseminated widely among the farmers. If a copy or 
two were kept for consultation in the clerk's office of every county, 
great benefit would result, and it is suggested that our agricultural 
papers urge this upon the Department of Agriculture. 

E. T. T/ 

March 10th, 1868. 



Small Farms, White Labor, and the Tenant System. 

il/r. JEditor^ — Some WTiters are advocating the " large farm" 
system as preferable to the ''small farm." The mode of argu- 
ment adopted is not so much the merits of the former, as the 
demerits of the "intensive" system. Ordinarily, no one could ob- 
ject to this sort of reasoning, as it is negative and can prove noth- 
ing. Moreover, the suggestion is natural, iivit perhaps the "inten- 
sive" and "small farm" systems are two entirely different things; 
and in truth they are. But many of our plain people, who have 
not time to dip into European lore, are misled when they sec written 
so many objections, so strong, too, to the "intensive " system, and 
readily conclude that '■^ small farms wo'nt do." If, however, they 
understand that this "intensive" system is nothing more than veg- 
etable and fruit raising as seen in the miniature farms in our subur- 
ban districts, they 'are at once ready to exclaim, "This is not 
farming, it is ' trucking,' " and its disadvantages are not applicable 
to farming proper. 

The large farm, or " extensive," system, has been tried by our peo- 
ple for two years past. Some — the writer included — worked with 
hired labor, mostly for the year ; others tried the " partnership " 
system — remunerating the labor with an interest in the crops. The 
result was that, few, if any, realized a profit; other farmers worked 
on the small scale, paid out but little for labor, made about as good 
a support as the large farmers made, which was all they made, while 
in some instances profits accrued to the small farmer. 



18G8.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 201 

Let us now consider some of the objections to *' large farms : " 
1st. It is too expensive, and correspondingly wasteful, and pecu- 
liarly the latter, with black labor. 

2nd. It is hazardous, and particularly so in our present condition, 
poor as we are, and without credit. To illustrate — Suppose A 
"wishes to work a farm of 1000 acres the year 1868 : 



Expenses— To hire of ten bands $100 each $1,000 

food for same (house and fuel not estimated) 500 

ten tons of guano , 900 

seed wheat and gras^ 500 

reaper and drill, $125 each 2")0 

farming irapletnents, (ordinary) 100 

blacksmith's account and repairs TOO 

$3,350 



Assuming A to have on hand, wagons, carts, &c., and sufficient 
corn and forage for teams, necessary teams and stock, still his ad- 
ditional outlay will be about $3,000. How many of us can com- 
mand that sum? And will it not take all the ready cash of those 
who can i: In the event of a failure of the crop, what will be A's 
condition at the end of the year ? His cash is exhausted and his in- 
come has failed. He is forced to contract his operations, if not to 
sell his property at a sacrifice. 

Again, this " extensive," or large farm, system, is against the 
practice and experience of nearly all of Europe, with the cheapest 
and best white labor in the world.' It is against that of the sharp, 
calculating Yankee, with white labor. It is true that in the North, 
■west there are very large farms, and perhaps they are successfully 
operated. But by whom? Men of capital and credit. We have 
neither, and therefore one failure brings ruin upon us, as it has done 
upon the cotton planters farther South. These large farms are 
generally on the prairies, and are as level as the bosom of the 
broad ocean. There the gang-plough and even the steam-plough 
can be used ; the six-horse reapers, aind other machinery of the 
expanded and extended class, are worked with intelligent white 
labor. Our valleys may be without a "stump or a stone;" but 
who among us will be guilty of the folly of breaking land for corn 
wiih the gang-plough, driven either with steam or horse power, 
managed by negroes ? or of harvesting wheat with the six-horse 
reaper ? Yet no principle of economy is plainer than this, that in 
proportion to the use of the extended or expanded labor-saving ma- 



202 THE SOUTHERN [April 

chinery, in the same proportion are the man-labor and farm expen- 
ses lessened. Hence, this fact does not support the *' large farm " 
theory here. 

Nor does the "small farm" leave the reaper and drill to rust. 
A farm of, say, 150 acres will require two hands to cultivate it with 
aid in busy seasons. These lands must, in addition, use both of the 
implements. Assuming the small farm system to be the true one 
for us to adopt, how is it to be started, labor being so scarce ? The 
first point towards this end is attained so soon as our farmers arrive 
at the conclusion that their large farms must be sub-divided; and 
until that first step is taken there can be no resultant. The answer 
however is, by emigration from abroad, and from the North. From 
the North first as tenants, (farmers, as they are there called,) and 
then as purchasers. Not only will emigration flow^ into Eastern 
Virginia "in this generation" sufiicient to justify the cultivation of 
small farms, but in a few years. We have, as yet, done nothing to 
invite it ; we have done much to discourage it. Strong influences 
at home are brought to bear upon their minds against us, our lands, 
&c. We have made no effort to correct or check them. We have 
been content to advertise a single farm occasionally, or let land- 
brokers do so for us, or write to Mr. Greeley that, "our wolves will 
not devour his lambs." But this is far short of the demand. A 
large party at the North, for political purposes, at the sacrifice of 
truth, have employed, and are now employing, every conceivable 
means to prevent immigration here. And ridiculous as it may 
seem to us, very many of the Northern people are kept away by 
fear for personal safety. In addition, they reason, and rightly, too, 
that we will not mingle in social intercourse with them, and society 
they must have. We cannot, therefore, expect people to come 
among us while actually afraid to do so, and at the same time be all 
alone without society. These are the first real diflSculties, and they 
are easily removed. Suppose the large land-owners in each county 
will organize and select one of their number to advertise and con- 
duct the correspondence. Make a short description of each farm 
for sale or lease, classify the farms so as to be advertised as adja- 
cent or in same vicinity. The Northern farmers will at once see 
a sufficiency of land in a body, or in close proximity, upon which a 
number of them can locate, and thereby insure personal safety and 
society. Then send an agent to the points from which you desire 
to procure immigrants, and solicit them to send their agent to you. 
The contracting parties will thus be brought face to face, and the 
subject of contract seen and examined. Much that the land-broker 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 203 



is now making can be saved, and greatly more done with our lands 
than they are doing, or can do. 

The States to which this section of Virginia should look for both 
tenants and purchasers, are Delaware and New Jersey — particularly 
the former. There, lands are worth from $100 to $150 per acre, 
and originally not so productive as ours. The crops are the same 
raised there as here, except tobacco, and a resemblance in soil so 
strong as to approach identity. I will not stop to speak of our ad- 
vantages in climate. The usual annual rent in Delaware is from 
$5 to $1 per acre, or one-half of the grain and potatoes, stock, &c., 
raised delivered in market. The tenant (or farmer, as there called,) 
furnishes everything requisite on the farm, and does all repairs to 
enclosures, &c. The land-owner furnishes the land, buildings, and 
constructs the original enclosures. Can we, then, hold out induce- 
ments to these farmers greater than they have at home ? Can we 
lease them farms for five or ten years for one-third of the product, 
and even for one-fourth, and do better than we are now doing ? 
Let us look to our farm accounts for two years past and see the 
amount placed to the credit side thereof. Let us look again to the 
lands — our capital — and see its condition, if improving, if depreci- 
ating, and perhaps we can better answer the question. 

Again, the system now is for the land-owner to furnish to the 
lazy and wasteful negro house and garden, fuel, farm implements, 
teams and feed for same, and land to cultivate. In consideration 
of all which, he receives one-half of the crops raised ! What are 
the results of this system ? Teams are abused, if not killed ; tools 
and implements lost and broken; timber wasted for fuel; oblitera- 
tion of fences; save where briars and bushes mark its former line. 
In short, a general sweeping injury to the whole farm and every- 
thing on it, with the grand resultant of about as much corn at the 
end of the year as the teams have consumed. 

That this system is rapidly bringing ruin and bankruptcy is 
obvious. The fact that those who have tried it, have made but a 
poor support and no profit, while their lands — their capital — have 
depreciated, lifts the veil of doubt from the eyes of all. Let me 
illustrate again : A. has a landed capital of say $ 10,000. He has 
operated under this system two years, and made only a support. 
His capital has depreciated $500 annually. He commences the 
year 1168 with a capital reduced to $9,000. If it took the pro- 
ceeds of $ 10,000 to support him, he must this year draw $60 from 
the principal. How long, then, will it take A. to become a bank- 
rupt ? This is a practical sum; and by its answer we can estimate 



20 1 THE SOUTHERN [April 

the inducements capable of being oifered the foreign tenant, no 
matter when he comes. It is not proposed to go into a calculation 
of our wastefulness as farmers. Suffice it to saj, that raised in. 
times so different from the present, we have yet to take our first 
lessons in farm economy — nor can we learn it from each other ; but 
only from those upon whom the pressure of necessity has stamped 
it upon their characters, and developed it in their every action. Of 
the economy of time^ labor, fuel, &c., we really know nothing. The 
assertion that every laborer (negro) employed on my farm the 
present year, with his family, will cost me in fuel alone $ 100, will 
startle many. Yet it is true. And another fact is- true that a 
laborer at % 100 per year with rations, house, garden and fuel for 
himself and family, costs more than the white laborer at the North 
at $ 15 per month. And why ? because there the laborer is em- 
ployed only a few months, and paid only his hire and board. Five 
Northern laborers, under their economical arrangements, will con- 
sume about as much fuel as one negro does. Nor must we discard 
this plan of leasing, for, to many, it is preferable, even to selling. 
The Northern people will be slow to purchase, except at a gouging 
low price, until they have first settled among us as tenants, seen the 
people and tried the lands. Their desire to lease is coupled with, 
and augmented by, the expectation of purchasing. It is plain that 
the faimers, alike with the land-brokers of this section of Virginia, 
have made a mistake in supposing the Pennsylvania and New York 
farmers vv'ili purchase here so long as the Valley is unsettled. They 
want grass lands, whereas the Delaware and New Jersey farmers 
want grain lands. It is to these States, then, and particularly the 
former, we should turn our attention. 

Nor should this plan be supplanted by that of white labor. The 
tenant system brings necessarily the white labor, that of the 
tenant's family, comprising his sons and daughters, and often sons- 
in-law. But will white labor relieve us of our difficulties ? As a 
general system, except as tenants, I fear not. In the first place 
the monthly hire the year round will be too expensive, and they 
have no villages and towns near by to seek emplo3^ment in during 
the winter. Here he must be hired the year round, or you lose 
him altogether. Again, he must have society. Here, if a single 
man, you must take him in your house, and seat him at your table. 
If he is satisfied with less, he will soon become worthless. If he 
has a family, then the ordinary outbuildings are not satisfactory ; 
and besides, he must have milk, coifee, sugar, &c., as we have. The 
white laborer will bring only labor — the tenant system will bring 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. • 205 

both labor and capital. The introduction of the one will facilitate 
that of the other. They are not antagonistic, but auxiliary. 

Lest these too hastily written thoughts upon a subject of common 
interest should be. misunderstood, the leading ideas designed to be 
elaborated will be given in their order of importance :' 

First. The lands of Eastern Virginia must be cultivated by 
white labor before any material improvement in our pecuniary 
condition can be expected. 

Second. The large farms must be sub-divided into smaller, of 
from 100 to 500 acres. 

Third. The tenant system, for a term of years, promises the 
best and spee'diest means of procuring permanent white labor suffi- 
cient for this sub-division. 

Fourth. The farmers of each county should organize, and at 
least make the effort to introduce the tenant system. 

Necessity demanJs that something be done — and much money 
may be saved by their devoting some of their time, labor, and 
talent to a subject of such deep and general concern, instead of 
leaving it entirely in the hands of laborers and land-agents. 

John Washington. 

Caroline County, February, 1868. 



WestmorsSand, Northumberland, Richmond and Lancaster Counties: 

THEIR GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION AND PECULIAR ADVANTAGES 
FOR SETTLEMENT. 

Gentlemen,— In compliance with your request, I proceed to give 
you a brief account of this section of Virginia, its geographical 
situation and peculiar advantages for settlement. I shall not aim 
at perfect accuracy of topographical details, as these may be readily 
obtained by consulting the large map of Virginia. 

The counties of Westmoreland, Northumberland, Richmond and 
Lancaster, constitute the. lower part of the Peninsula, between the 
Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, terminating on Chesapeake 
Bay, and called the Northern Neck of Virginia. This part of the 
Neck is, on an average, from ten to twenty miles wide, and from 
from sixty to eighty miles long. The climate is mild and salubrious, 
and the lands generally dry and gently undulating. The table 
lands between the rivers constitute about half the territory. This 



206 THE SOUTHERN [April 

region, familiarly called "the forest," resembles very closely the 
famous "forest of Prince George's" in Maryland. The natural 
growth is hickory, dogwood, red and white oak, locust, and, on the 
declivities, chestnut. The soil is a sandy loam, with a clay founda- 
tion, approaching to redness, is easily tilled, and, when improved, 
produces heavy crops of corn, wheat, cotton and tobacco, and is 
particularly adapted to clover, timothy and orchard grass. It is, 
in fact, a natural garden soil, and by well-directed industry, may be 
made to produce in abundance all the crops, whether of grain, fruit, 
roots or grapes, known to the temperate regions. I refer to the 

volume of the American Farmer for accounts of crops of 

wheat on these lands in 1850, which I know to be authentic of 
twenty-two and a half, twenty-five and thirty bushels to the acre. 
From various causes, the crops on these lands have, for some years 
past, fallen off greatly, but, with good seasons and proper manage- 
ment, would be soon restored. 

The other half of the lands of these counties consists of river 
low grounds, varying greatly in soil, texture and productiveness. The 
best of these lands are of a black calcareous earth, with a marly 
subsoil. Some of these lands require drainage, but are almost 
inexhaustible. Lime and clover act upon them with magical power. 
Sandy loams producing heavy crops of corn, and stiff clays favora- 
ble to wheat, also constitute a large part of the low grounds. The 
fine lands on the Rappahannock are chiefly sandy loams. The 
intervals near the heads of the creeks make the best irri£!:ated 
meadows. I have before the war, for a series of years, reaped 
three and a half (3J) tons of the best timothy and herds grass 
hay to the acre from such meadows, which I readily sold at the 
barn to Northern timber-getters at $ 1 a hundred, and they greatly 
preferred it to Northern baled hay. Stock of all kinds are reared 
here at very little expense. The county has always been famous 
for horses, and sheep may be kept during winter on many farms 
without being fed. Indeed, during the war, quite a drove of fine 
horses, and numbers of cattle, were raised in this neighborhood on 
abandoned farms, without any care from their owners, subsisting 
entirely, winter and summer, on the natural products of the soil. 
Lime may be got in Baltimore at a reasonable price, or burned on 
the farms from shells, which abound. Marsh-mud, sea-weed and all 
other " marine manures," may be had in the greatest abundance, 
and at small cost of labor. 

The whole region is peculiarly adapted to fruit of the best kinds. 
The fig comes to great perfection. The apricot, plum, pear, 



1888.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 207 

peach and apple, and all the smaller fruits, are produced ih abun- 
dance. 

The population is sparse, and there is a large opening for immi- 
grants, who would be received with the greatest kindness by our 
people. The society is good. There are churches and schools in 
every neighborhood, and living is most abundant and cheap. The 
finest fish, oysters, and wild fowl abound. Oysters are a source of 
large profit on both rivers, particularly on the Rappahannock, and 
profitable herring and shad fisheries on both rivers might be rented 
or purchased on favorable terms. Good building sites abound, and 
there are saw-mills in every neighborhood, where building materials 
may be cheaply purchased. There is still an abundance of wood 
and timber for those who prefer the lumber business to farming. 
In a word, there is no country in the world, which offers greater 
inducements to quiet, orderly, industrious settlers, with some capital, 
than the lower Northern Neck. .The land is generally too valuable, 
for settlers, without capital, though there are some localises in 
which the lands may be within the reach of persons of very limited 
means. 

The map will show that this region, on both rivers, is indented 
with numerous navigable streams, many of them sufiiciently deep 
for vessels of large draft. These afford employment for schooners 
in carrying wood, timber, grain, «fec., to market. Large steamers 
also navigate both rivers, carrying freight and passengers at rea- 
sonable rates. These stop at numerous wharves and landings on 
the rivers. We have two from Kinsale, in Westmoreland county, 
to Baltimore and Washington. The trip to Washington or Baltimore 
occupies about ten hours, and might be made in much less time by 
swift boats. A railroad is projected through the Neck, to commu- 
nicate with the Eastern Shore railroad, by a steamer across the 
Bay, which, if ever completed, will bring us within a few hours 
of Richmond or the Northern cities, at all seasons of the year. 
Persons having this scheme in hand, speak confidently of getting 
Philadelphians to furnish capital for the enterprise. I think I may 
safely assume, on the part of the people of the Northern Neck, the 
utmost kindness and courtesy to all honest and worthy men, who 
may desire to settle among us^ and the most liberal accommodation, 
both as to prices and terms, to all who desire to purchase our lands. 

WiLLOUGHBY NeWTON. 
Linden, Westmoreland Co.,- Va., The Hague P. 0., March 2, 1868. 

[The above paper was prepared, at the request of one of the gentlemen con- 



208 PLANTER AND FARMER. [April 

nected with "The Virg^inia Central Land Agency, Domestic Imm'gration and 
White Lribor Sapply Office/' conducted at Richmond, Va., by General J. D. 
Imboden. and at Philadelphia by the Hon. Daniel Fux and L. R. Ashmead, 
Esq., Throu;;;h their courtesy, and by permission of the writer, we arc enabled 
to place before our readers a compendious, yet comprehensive exposition of the 
topography, water privileges and manifold advantages offered for settlement* 
to the better class of immigrants, in this interesting portion of tide-water Vir- 
ginia which, for intelligence, refinement and social enjoyment, is second to no 
other section of the State. — Ed. So. Planter and Farmer ] 



Farm Accounts— How to Keep Them. 

The essential point with farmers is to be able to dispense with all 
unnecessary books; in other words, to do as little writing as possi- 
ble. The advantages of "keeping accounts" cannot be overrated, 
and to a thorough business man any arguments in favor of its use 
would be superfluous. It is the great conservitor of finance ; and 
is alike essential to the merchant, the mechanic, the farmer, the 
professional man, and the man of leisure. It not only serves as a 
check on extravagant expenditures, but affords us the pleasure of 
seeing exactly how our money has been spent, and shows at a glance 
the condition of our resources and liabilities. To those who feel 
the force of these facts, but find it difiicult to reduce the theory to 
practice through any of the rigid forms in use, I recommend the 
following simple and practical form as possessing all the necessary 
qualities, besides being so simple and practical that a child can 
comprehend them. A small memorandum book, such as all station- 
ers keep, is sufficient for this purpose, and the writing may be done 
either will pencil or ink. 

It should be carried constantly, so that no excuse may exist for 
omitting the entry of receipts and disbursements, which should 
always be entered at the time. The balancing may be done daily, 
weekly, or monthly, as most convenient. 

I would advise sub-division of accounts, so that we may know 
what stock is most profitable, what crops pay best, &c., and thereby 
acquire a great deal of useful information ; though it is certainly 
more simple to keep only one account with the farm. 

In the form below, exhibiting a page of the proposed memo- 
randum book, we have entered the transactions for a short time 
only, which is sufficient to show the use of the form : 



1868.] Plt'ANTER AND FARMER. 209 

KIVERDALE FARM.— Jan'y 1, 1868. Rec'd. Paid. 

January 1 — Amount on hand 120 00 

Received for 10 lbs. batter, $2; 10 doz. eggs, $2 4 00 ' . 

5_Paid for Johnny's boots. $8 ; cap, 75c 3 75 

6— Sold 10 bushels wheat, at $1 50 15 00 ■ 

6_For set of harrow teeth, $3 ; shoeing horse, $1 50.. 4 50 

7— Paid G. Wright's grocery bill , ... 17 50 

10 — Paid hired man for services to„date, as per receipt... 10 00 

11— Received for 15 bushels potatoes, at $1 15 00 



$154 00 
35 75 

Balance on hand... $118 25 

12— Sold two year old colt to C. Bliss, for 125 00 

13 — Paid premium for insurance on buildings 12 50 

15 — Paid Mrs. M. for househould expenses 5 00 

16— Sold C S. Clarke, 20 bushels oats, at 75c 15 00 



17— Shoes for Netty, $1 25 ; toys for Harry, 50c 1 75 



$258 25 
19 25 

Balance on hand......... $239 00 

Just at the beginning of this may be written a list of the re'al 
and personal property and debts of the proprietor. 

The form I have given is valuable for its simplicity, though it is 
far from being perfect. To those who wish a more elaborate form 
-we would recommend the "six-column journal," treatises on which 
can be procured. 

The inquiries of some one under the signature of " Farmer," in 
your paper, has elicited this communication, which, if you see fit, 
you can insert in your valuable periodical. I wish success to your 
periodical, that it may accomplish a glorious work for our devas- 
tated country. 

ASBURY DlSHMAN. 

Edge Hill, King George county, March 6th, 1868. 

We think our correspondent's formula of the farm account is lia- 
ble to objection, from the blending of debits and credits on the 
same page, especially in a pocket memorandum book. We prefer 
appropriating the left hand page to debits and the right to credits. 
We also prefer to reverse the order of statement of debits and cred- 
its pursued by our correspondent, even if his formula is used. It 
is more in accordance with general usage to appropriate the right 
hand column to credits and the inner, or left hand column to 
debits. — [Ed. So. Planter, and Farmer. 

VOL. 11—14 



210 THE SOUTHERN , [Marcli 

Mode and Distance of Planting Corn. 

Mr. Editor^ — I bought the first corn-planter I ever saw, and have 
used it, or some other corn-planter, ever since. But I am done with 
them. So long as I had my own trained negroes, whom I could 
compel to thin the corn to the distance I required, and to weed it 
properly once with the hoe, I was satisfied. But now I cannot get 
a hand, or, rather, a gang of hands, who will do either ; and having 
lost seriously by their negligence for two years, I have determined 
to plant in checks and work my corn both ways. But no corn- 
planter will drop with such regularity as to enable you to work it 
both ways ; so, if that plan is deemed expedient, the planter must 
be dropped. 

To prepare the land, I propose to give it a deep furrow and cross- 
furrow with a coulter or anything else, and plant at the intersection. 
"With or without manure in the hill?" with, if it can be had; and 
in this wise : 

A maul six inches long and half an inch across the end, and 
about four and a half inches diameter at top, will contain a pint ; 
five and a half inches at top, a pint and a half; six and a quarter 
inches, a quart, or thereabouts. Make such a maul, have it turned 
or shaved down to the above dimensions, either of them you please, 
make the handle about eighteen inches longer than common, and 
stouter where the handle leaves the maul than common. Through 
this thick part bore a hole, and in that fix a pin sufficiently long for 
a foot-rest. Drive this maul into the hill, and it will leave a hole, 
into which put your compost from a measure that will just fill the 
hole. Make the compost of the best materials you can get, and 
drop the corn on it. About eighty bushels of manure, say one and 
a half wagon-loads, will go over an acre of corn. 

What distance apart shall your corn be, and how many stalks to 

the hill? Doctors differ. But hear what a good one said. Land 

good. 

"No. 1. One stalk to the hill, 1| ft. apart I4|- bushels. 

2. Two " " 3 " 16^ " 

3. Three " " ^ *' 14^ " 

*' Each parcel was five feet apart from row to row, and each parcel 
contained one-fourth of an acre. 

" Thus it would appear that on such land as I experimented on, 
corn is more productive with two stalks in a hill than with either 
one stalk or with three ; and that there is no difi'erence in product 
between that with one stalk and that with three. 

" My lot of three-fourths of an acre produced forty-five bushels, or 
at the rate of sixty bushels per acre ; while the quarter of an acre, 
•which was planted with two stalks in a hill, produced sixteen and a 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 211 

half bushels, or at the rate of sixty-six bushels to the acre, being a 
clear gain of six bushels to the acre, merely from the mode of 
planting — a most important and valuable gain truly. 

" The corn planted was a variety of the twin-eared prolific, and 
the season was a good one." 

Thus wrote in the Farmers* Register^ vol. 2-9, p. 551, the late 
John Zachary Holladay, of Louisa, whose early death was one of 
the greatest losses our State has had to deplore in my time. 

Hear another good, and able, and judicious man — the late and 
ever-to-be lamented Wm. P. Taylor, of Caroline : 

" Experience has convinced me of the propriety of leaving at 
least two stalks to the hill. One-half the labor of planting and 
thinning is saved ; and as the plough and cultivator can work across 
the beds, the team can perform much of the work usually done with 
the hoe. I believe the crop of corn is increased. Any one who 
will make a fair experiment, will find that corn planted two stalks 
in the hill will withstand the dry hot spells of our summers much 
better than if planted at half the distance one stalk in a hill. Last 
year, which was not a good one for corn, I made a trial on a large 
part of my field. The single-stalk corn fired earlier and more 
throughout than any other part of the crop, not excepting tlie por- 
tions containing many more stalks to the acre ; and when stripped 
oif, bkde and top shewed an evident inferiority. * >i^ ^ * When 
hills of corn are two and a half feet apart, the circulation of air is 
more impeded than if they were of double that distance ; and an 
artificial heat is thus produced far exceeding the common tempera- 
ture. This may be a reason for the superiority of the double to the 
single-stalk planting." 

He supports this reasoning by additional facts, which I have ilot 
time to quote ; but for which I refer the reader to the Farmers' 
Register^ vol. 2-7, pp. 1, 2. The whole article is well worth reading. 

Now, I do not claim that these authorities are conclasive, though 
they are with me; but' only that it cannot make any very great dif- 
ference ; and that, therefore, as check-planting two or more stalks 
in the hill takes less corn and less labor, it had better be adopted. 

I grant it takes more labor to plant and cover the corn ; but, in 
the first place, the labor is not then so much needed for other 
things ; in the second place, a greater amount of labor is saved at 
another stage, and it simplifies the important question of thinning, 
nothing being left to the discretion of the laborer. 

The mode of after-working I do not propose to discuss, unless it 
shall hereafter become necessary. Whether the land should be 
worked with coulter, plough or cultivator, are questions for each 
maa.to decide for himself according to the special character of his 
soil. 



212 THE SOUTHERN [April 

As to the distance at which the corn should be planted, I think it 
safe to advise that below the head of tide, each corn-plant should 
occupy about a third less space, in square feet, than is generally al- 
lotted to it. ' 

Frank G. Ruffin. 

March 19, 1868. 



Raise More Cattle. 



The demand of the butchers upon the veals is altogether too in- 
discriminate. So few of them escape the knife, that all kinds of 
cattle are extravagantly high. That the profitable raising of calves 
on dairy farms will be attended with some considerable trouble, there 
is no doubt; but on ordinary farms, where, as on the great majority 
of farms in this country, only a limited number of cows are kept 
for the purpose of making butter, there exists no difficulty in the 
profitable raising of good calves, especially by those who live a great 
distance from market, and where grain-growing, dairying, &c., is 
not profitable. Farmers are not agreed whether the calf raised 
shall suck or drink its milk, some practice the one and some the 
other method. The latter method is, however, more generally prac- 
ticed so far as our observation goes. A calf that is taught to drink, 
it is thought, learns the sooner to shift for itself. 

The ordinary custom is, when calves are to be taught to drink, to 
let them remain with the cows four or five days until the milk is 
good. This is said to be beneficial to the cows, the udders of which 
are sometimes hard. 

As soon as it will drink milk readily, or when 10 or 12 days old, 
part skim milk may be added, first warming it sufficiently, with the 
addition of a small handful of sifted meal, stirring it while drink- 
ing ; the skim milk may be gradually increased and the new milk 
diminished until it is about 3 weeks old, when the whole feed may 
consist of skim milk. The meal should be also gradually increased, 
as it is useless to expect a calf to thrive on skim milk alone ; any 
kind of meal, or a mixture of different kinds, will answer the pur- 
pose. A little sweet hay should now be given. 

The exact effect produced by the various kinds of food used in 
growing the young and sustaining the mature animal, has not been 
so minutely determined, practically, by scientific men, as it deserves 
to have been. Yet there is much more known upon this subject 
than has ever been practically applied by the general stock raiser, 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 213 

and which, when understood and applied, will enable him to accom- 
plish a higher result. The animal system is made up principally of 
muscles, bones and fat. Now, if we know what food will build up 
each of these parts of the system, w^e can feed intelligently. We 
must bear in mind that "like produces like." That constituent of 
food which produces fat will not produce muscle, and vice versa. 
We must seek food containing chemically the same constituents as 
the parts of the animal we wish to build up. Those who would se- 
cure animals that will pay, will keep their calves ivell for the first 
three or four months ; for creatures starved and stunted in their 
youth will never make as thrifty, healthy, well-formed, able-bodied 
cattle, as those which had a better start in life. 

A man would be counted a fool, who would plant corn without 
first {applying stimulants to the land for the young blades to feed 
upon — stimulants that should early develop the growth of not only 
the stalk but the ear ; or, who would not give early and careful cul- 
tivation to his crop. But he would be just as wise as he who un- 
dertakes to raise a good stock from starvelings. There will be no 
natural development of form, or any of those desirable qualities for 
a good milker or a handsome ox, if the calf is not supplied with 
such suitable food and in such suitable quantities as shall keep it 
growing all the time. 

These considerations all having been duly weighed and regarded, 
the next thing to be mentioned is a suitable calf-house or pen, where 
the calves can be comfortable and healthy. Some believe it best to 
tie them up, while others would let them run loose. The place 
where they are kept should be well-ventilated and lighted. 

Every farmer who raises domestic animals ought to understand 
what effect castration of a young male animal is likely to have on 
the proper development of certain good points, as well as what the 
effect will be on other points if he is not castrated. By performing 
this operation at a certain period, or by delaying it for a few 
months, or a year or more, results can be secured in developing a 
good form and symmetry in some animals, v/hich never could be 
effected by any other means. Take, for example, a bull calf having 
a large head and neck, and heavier farward than behind ; in short, 
bull-shaped: if altered when only a few weeks old, as he grows he 
will retain, in a measure, the same form, looking like a so-called 
stag. On the contrary, if castrated when only a few days old, his 
hind-quarters will be much better developed ; and, also, his head, 
neck, and shoulders will be in much better proportion to the other 
.portion of his body, as an ox's should be. On the contrary, if a 



214 THE SOUTHERN [April 

bull calf be very broad and heavy behind, and have a cow's head 
and neck, castration should be deferred for several months, in case 
he is to be raised for the yoke. — American Stock Journal. 



Oup Exhausted and Abandoned Lands. 

WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THEM? 
NO. III. 

[Continued from page 133.] 

Before proceeding with the third number of these papers, I de- 
sire to express my sense of obligation to Dr. D. Lee for his learned 
and able statement of facts bearino; on what I had thought best to 
designate as a fertilizing process, always going on between the earth 
and the atmosphere, when the former is properly shaded and pro- 
tected from the influences of the sun. It wilLbe observed that they 
are intended, not for men of science and learning, but for such as 
make no pretension to these things ; and for the great body of our 
laboring, agricultural population, who constitute a still more widely 
differing class. These, it is hoped, will be able to comprehend and 
appreciate my meaning and motives in these few brief expressions ; 
whereas they might read whole pages of learned disquisition couched 
in scientific terms, and at last rise from the perusal with minds only 
darkened and confused by what would be to them words without 
knowledge. The words, however, would be none the less valuable 
to those capable of understanding them ; and it is a gratification to 
all the friends of the Planter and Farmer to know that it has men 
among its correspondents so capable of putting things in their more 
scientific light. 

In this connection, also, let me hope that all whose more learned 
and comprehensive minds might justly be provoked into a little criti- 
cism by my unscientific and, perhaps, somewhat desultory style of 
writing, to look with an indulgent eye upon anything in these papers 
which may look like needless repetition of the same ideas. The 
same motive — I trust a good one — underlies this also. With all my 
respect for the class referred to, and all the regard for their inter- 
ests which induces this labor, I cannot be insensible to the truth 
how hard a thing it is to introduce among them a new practice in 
the way of their calling. 'There is, perhaps, no class of men whose 
minds, not from want of intelligence, but from the sheer influence 
of habit, are so apt, on the road of their profession, to run in the 
same rut ; none who so literally require line upon line, precept upon 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER 215 

precept, here a little and there a little, before they can be induced 
to view attentively and estimate candidly, anything which has not 
eome down to them from the practice of their fathers. It is for 
this reason that I have sought to repeat the leading thoughts rather 
than to avoid it ; to turn them over and over, and present them in 
every varying light and shade in my power, till the ideas introduced 
shall have become the ideas of the reader — the reasonings and 
thoughts of the people. If they are worth anything, the more effec- 
tually they are impressed and fastened upon the mind, the better. 
The system to be unfolded, if it deserves to be dignified with that 
appellation, will be found, when it comes to be fully brought out, to 
be somewhat new, if not in its details, at least in its leading out- 
lines ; and I trust the attentive reader will, by that time, be satis- 
fied that in the process of restoring our worn-out lands, it is pro- 
posed to apply to them something rather more substantial than mere 
shadow, however true, in a figurative sense, that they may be made 
to feed upon it. 

But before proceeding to reply to the inquiry. What can we do 
with these lands 'i it becomes expedient to give a passing notice to 
one or two theories connected with the management of the soil, at 
present much in vogue, and for years past — perhaps ages — received 
with implicit confidence by all, the practical and scientific, no less 
than the unskilled and ill-informed ; but which have long appeared 
to the present writer as of doubtful soundness in these low latitudes, 
to say the least of them! The discussion, though of some length, 
will not, I hope, prove devoid of interest ; and will be found to have 
its bearing on the general subject, in the end. 

The first of these is the doctrine of ploughing in green crops, as 
a means of promoting fertility. 

That this practice may be made such a means to some in any lati- 
tude, and in any soil at all capable of improvement, will readily be 
admitted by all. But that is not the real point at issue. The true 
question is. Is it not, after all that has been said and all that may 
remain to be said in its favor, only a comparative means, which had 
betier be laid aside at once and forever for one of greater practical 
utility? In the Eastern and Middle States, where the sun, during 
the months of August and Septembei" — in this latitude the usual 
season for ploughing preparatory to wheat — does not pour down as 
it does here with a heat that depletes the earth like a horse-leech, 
this course may answer a better purpose than with us, where the 
great thing which the land requires is protection against such ex- 
hausting influences. Few. things, it would seem from observation, 



216 THE SOUTHERN [April 

are more certain in any science than these two in agriculture: first, 
that no sooner is the earth exposed to the sun in any latitude, but 
always in direct proportion to its nearness to the equator, than it 
begins to part with its power of production ; and second, that wher- 
ever it is "well-shaded and protected from the sun, it at once begins 
in some way to secrete the elements of fertility, and to lay them up 
for future use. What is it which occasions the blackness observable 
in the ground wherever vegetable matter has collected and lain upon 
it for any length of time ? It is the presence of humic acid, gene- 
rated in the laboratory of nature by means of this protection ; yet, 
in some instances, we can scarcely see how. In that bare spot of 
hard red clay, for instance, on which, a few months ago, a load of 
forest leaves was thrown, there was apparently nothing from which 
the acid might evolve, while the leaves themselves, as far as human 
vision can discover, have lost neither form nor substance ; yet humic 
acid has got into it in some way; for the clay has become dark, fri- 
able, and evidently better fitted for producing, while all around it, 
"where the leaves did not reach, remains as it was, red as vermilion, 
and hard almost as a brick-bat. Now, however agricultural chemis- 
try may explain and make it palpable and satisfactory to the learned, 
here "is a grand, unmistakeable fact, standing out to his view, and 
teaching the farmer a great practical lesson, just as forcibly as if 
science had made it all plain to him as day-light. It speaks to him 
•with a trumpet-tonguQ. It teaches him how he may bring fertility 
to his soil. It lifts up its voice, and pleads for protection. In lan- 
guage not to be misunderstood, it says to him, cover up the earth ! 
cover up the earth ! cover up the earth ! Cover it up, and keep it 
covered, as deeply as you can and as long as, you can, consistently 
•with that stirring which it always must have preparatory to the in- 
troduction of fresh seed : the longer and the deeper, the better. In 
this w^ay, it will be brought within the influence of the fertilizing 
process ; and in this way, his land, like Jack's tree, which his father 
told him "^^ould be growing while he was asleep, will be gathering 
strength and productiveness while the owner is taking his ease. 

If it is inquired how^ this covering is to be effected, the reply is, 
it is the most easy, simple, and practicable thing in the whole world; 
for all a person has to do is to cease uncovering. All that is neces- 
sary, is just to let the land alone after harvest, and it "will cover 
up itself without .any assistance from the owner, just as it covers 
itself in the woods without the aid of man, and year by year grows 
stronger and richer by so doing. But now, he who ploughs in a 
green crop exactly reverses this process. He uncovers. In that 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 217 

way he not only exposes the earth to the sun, by which the moisture 
is dried up, the gases dissipated, and their action in the evolution of 
inorganic matter made to cease ; but he puts a stop to the entire 
fertilizing process in every step of its operations. Aiid not only so, 
but he buries down beneath the surface a mass of organic matter, 
perhaps a foot deep, where, according to Prof. Norton, *' it will re- 
main unchanged for years," doing no good to the crop immediately 
succeeding, and, probably, by fermenting and turning acid, proving 
an injury to it rather than a benefit. Such a man, by uncovering 
in this way, opposes nature ; he flies in her very face, and bids de- 
fiance to her most obvious laws. The forest never uncovers ; never 
ploughs under. She invariably covers up ; depositing all her fertil- 
izing matter on the top. Yet, there she has stood for centuries and 
tens of centuries, yearly parting with her nutritive elements, organic 
as well as inorganic ; her carbon, her hydrogen, her oxygen and her 
nitrogen, her lime, her soda, her magnesia, chlorine, phosphoric and 
sulphuric acids, silica and all; but so far from being exhausted of 
these, growing richer in them every year, and more capable of sus- 
taining the increased growth of her trees. 

The brier-patch never ploughs under a green crop ; yet, look at 
it ! There it has been for these ten or fifteen years, taking care of 
itself. Observe its tall, stout, healthy-looking canes ! How ram- 
pantly they grow ! How luxuriant they look ! See its leaves ! 
How deep and rich their green! How long they grow, and Avide. 
they spread, and how thick they feel to the touch compared with 
the tiny, stinted things on other parts of the same field, where each 
one is standing by itself, receiving and forming no protection for its 
roots. And then its fruit ! How large it is ! How soft to the 
touch; tempting to the eye; sweet and delicious to the taste ! Is 
there to be found on your premises elsewhere anything to be com- 
pared with it ! Yet that brier-patch has all this time been living 
upon its own leaves and, in a figurative sense, upon its own shadow. 
It has been covering up the ground ; putting nothing under the sur- 
face, but everything upon it ; shielding itself, and finding its salva- 
tion in protection. 

Yonder apple-tree, that looks so stinted, ragged, gnarly, and 
ready to perish — producing some half a bushel of fruit yearly, 
crabbed and sour enough to make any pig squeal that happens to 
get hold of them, has been standing there for about a quarter of a 
century. The cattle have had free access to it, getting under it for 
shade from the heat and shelter from the showers, till they have 
tramped the earth round it hard as the public highway, and made it 



218 THE SOUTHERN [April 

as barren. From this hard surface, everything has been carried oflf 
by the wind and the rain, so that the roots are at last seen, lying 
along on top of the ground- instead- of under it, where they ought 
to be. The sun, all this time, in its unmitigated heat, has been 
pouring down upon them, evaporating all moisture, dissipating the 
gases, and scorching out their very life. In a word, the uncovering 
and unprotecting process has been applied to it thoroughly ; and 
what is the result ? The results are that the tree is, and always has 
been, and will be, an eye-sore ; uttarly unprofitable to its owner ; its 
fruit never worth the gathering. 

But near it is another tree, transplanted at the same time and in 
the same manner, and at the same age from the seed; but this from 
the beginning has been the object of protection. The owner simply 
threw around it, at the outset, a few armfals of straw, making a 
circle of about ten feet in diameter. Over and around this, he 
threw brush from the woods to keep the mulch stationary and the 
cattle at a distance, and then left it to take care of itself, with the 
single exception of rooting out any shrub or tree that happened to 
spring up beneath or near it, and to guarding it against the attacks 
of mice. The result has been a beautiful thrifty tree, such as it 
affords one pleasure to look at ; from fifteen to twenty bushels of 
fine fruit, annually, for the last fifteen or twenty years, with the 
fair prospect of as much more for fifteen or twenty years to come. 
Lo, the result of protection! The tree has fed, upon what? Not 
upon that little straw alone ; not upon that little brush ; but partly 
on these, which, of course, have been replaced as they have decayed 
and wasted away, and partly on the shade of its own more goodly 
branches, and on its own fallen leaves, which the brush and straw 
have kept from being swept away and carried off. These together 
have preserved moisture; the moisture has developed carbonic acid; 
the acid has decomposed certain minerals and liberated their salts; 
in a word, the fertilizing process has been applied to it, bringing to 
bear upon it all the elements, organic and inorganic, necessary to 
its nutriment, growth and productiveness. All these have been 
there, holding "high carnival among its roots and its rootlets, its 
leaves and its branches, soda and silicia, and sulphur, and magnesia, 
and potash, and sodium, and lime, and sulphate of lime, and all the 
family of the phosphates, and carbon, and hydrogen, and nitrogen, 
and oxygen playing about it, and ministering to it, and cheering it 
on, till it has entered into the very spirit of their merriment*, and 
you can almost see it dance and hear it clap its hands ! And all 
that in return for just a little straw and a little brush once in two 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 219 

or three years. Verily, a small outlay for so large a return ! What 
would the return have been had there been thrown over the straw, 
every year, half a bushel of lime, or a bushel of ashes ? Probably 
two-fold, to say the least. But what we wish particularly to be 
observed is, that there has been no ploughing in of green crops 
about this tree — no turning under ; nothing of the kind. A better 
philosophy has guided the course of that uneducated, unphilosophical 
farmer, that simple but earnest observer of nature, who has been 
looking at her works, and taking his lessons from her laws. His 
studies have been, not the tomes of the wise and learned, though 
he would by no means undervalue or slight them, if he had them to 
consult, but the forest in its unfailing, unwavering progress ; the 
brier-patch in the fence-corner ; the peach tree in a similar locality ; 
the young hickory that has volunteered among some collection of 
neglected logs, or has shot out from under some prostrate, moulder- 
ing tree ; the grape vine that runs clambering over its neighboring 
oak, and weighing down its branches with large, luscious clusters, 
but having its roots under a pile of unsightly rocks, or amid the 
rubbish of some old tumbled-down fence, where weeds have grown 
and fallen and died upon them, and grown and fallen and died 
again, year after year, till they have spread over them a mass of 
deep vegetable mould that supplies them, directly or indirectly, with 
all the elements of growth and fruitfulness. All these have been 
teaching him, during his whole life, that nature does her work 
mainly upon the surface, not under ifc. In every one of these 
localities he has found, on examination, that the soil is there deeper 
by inches than it is anywhere around and near them, exposed to the 
sun. There the gases have gone down under the protecting shade 
and masses of matter through the soil into the subsoil, converting 
poor surface and hard red clay beneath it into rich, productive 
mould. Is it to be wondered at that such a man never thinks of 
ploughing in a green crop ? The wonder would be if he did ; for 
nature has taught him a more excellent way. Nor is the time far 
distant, I think, when, in these low latitudes, this doctrine will be 
utterly exploded, as a practice by which, comparatively speaking, 
we lose more than we gain. The question resolves itself directly 
into the cognate question of surface and subsurface manuring, the 
comparative efiicacy of which can hardly any longer be regarded as 
a mooted point. It is, on the contrary, a point which facts have so 
nearly and so fully decided, that men of observing and reflecting 
habits no longer feel much doubt respecting it. Through all her 
unrestrained operations, nature teaches us that the surface is the 



220 THE SOUTHERN [April 

point to apply the manure, from whence, in conformity with her 
laws, it is distributed to the leaves and branches as well as to the 
roots and rootlets of plants ; that which is intended to go up, going 
up as fast as freed by the action of the sun and air to be absorbed 
by the foliage, and that which is intended to go down, going down 
to feed the roots by laws equally peculiar to itself. The time is at 
hand when ceasing to counteract nature, men will open their eyes 
to her embodied teachings, and will act upon them ; when they will 
consult her more studiously and reverently, and will listen more 
implicitly to her voice. The advocates of green cropping tell us 
of matter thus added to the soil; but, after all, would not a greater 
amount of such matter have been added, in any given case, if the 
crop turned under had been suffered to remain upon the surfaee 
and decompose there, where alone it will decompose rapidly and 
perfectly, so as to benefit the immediately succeeding crop, as the 
wheat straw did, to which reference has so often been made ? Most 
men would have ploughed that straw under, as soon as they dis- 
covered the failure of the grain. To my mind, however, reason 
pointed out the other course ; and the result certainly seems to -have 
sustained the correctness of the decision, confirming the idea that 
ploughing down dead matter — matter that has died upon the 
ground — and mingling it with the surface instead of ploughing 
it under while green, is the wiser plan. It is the great leading 
feature in the poor man's system — protection. It helps to retain 
moisture, which Dr. D. Lee has so well shown is one of the great 
agencies in developing and calling into action the resources of the 
land below. I cannot, however, but regard the question, how the 
soil gets its inorganic matter, as a question for the curious rather 
than as one of great practical importance to the farmer; for what- 
ever may be our opinions upon that point, the grand truth is none 
the less certainly established, that the ground, wherever it is pro- 
perly protected, gets its supplies of inorganic matter somehow and 
somewhere. It got it for that crop of corn, though it would seem 
as if the sixty years of previous cultivation in that grain must have 
exhausted the last particle of most of the inorganic matters — phos- 
phoric acid, for instance— necessary to the production of it. What 
could have restored it in such quantity in one year's cultivation in 
wheat, as to make the land capable of producing full fifty bushels 
to the acre ? I answer, chemical agencies acting through the me- 
dium of protection. It is protection, then, that we want, with the 
means that afford it given back to the land. It is in this way that 
the forest gets it and keeps up the supply, notwithstanding the loss 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 221 

by annual consumption. In the same way the brier-patch, that has 
sprung up upon a denuded surface of hard, red clay, gets it ; the 
ground under a decaying stump, or a brush-pile, or a heap of rocks, 
gets it; and there Chemistry, with her analyses, may find it, in 
each case severally, in more or less abundance, when she may not 
be able to detect it at all in ground exposed to the sun a yard or two 
distant. Thus, then, whether in regard to organic or inorganic mat- 
ter, we are brought back to- the same grand principle, that if we only 
leave the land to it?elf, by allowing it to feed upon its after crops of 
weeds and grasses after its crops of grain have been taken away, it 
will preserve itself; if we thus leave it to itself, it will improve 
itself; nay, it will even restore itself, and raise itself, from the 
depths of poverty and the verge of ruin up to the very summit of 
agricultural wealth and worth. Such is the excellence of this sys- 
tem, a system founded in nature, and, therefore, commensurate with 
her wants, and it is the still more marvellous excellence of it, that 
it is the poor man's system; that all this self-preservation, self- 
improvement, self-recuperation, maybe effected without care, without 
toil, without expense to the proprietor. It calls upon him for no 
outlay whatever, except so far as it may be involved in keeping up 
fences to keep off stock, and, here and there, in supplying a little 
manure of some kind to get a start of weeds to begin with. It 
relieves him even from the necessity of buying clover seed, or seed 
of anything to be turned in as a green crop. All is left to nature. 
The friendly weeds which, with some few exceptions, perhaps, are 
in low latitudes our best friends, will supply him with something 
instead, which, if not quite so good as clover, will yet effectually 
answer his purpose. The entire work will be done for him ; done 
while he is busy at something else ; done while he is taking his ease, 
or pleasure, or even while he is asleep. He may take pains, to be 
sure, to accumulate manures, and to apply them from his own re- 
sources. He will be a dunce if he does not ; for by every effort in 
that way, he will accelerate a process which, though certain in the 
end, will, for a few years, be necessarily slow, but even without 
this, if he will only be firm and faithful in allowing to his lands 
after he has taken off their yearly produce, all they can do for their 
protection and sustenance, he will find that his income is increased 
from them every successive harvest, and that, in a few years, with- 
out a dollar's expense for artificial manures, he will have exchanged 
his cramped, embarrassed condition for one of comparative inde- 
pendence and ease. It must be so, or there is no confidence in 
facts— ^there is no reliance upon nature. T. S. W. Mott. 



222 THE SOUTHERN [April 

Agricultural Education. 

FARMEKS' CLUBS. 

Although the farmer has hitherto paid but little attention to edu- 
cation, yet the present indications are very encouraging. A spirit 
of inquiry and rivalry has sprung up all over the country. Fairs 
are more generally attended, clubs for discussion and experiment are 
formed, and agricultural papers much better sustained. One of the 
most important means of exciting the interest of farmers in im- 
provements in agriculture is in the formation of farmers' clubs. 
They have uniformly had a -good effect. Wherever clubs have been 
formed by a few persevering individuals, -who would see that the 
meetings were always held at the appointed time, a general interest 
has soon been awakened in them. And these club discussions are 
admirably calculated to correct erroneous ideas of those taking part 
in them. One comes with some pet theory, w^hich he supposes him- 
self abundantly able to maintain, but soon discovers, when subjected 
to sharp criticism, that he has built upon the " baseless fabric of a 
vision." 

Another comes with some innovation upon immemorial custom, 
and he finds himself beset by conservative ideas on every side, but 
having experimented and become familiar with the question, he is 
able to parry all their thrusts, explain all their objections, and, al- 
though not perhaps able to convert them at once to its practice, yet 
he has made an impression which will have its effect in the end. 

The principal reason that farmers make such slow progress in 
their business — are so slow to adopt improvements — is to be found 
in their isolated situation, their want of social intercourse. Not 
many men adopt new things alone. They fear the unfavorable 
opinion of neighbors. Men prefer to be in magnetic equilibrium 
with the "rest of mankind." They go with the crowd — move in 
masses and are carried along by social contagion. They seem to be 
excited only by social contact, and to progress only with the cur- 
rent. This law of our natures shows the great importance of these 
clubs to the farmer. A man who would be very timid to adopt an 
improvement urged upon him alone, would enter into it with zeal 
when adopted by the club — when he had the countenance and en- 
couragement of his neighbors. Mechanics are congregated in cities, 
have frequent intercourse with each other, and are swift to adopt a 
labor-saving invention in their business. 

But farmers are scattered over the country, and occupy them- 
selves too constantly with physical labor on the farm. Too much 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 223 

muscular exercise wearies the body and indisposes the mind to ex- 
ertion. The farmer has too long regarded his calling as a physical 
mission, requiring little or no effort of the mind, but a constant 
tension of muscle. Anything which should induce them to congre- 
gate together socially would be a great blessing, but still more so 
when this meeting is for the purpose of comparing notes upon their 
occupation. 

It would surprise a body of farmers, who had never tried it, to 
find how much knowledge could be gained upon almost any subject 
connected with agriculture, from twenty-five average farmers, who 
should each contributo the facts he knew relating to it. Perhaps no 
one of the twenty-five would be able to give more than a few facts 
concerning the topic, yet when each had contributed whal; he knew, 
the subject might be thoroughly elucidated and easily understood. 
When they come together no one fully understands the subject, but 
when the discussion is over every one might carry away a full know- 
ledge of it. 

And this leads us to speak of the proper method of conducting 
these Farmers' Cluhs. First, there should be as little formality and 
as few rules as possible, consistent with good order. Select a man 
of prompt decision and few words as chairman, and the most ready- 
writer for secretary. Avoid set speeches and prepared dissertations. 
You come together to communicate facts and not to display rhetoric. 
Any one who has a fact to give should be welcome. It should be a 
meeting for a free and informal interchange of ideas in the conver- 
sational way. This will be found much better and more profitaple 
than debate. You cannot well debate a question without the dis- 
putants becoming interested for triumph in argument— for the suc- 
cess of a side — and this is not the object of discussion. The object 
should be to gain knowledge, to accumulate facts on which to base a 
right decision, and not to display ability in argument, to triumph 
in disputation. Suppose the question were the " best time to cut 
wheat?" It is obvious that well-attested experiments bearing upon 
this subject would be necessary to determine it. Every one who 
could give any fact showing the effect of cutting wheat at a particu- 
lar stage of growth would assist in elucidating it. One could per- 
haps give the effect upon rust, of cutting wheat while green, show- 
ing the quality of the grain to be little injured hj it ; another cut 
it when ripe, and the rust had ruined the grain; another states that 
he cut_ before ripe, when no rust appeared, and -found the berry 
plump and got a larger proportion of flour per bushel than when he 
had cut on full ripening. And thus one after another gives his ex- 



224 PLANTER AND FARMER. [April 

perience upon all sides of this question, until the facts render its 
solution clear. Now, a learned dissertation upon the wheat plant, 
with an ingenious theory, unaccompanied by facts, might lead to a 
different conclusion, and gain applause to the speaker, but not being 
based upon a true foundation, would only lead those astray who 
acted upon it. There can be no objection to an occasional essay 
upon some subject by one who understands it practically. This 
should be a feature by itself, and would be an important source of 
improvement; but the discussions should be conducted in the freest 
and most informal manner. Besides, this method of conducting the 
discussion would have the advantage of making every one a partici- 
pator in the proceedings, and thus interest him. 

Every farmer can find language to state a fact in reference to a 
subject, who, most likely, would not feel competent to make a speech 
maintaining a theory, and, in fact, all theoretical discussions should 
be avoided, except as they grow out of well-established facts. Theo- 
ries sometimes cause experiments which lead to important discove- 
ries, and in this way tend to increase knowledge, but too often theory 
is advanced as known truth, and when acted upon as such may lead 
to disappointment and disastrous failure. Theories are already too 
abundant, but for well-ascertained facts, very great need. These 
club meetings excite the minds of farmers to greater activity, stim- 
ulate them to read upon the subjects to be discussed, learn them to 
sift evidence, to give facts and experiments their true weight, to 
value order and methodical arrangement. In short, for farmers 
now on the stage, who have passed all opportunity for an elementary 
education in agriculture, the farmers' club off"ers the greatest practi- 
cal advantages. And the effect would soon be seen in the improve- 
ment of their implements — the bringing into use their waste fields — 
the saving and use of all their manures — improving the breed and 
condition of their animals, and in the whole order and arrangement 
of their farming operations. — E. W. S., in Moore s Rural New 
Yorker. 



What Christ adds. — Temporal mercies without Christ are like 
ciphers without a figure ; but when you have these temporal mer- 
cies, and Christ stands in front of them, oh, what an amount they 
make ! Temporal mercies without Christ are unripe fruit; but when 
Christ shines upon |them they grow mellow and sweet. Temporal 
mercies without Christ are the dry rivers — Christ fills them to the 
brim. 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. ' 225 

Periodicity in the Seasons. 

Remarking on agricultural periodicity, tlie Maryland Farmer 
observes : 

^'It has been, for many years, a favorite theory of some observ- 
ers, that seasons, very similar to each other, recur at stated inter- 
vals, whilst others have gone so fiir as to contend that they move in 
regular cycles, changing gradually from rainy to dry and from hot 
to cool summers, and from moderate to severe winters, and at the 
completion of the cycle reversing the phenomena year by year, from 
dry to rainy, and from cool to hot summers, and from severe to 
moderate winters. The terms usually allotted are seven and four- 
teen years, but thus far no meteorological laws have been discovered 
to justify this theory of atmospheric changes, or to furnish data 
upon which such changes may be confidently predicted." 

This conclusion, all things considered, seems a legitimate one and 
accordant with facts as they transpire from year to year without 
reference to any particular series. 

That the. seasons should possess a general family resemblance 
seems a matter of necessity, so long as the sun is the great source 
of light and heat and the earth continues to make its annual circuit 
around it with uniform velocity. But there are influences at work 
on the earth, which tend to change or considerably modify the cha- 
racter of the seasons in particular localities — substituting compara- 
tive aridity for excessive moisture in summer, and increased wind 
and diminished snow in the winter. These changes will scarcely 
have escaped the notice of those who pitched their tents in a w^ooded 
country, with but here and there a log cabin for many miles, and 
remained there till the axe, in brawny hands, had let in the sun and 
wind upon what before was comparatively perpetual shade and op- 
pressive stillness. Then, the summers were noted for the almost 
daily occurrence of showers and the winters for the depth of snow 
which covered the earth. But, as the forest trees fell before the 
axe, and their several trunks melted away in glowing heaps, the 
summer showers became less frequent, the winters less prodigal in 
snow, but increasingly affluent in winds, searching and pungent in 
their character. These climate modifications bore no perceptible 
relation to any particular cycloid of years, but were seemingly 
wholly, or mainly, dependent upon the velocity and pertinacity with 
which the axe performed its office. These changes, too, have been 
followed by consequences, to the farmer, little thought of at the 
time the onslaught was being made on the primeval forest. The 
VOL II — 15 



226 ' THE SOUTHERN [April 

"woodman then, but agriculturist now, saw in each forest tree an 
enemy to be slain, and he went forward like a destroying angel, 
sparing none. The stately tree which had breasted the storms of a 
thousand ages, and the modest sapling reposing beneath its shelter- 
ing branches, met a common fate. "A clean sweep" was the word, 
and the consequence now is that the blasts of winter repeat it as 
they course over fields without check or hindrance. 

In thus denuding his land for long distances of any forest shelter, 
the farmer made a mistake as he removed what, in suitable places, 
should have been left to protect his own domicil and the fruit 
orchards which are essential to and give finish to every well-regu- 
lated farm. Regrets for the hasty action of the past will not repair 
the evil done, but they may induce an attempt to modify its effects 
by interposing new forest" barriers in such places as will best serve 
as shields to the dwelling, stock, barns, and the fruit orchards. It 
is true, the parties most in fault may be stricken in years now, with 
no prospect of profiting by a late atonement, but they have descend- 
ants who will appreciate the comforts supplied by a change of policy 
and hold in grateful remembrance those to whom they will be in- 
debted for them. Plant trees, then, to modify the rigors of the sea- 
sons, protect your homes and their surroundings, without reference 
to the question as to whether the seasons are cyclodial or the re- 
verse. — Moore s Rural Neiv- Yorlcer. 



About Weeds.— No. 2. 

HARBORING PLACES. 



The bye-places of the farm wherein weeds harbor comparatively 
unnoticed and unharmed, are prolific sources whence they spread, 
and strongholds last taken by the aggressive farmer. To the easy, 
slothful farmer, they are impregnable, and from their commanding 
position, hold his passions forever under dominion. Prominent 
among these harboring-places are the fence corners, and they are 
especially favorable to the weeds when partly filled with rubbish or 
stone from the fields. There new varieties are often first iiitroduced 
by means of birds, or from the fence opposing a barrier to those 
downy seeds that float in the air. There, too, the seed finds a con- 
genial place to grow; there is shade, a rich soil, and they are un- 
disturbed by machinery. Often the rubbish or stone piles are so 
dense as to protect the weeds against the farmer's efforts to uproot 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 22T 

tliem. Consequently, they mature their seed, and it is scattered. 
A patch of couch grass may exist for years in a fence corner unno- 
ticed ; but when its creeping roots strike out far enough for the 
plough to tear them, they are distributed far and rapidly over the 
field, and every joint becomes a new plant wherever it permanently 
lodges. Eradication, then, is nearly impossible. The road-sides, 
which ought to be scrupulously kept clean, are too often safe har- 
boring places for weeds. Manure heaps containing the seeds are 
frequently neglected until the vigorous growth induced has brought 
the plants to maturity ; and many spots around farm buildings and 
yards are unsightly from a dense annual growth of weeds. In 
short, the farmer may set it down as an axiom, that wherever on 
his soil a useful plant does not grow, a weed will flourish and oc- 
cupy the room. Nature abhors an unprolific soil. It is the farm- 
er's business fo see that all plants w^hich grow on his premises are 
beneficial to his interests. 

HOW WEEDS WORK INJURY. 

If farmers would more closely consider the detriment to their in- 
terests which arises from the presence and growth of weeds in the 
soil, they would be incited to greater and more united effort to ac- 
complish their extradition. Fertility of the soil is diminished mainly 
by the crops grown on and removed from it. Weeds rob it of much 
plant food without returning any equivalent to the farmer, and in 
most soils available plant food is not so abundant but that the 
growth of weeds diminishes the yield of the cultivated crop exactly 
in proportion to the amount of the elements of that crop thus ab- 
stracted. Let any farmer observe his fields closely at harvest time, 
noting the great variety and mass of plants which the soil supports, 
besides the crop he cultivates, then estimate the increased yield 
which would have resulted had the elements which formed these 
been given to the crop, and he will feel in his pocket how detri- 
mental to his interests are the weeds. The hoed crops yield most 
abundantly, and to their comparative freedom from weeds this re- 
sult may be chiefly ascribed. And here we will suggest that good 
farming demands that all grain crops be cultivated at diflerent 
stages of their growth. 

Besides the loss weeds occasion the cultivator by diminishing the 
yield of his crops, they impose on him a large amount of unrcmu- 
nerative labor. In fitting the ground for sowing the seed, in culti- 
vating, harvesting and cleaning the grain, the presence of weeds in 
the soil and crop causes much extra work to be performed. Loss 



228 THE SOUTHERN ' [April 

also occurs through the deterioration of crops in value when weeds 
or other seeds are mixed freely with them. — Moore s Rural New- 
Yorlcer. 

Immigration. 

Among the immigrants now landing in the United States is a far 
larger proportion than formerly of skilled .artisans. Especially is 
this the case with those who have lately left the United Kingdom 
for this country. Weavers, miners, iron-workers, and other good 
material of a similar kind are coming hither from England in suffi- 
cient numbers to awaken some alarm there, lest the productive 
power of that nation should be seriously crippled. The London 
Times recently referred to this subject, and spoke with "regret" of 
the " emigration of skilled laborers from the coal and iron districts 
of South Wales. Of the hundreds who have thus left, and the 
hundreds more who are on the point of leaving, between eighty and 
ninety per cent, proposes to settle in the United States." We have 
room and work enough for them all. The fact that they come to 
our shores instead of seeking the Dominion of Canada, Australia, 
or New Zealand, is easily enough accounted for — {. e., from the 
American point of vision. Notwithstanding all that has been said 
and done which is not pleasing to us, we believe that the United 
States, before any other country on the face of the earth, is the 
place for the poor man of steady industrious habits. 

The sections of the annual report of the British emigration com- 
missioners relating to Ireland, show that the Irish population is de- 
creasing by emigration in a ratio largely in excess of the rate of its 
increase by births. The commissioners remark that the increase of 
population by births must principally depend on the proportion 
which those between the ages of twenty and thirty-five bear to the 
rest of the community. The proportion of such persons in the 
population of the whole kingdom is about twenty-five per, cent., 
while their proportion in the emigration of the present day is more 
than fifty-two per cent. 

Of the whole Irish emigration of last year, 87.56 per cent, went 
to the United States; these emigrants are by no means paupers. 
Their circumstances are shown by the passenger accommodations 
they select on leaving home. In 1863 the proportion of those who 
emigrated in steam vessels was 45.85 per cent. In 1864 it was 
53.55; in 1865 it was 73.50, and in 1866 it was 81.16 per cent. 
Steam transportation during those years averaged about one-third 
dearer than passage by sailing ships. 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 229 

The German immigrant generally brings «noney with. him, and so 
does the Swede. In fact, immigration at the present day adds more 
of real wealth to the resources of this country than it ever before 
did. It gives us energy, industry, and gold ; and they were never 
more welcome. — iV. 0. Crescent. 



D^ep Tillage Necessary to Effective Surface Drainage. 

Any one of habits of ordinary observation must have noticed the 
change which has been wrought upon the face of a large portion of 
Virginia within a comparatively few years. This remark is appli- 
cable particularly to the tobacco-growing regions and to such of 
these as are to the south of James river. It has not been many 
years ago that the lands lying along the small rivers — creeks and 
their branches — were looked upon not only as the most fertile por- 
tions of the cultivated soil, but as, in the main, the most likely to 
make remunerative return to the agriculturist for his labor. 

These small streams ran along well-defined channels of some 
depth, and ordinarily well-drained the low land through which they 
passed. It is true, that in many cases the lands were overflowed in 
time of freshets. But the floods lasted not a great many hours, 
after which the stream returned and confined itself to its usual 
channel, while the adjacent lands were soon dried by drainage and 
evaporation. While, therefore, some few crops were lost or injured 
by freshets, it still remained true that the average returns to the 
farmer from his low lands were greater than from the high. But 
what is the state of things now ? Over a very large portion of the 
once arable flats of Virginia the waters or mud and ooze, with bull- 
rush, cat-tails, cray-fish, tad-poles and frogs, hold almost undisputed 
sway. In other places a scanty pasturage for a portion of the year 
is afforded upon the ridges that liave been left between the broader 
stretches of the marsh or morass into which the low lands have been 
converted. In some portions of other places a very coarse hay is 
cut when it is not too much covered over with the mud and slime of 
overflows, which is more usually the case. In still other places the 
farmer even yet ventures to plant his corn or to sow his oats, but 
he does so in fear and trembling. The chances are in favor of his 
losing at least some portion of his crop by freshet or the presence 
of too much moisture in the soil ; while it is only when the season 
is very dry that he can look for any considerable yield. For some 
reason or other his creek-banks have become lower, the bottom has 



230 THE SOUTHERN [April 

been raised, and sand-b»rs have beeii found every few yards. His 
ditches cannot be kept open, but fill up with every considerable 
rain. There seems no possibility of confining the water to creek 
and ditches after even a moderate rain, while with his channels for 
drainage filled up, his land remains sobbed with water — cold, stiiF, 
acid and unproductive. 

We think no one will deny the truth of what is above said. 
What, then, is the reason ifor the change already efiected, and which 
seems going on at even an increasing rate? Are the falls of rain 
greater or more frequent than formerly ? The meteorologist tells 
us not. The rivers carry no more water than formerly to the sea. 
The general water-shed of the country has not been altered. Why 
is it, then, that our creeks overflow so much more readily than for- 
merly, that their banks are lower, the adjacent grounds so much 
more constantly saturated with water and rendered so nearly worth- 
less for all the purposes of the agriculturist ? 

It cannot be due generally to mill-dams which have been thrown 
across the streams, for the effects spoken of are seen far above them 
and where the velocity of the water in its now shallow channel is 
still rapid. If we will consider the changes which have been taking 
place upon the cultivated or impoverished and abandoned hillS; the 
answer will not be hard to find. These hills, which were formerly 
occupied by forests which, with the matting and interlacing of their 
roots and fibres, prevented the surface of the soil from being washed 
away by the waters of superficial drainage, now have their sides 
torn and disfigured by gullies of every imaginable depth and width. 

The soil of the hills is no longer protected by the roots and leaves 
of the forest, and great care seems to have been taken that no other 
growth that could afford protection from the wasting waters should 
be allowed. In cultivation, the earth has been broken only a very 
few inches, so that the rains could not pass off by sinking through 
the sub-soil, but must per force run off upon the surface. No pains 
have been taken to supply a sod of grass to protect and fertilize the 
ilbtreated soil, while the agriculturist has been taking from it his 
crops of tobacco, wheat, corn and oats in rapid succession. The 
little film of soil that has been kept light and friable by the method 
of cultivation adopted, has therefore been completely at the mercy 
of the rains to carry it whither it would. The hills have, by con- 
sequence, been borne to the bottoms by the waters flowing in gullies 
and ditches. The materials which could be easily carried away by 
•water moving down the inclined surfaces of our hills cannot be so 
readily moved where the slope is diminished. Of course, then, the 



1808.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 231 

washings of the hills must fill up ditches and creek channels on the 
flats and must reduce these flats to unprofitable marshes.* 

What shall be done to stop this process bj which the injury of 
the high lands is, at the same time, ruin to the more level ? In vain, 
will any farmer open his ditches, if his gullies, unstopped, continue 
to hurry down their regular freight of soil, clay and gravel. 

The evil of which we have been speaking is a general one, and 
the remedy, to be eff'ective, must be of a corresponding extent in its 
application. 

Unless our landholders adopt some method of cultivation by which 
the hills shall be. protected from the corroding and transporting 
agency of the gathered waters of our rains, the labors which they 
may spend upon improving the drainage of their low grounds, will 
be, in large measure, unproductive of useful results. The land must 
be kept porous, mellow and open to a good depth, so that superficial 
drainage may not be so great. This can only be done by deep and 
tJiorough ploughing. 

The soil must also be carefully protected when not in cultivation, 
by some grass, which will furnish a sod which can resist the action 
of running water. 

By careful attention to the growth of grasses, and by more thor- 
ough cultivation than has prevailed hitherto, we may hope gradually 
to restore the fertility of our wasted hills, and to reclaim .our flats 
from the domains of frogs and mud-turtles. 

To do this, the people generally must feel the importance and 
urgency of the matter, and must conspire earnestly and energeti- 
cally in their efforts to bring back beauty to the once fair face of 
our country. H. 

* The washings of the hills since the land has been brought into cultivation 
have rendered the streams so much more muddy than formerly that even fish 
cannot live in them as they once could.. 



Fodder for Stock. 

It is probable that considerable land designed for corn the present 
spring will fail to be planted on account of the prevalence of wet 
weather. In such case, it would be a good plan to sow corn for fod- 
der purposes. Good land will produce a heavy burthen of this kind 
of food for cattle. It is especially good for dairy stock, and may 
be fed in a green or in a dry state. The sweet variety is considered 
the best, as it is richer and eaten more readily than any other. 
What is not used in a green state may be cut and dried for winter 
use. It may be fed whole, or cut up and mixed with something else, 
as circumstances shall dictate. 



232 THE SOUTHERN [April 




iorlkullurd ^tprfmtni 



Agricultural and Horticultural Societies— Premiums. 

A note from the President of the Rockbridge A. & M. Society, 
(Jacob Fuller, Esq.,) informs us that the executive committee of 
that body propose to offer as premiums at their annual Fair, to be 
held next October, standard works on Agriculture, Horticulture, 
Mechanics, &c., copies of leading periodicals upon these subjects, as 
well as Fruit Trees, Grape Vines, Flowers, &c. 

This is a step in the right direction. Such premiums would be 
far more desirable tha:n even their value in money, and we know of 
no means better calculated to push forward the interests which 
these Societies are formed to promote. Few persons compete at 
these fairs for the sake of the intrinsic value of the premium, and 
even such as do will find this character of prizes more useful 
than any other. To make such prizes redound to the credit of the 
Society offering them, as well as acceptable and valuable to the 
public, it will be necessary to exercise great care and caution in the 
selection of articles thus offered, and the committees, whose duty it 
is to procure and designate the premiums, should be composed of 
men who are practical agriculturists and horticulturists, that no 
deception may be practiced upon them as to the worth of the 
articles. 

As this opens such a fine field for advertising to publishers, 
nurserymen and florists, it will be eagerly seized upon by all who 
are anxious to keep themselves before the people, and, in many 
instances, no doubt, parties will offer to contribute voluntarily such 
things as may be required for the premium list, and frequently 
these contributions will be of no value, so that, unless skilled 
parties have the management of the matter, the whole plan will 
soon fall into disrepute. The only safe mode is to accept dona- 
tions from none but known and reliable sources, and if these should 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 233 

not be sufficient, to purcliase from such parties the requisite 
quantity. 

By following this course, the imprimatur of the Societies l\-ill soon 
become as desirable to publishers and growers in th8 premiums offered 
as in the awards granted, and the public will entertain such confi- 
dence in the reliability of the articles offered, as to make them far 
more anxious to contend for premiums than they have ever been 
under the systems now in vogue. 

We recommend the matter to the attention of our ^Agricultural 
and Horticultural Societies, and should be glad if the President of 
the. Rockbridge Society would give us, in detail for publication, the 
plan which he proposes to* adopt. 



Planting Vines Deep. 

Mr. EditoTy — I notice in your paper for February an article 
under the head "Planting Vines Deep," in. which the author states 
" that walling to prevent their extension, causes them to seek food 
below the genial influence of light and air, and thus create disease." 
The article states the fact also, that wild grape vines are surface 
growers, and argues therefrom, it is the proper mode for cultivation. 
Nothing can be more fallacious. Did the writer ever see a wild 
grape, of even tolerable quality, when compared with the domestic 
grape ? Yet, it is conceded, all the present varieties came from one 
parent stock. Whence, then, the great changes ? Unquestionably, 
soil and cultivation. The grape producing the finest Hock wines, 
transplanted to Maderia, produces the finest Madeira wine, and even 
there very dilfferent wine in different localities. 

An article on the culture of the grape, published in England in 
1826, says: "The mode of culture of vines in Madeira may proba- 
bly suggest some hints for their growth in the open grounds in this 
country. The slips or cuttings are made from a foot and a half to 
two feet and a half in length ; they are set two feet in the ground, 
about three feet distant, in straight rows or trenches, about four or 
five feet apart. After one trench is opened and the earth taken 
out and laid on one side of it so as to form a bank, the butt ends of 
the vines are put into the bottom of the trench, and the small ends 
extended sloping up the bank ; the trench is then filled with earth 
dug from the sound side," &c , &c., &c., the earth from each suc- 
ceeding trench being used to fill the preceding one. Here, two feet 
ia stated as the usual depth for planting. A small volume on European 



234 THE. SOUTHERN [April 

Grape Culture, published (I think) about 1854, in speaking of the 
increased longevity of the vine in Madeira, ascribes it solely to the 
increased depth given to the plantings; stating the depth of six and 
eight feet having Hbeen reached by the most successful growers. I 
regret I cannot find the copy I had, nor can I describe the book so 
as to secure one by purchase, I therefore quote from memory. 
The article quoted above, goes on to state : "A vineyard planted in 
this manner (two feet deep) will, it is said,. last from fifty to sixty 
years." This writer gives very minute details as regards the cul- 
ture of the vine from its planting to its full maturity. I do not 
suppose, however, you care to fill your pages with experiences 
forty years since. 

Very respectfully, 

Your obedient servant, 

Philo. 

Amelia, February 25th, 1868. 



Editorial Comments on " Philo." 

In the February issue, we published an extract from the Horti- 
culturist, opposing the deep planting of grape vines, and concluded 
by asking some one to assign a reason for what we considered a 
strange and hurtful practice. Our correspondent, "Philo," in this 
number, takes issue with us, and defends deep planting, without, 
however, assigning any reason for it, except the statement from 
some author, that it was the practice so to plant in Madeira. Our 
reason for advocating shallow planting was that the roots might 
have, the benefit of light and air; and to show that atmospheric 
influences were desirable. We cited the fact that the roots of wild 
vines sought the surface, and it is well known that a wild vine never 
dies, except by down-right murder. We, therefore, inferred that 
the normal condition of the grape vine's roots was to lie as near the 
surface as possible, and that it was owing to this that wild vines 
were so vigoroQS and long-lived. "Philo" says this deduction is 
fallacious, because the fruit of the wild grape is not equal in quality 
to that of the "highly cultivated," or, as he styles them, "domes- 
tic " varieties. We confess we are unable to see the force of this 
reasoning, unless "Philo" can prove that, in that culture of the 
vine, which has brought it to its present state of development, 
deep planting is the most important item. Everyone acknowledges 
the superior quality of the highly cultivated, or "domestic" grape, 
but many will question whether deep planting, which wo have shown 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 235 

and which "Philo" admits to be contrary to nature, has caused the 
improvement on the natural fruit. The only statements presented 
by " Philo " in support of his theory are first, that Madeira vine 
growers plant their cuttings deep. We suppose tfiat all other pro- 
pagators who understand their business do the same, if they have 
the grape Tvood to sp^iire ; but this is done, not to make their vines 
more vigorous or long-lived, but to get as many eyes under the 
ground as possible, so as to secure all the chances they can of get- 
ting roots to their cuttings. His second statement is only the opin- 
ion of an author, (unknown to him,) that the longevity and vigor 
of vines in Madeira are due to deep planting, (if, indeed, it be true, 
as he states, that they plant deep,) rather than to the peculiar 
adaptability of soil and climate. Whatever weight may be due to 
this author's opinion, it will hardly, of itself, counterbalance the 
patent fact that vines in their natural state are long-lived and vigo- 
rous, and that their roots seek the suface. 

We beg leave to remind *^ Philo " that it is not the inherent 
•quality of any variety of grape that is under discussion, but only 
the longevity of the vine and the quality, as affected by the health 
and vigor of the plant. 



Mildew and Rot on Grape Vines. 

Editor of Planter and Farmer^ — As much attention is now be- 
ing paid to the cultivation of the grape in Virginia, it may be in- 
teresting to persons engaged therein for me to make a report of an 
experiment and its results, on a Franklin grape vine (one, the most 
liable to mildew which I know of), in the summer of 1867, Avhenthe 
grapes were about half grown. 

I was engaged one evening [after sundown) in watering some 
dwarf pear-trees with a solution of copperas (} to f lb. to a gallon 
of rain-water), when I thought I would try it on tliis grape vine ; 
I did so, and the next morning vine and fruit looked black and 
badly ; but in twenty-four hours after, all mildew and rot had dis- 
appeared, the vine looked fine and healthy, and what fruit remained 
ripened well. 

Should this prove to be, in all cases, a cure for mildew and rot on 
grape vines, its benefits to the grape-growing community will be 
immense: 

H. C. Sleight. 



236 THE SOUTHERN [April 

How to Keep Hares from Barking Trees. 

3Ir. Editor^ — I accidentally fell upon what my gardener termed 
"acute sclieme"*for keeping the hares from barking my young 
trees the past winter. It is the wrong season to communicate it for 
the benefit of others, but those who think it worth while may lay it 
up for future use. 

I have, for the last year, been in the habit of trying to keep my 
young apple-trees trimmed, without ever trimming them much It 
is a great deal less labor to cut off young sprouts than large limbs* 
By having surplus limbs, we retard the growth of the tree, inas- 
much as they appropriate a part of the growth. The effort to heal 
large wounds is a heavy" tax on the strength of the tree. For these 
reasons, I adopted the practice, not thinking of hares. But as soon 
as the hard weather set in, I noticed that the young shoots which 
were thrown under the trees were speedily skinned bodily. Taking 
the hint, I continued to throw down shoots liberally, and as the re- 
sult, I have not had a single tree barked, though the hares are very 
abundant about the orchard. I suppose the reason is, first, the bark 
of the limbs is tender and juicy, and so, more palatable; and then, 
as the limbs lie upon the ground, Mr. Hare does not have to crook 
his neck in order to sret his supper. 

^ ^'^ . S. A. S. 



The Borer in Peach Trees. 

I have another practical hint which is for present use. This, 
however, is not original. I once heard of a lady whose husband 
had planted a peach orchard with a view to making brandy. She 
feared that he might become a drunkard, and determined to kill his 
trees. To effect this, she secretly poured scalding water around the 
roots, and to her great surprise, the trees did not die, but produced 
an "extra" crop of peaches. The scalding water killed the worms, 
but was not sufficient to kill the trees. At first, I adopted this prac- 
tice very cautiously — but now without fear I pursue it. Early each 
spring, I scrape around the trees with a large knife on the morning 
of "washing-day." When the washing is done, I take buckets full 
of boiling suds into the orchard, and dash the trees just where the 
trunks join the ground. In this way thousands of little worms are 
scalded to death. Lastly, I apply unleached ashes to the trees. 

After an experience of several years, I can confidently recom- 
mend this practice. 

S. A. S. 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 237 



Wine-lViaking. 

[We clip frm the American Journal of IloriiciiUitre the following description 
of the mode of making wine at the Longworth House, a"% of interest to many 
of our readers who are entering upon the culture of the grape with a view to 
manufacturing wine.] 

For the manufacture of wine, a crop of well-ripened grapes is se- 
lected and purchased in the vineyard late in October or early in 
November, and a man sent to superintend the gathering. AH de- 
cayed or imperfect berries are first removed from the clusters, which 
are then cut from the stalk, and taken in covered baskets to the 
wine-house. A lid, or rather a false head, having innumerable 
holes, is fitted into the mouth of a capacious cask : the clusters are 
placed upon it, and the grapes worked through into the cask, leav- 
ing the stems on the head. Stemming and mashing completed, the 
must may be allowed to stand for some time on the skins of the 
grapes before pressing, provided a colored wine is desired ; other- 
wise it is immediately pressed out, and run into large fermenting 
casks situated in the upper or warmer cellars. The writer noticed 
one of these casks, having a capacity of over four thousand five 
hundred gallons. The weight of must is expected to be at least 
eighty-five to ninety. The fermentation thus begun lasts ten to 
thirty days, varied by the heat of the weather; the gas evolved 
being allowed to escape through water by means of a siphon, thu^ 
preventing the access of air. The effervescence having ceased, and 
a sediment been deposited, the pure wine is racked off in the fol- 
lowing March, and conducted down into numerous casks provided 
for the storage of still wines in the deep cellars, whose temperature 
ranges from 40° to 50° Fahrenheit the year round. These casks 
have generally ii capacity of three hundred to five hundred gallons ; 
but a number hold fifteen hundred to two thousand gallons each. 

To produce sparkling wines, the still or dry wine thus kept in 
store is forced up again about the month of June, and run into fresh 
casks ; and to each of these casks there is now added a measure of 
wine having pure rock candy in solution sufficient to induce a second 
fermentation. It is now drawn out into bottles ; and these are se- 
curely corked, and are stacked in the upper cellars till about the 
month of September, or until the fermentation begins to burst them. 
The bottles requiring great strength, they are im.ported from Fo- 
lembray, a town of Champagne in France : they are as much supe- 
rior to our best American . bottles as the best French plate-glass is 
superior to common American glass. The French bottle will stand 



238 THE SOUTHERN [April 

a pressure of twentj-five to tliirtj atmospheres ; 'while the American 
-will rarely bear more than sixteen to eighteen, as shown by the ma- 
nometer used here in testing them. The neck of the French bottle 
is likewise more itniform. No old nor second-hand bottles are used. 
The corks are also imported from Epernaj. 

This second fermentation having now progressed as stated, it is 
arrested in great measure by lowering the bottles into the vaults 
built for storage of sparkling wine, where they are stacked by scores 
of thousands, in long rows resembling cord-wood; each bottle being 
laid on its side, along which now collects the sediment generated by 
the fermentation. The development of gas may not, however, 
wholly cease, as the occasional bursting of bottles will show. In 
one hot August, some years ago, the gas evolved by a slight excess 
of the rock- candy caused the destruction of fifty thousand bottles. 
The wine thus spilled is, however, conducted by a contrivance of 
stone gutters to a reservoir, and is distilled into brandy; seven 
measures of w^ine making one of brandy. 

The bottled wine thus stacked in store may remain undisturbed 
for years. When wanted for market, the bottles, without disturb- 
ance of their sediment, are carefully placed in racks, their necks 
inclining downwards, and are gradually raised day by day, towards 
a perpendicular and inverted position, each bottle being every day 
twirled about one-third round and back again by hand several times; 
which agitation causes the sediment to collect gradually in the neck, 
leaving the wine above perfectly clear. This operation requires two 
to three weeks. 

The bottles are now carefully elevated from the cellar ; and, as a 
very skilful workman removes each cork, the puff of gas expels all 
sediment,! — a process known as "disgorging," — and the bottle 
passes to the band of another, wlro quickly adjusts its mouth to a 
tube, through which it receives by guage a small quantity of the 
wine-solution of pure rock-candy, — ^just enough to make good the 
loss in disgorging; and the bottle is received by a third workman, 
and furnished, at a single blow of a mallet, with a new cork, which 
a fourth workman as quickly secures in its place by the use of an 
admirable machine. The wine is made. 

The bottles are now removed to the packing-room, and there 
properly labelled, and packed in boxes of twelve quart bottles or 
twenty-four pint bottles each ; and every box is secured against 
fraudulent opening by means of Bartlett's patent, — a red. tape tied 
round the centre of the box, fitting in a. groove, and sealed with the 
seal of the wine-house ; which patent has been adopted as the '' trade- 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER 239 

mark" for pure wines by the American Wine-Growers' Association 
of Ohio. 

In the preparation of still wines, the proprietor avails himself of 
a valuable precaution which is of practical interest to the makers of 
wine. 

The discovery made by L. Pasteur (to which was awarded a gold 
medal by the Emperor of France at the Paris Exposition), that wine 
heated to the temperature of sixty degrees centigrade will not turn, 
become diseased, nor deposit sediment, was immediately put into 
practice at this wine-house. 

The Major constructed a heating chamber with capacity for two 
thousand bottles of wine; and the result exceeded anticipation. 
Wine heated in accordance with Pasteur's method, and afterwards 
exposed to the sun for four weeks, only gained a more perfect clear- 
ness ; while wine so exposed, without such preparation, showed that 
trace of sediment which the most careful wine-makers have not 
hitherto been able to prevent. Dry wine in casks can be heated in 
the same manner. The history of this discovery in France thus far 
gives assurance that it will be of incalculable use in the preserva- 
tion and even the restoration of wine. 

Of still wines, there are seven kinds made at this house; namely, 
Catawba, Isabella, Concord, Virginia Seedling, Ives' Seedling, Rentz 
Seedling, and Taylor's Bullitt. Of sparkling wines, only Catawba 
and Isabella have hitherto been rhanufactured ; but the list is in- 
creased the present season by adding the Delaware, Ives' Seedling, 
Virginia Seedling, Concord, and Rentz Seedling. They promise 
great excellence, and are now, for the first time, presented to the 
American public as. sparkling wines. 



At a meeting of the Wine-Growers' Association. of Ohio, lately 
held, the President stated that the business of wine-growing is pro- 
gressing in this country. He thought no better wines were ever 
made than those presented here to-day. A few years ago, we had 
but a single wine-grape (the Catawba); but that has become dis- 
eased, and it is supplanted by several other varieties. He compli- 
mented the wine-growers of Missouri for their foresight in planting 
new varieties. The. Concord produces a thousand gallons per acre. 
They have tested a new variety (the Cunningham), that produces 
the best wine in the world. The Chair produced the fact, that Ohio 
wines were quoted in Berlin ; showing that the tables are turned, 
and America is sending wines to Europe. . 



240 THE SOUTHERN [April 

He thought that the wine-growers were doing a better work for 
temperance than the advocates of cold water. Men will have some 
stimulant ; and what better than the light native wines of this coun- 
try? With plenty of such wine, the people will not drink strong 
liquors nor sour beer ; and hence we are the pioneers of a truly 
temperance age. From the time the shepherds of Judea,* while 
tending their flocks, watched for the infant Saviour, wine was the 
beverage of the people. Even the Saviour himself, on a festive. oc- 
casion there being no wine at hand, changed water into wine. 
Hence he could not think that those employed in the growing of 
the grape for wine merited the contumely of the community. We 
shall induce the Americans to drink the generous wines of our vine- 
yards instead of whiskey. We must raise wine at a low price, so 
that the* common people can have it. 

He thought that next season there would be eight millions of 
Ives' Seedling grapes growing, and soon there would be plenty for 
all. He looked at the future as glorious for wine-producers. He 
thought the Catawba should not be given up. A sample to-day was 
undoubtedly better than any wine that can be imported from Europe. 

Mr. Husmann took the ground, that, when must contains "all the 
qualities of a first-class wine, it would be very foolish to manipulate 
it ; but if the must would be improved by the addition of sugar, 
w^hich is one of the elements of the grape, the addition might very 
properly be made. So also, should the must contain too much acid, 
he would tone it down with water. He would add nothing exoept 
sugar and water,'which are the elements that pure wine contains. 

He challenged the world to show that such wines are prejudicial 
to health. . . 

Dr. Hcighway spoke about receiving wines from France thatvrere 
declared to be pure, but every one of which contained precipitate 
of lead. He protested against adding anything to wine that is not 
one of its natural elements. When wine is too sour, it is almost 
impossible to correct it, and it had better go into vinegar. He 
hoped that American growers will never resort to logwood or sugar- 
of-lead in making w^ne. 

The President contended that Nature had put all the sugar into 
the grapes grown in this country that is required for good wine; 
and he protested against the addition of any sugar under any cir- 
cumstances. 

Dr. Warder was appointed (with Mr. Martin as alternate) to rep- 
resent the Association at the Lake.-Shore Wine-Growers' meeting 
at Cleveland, on the 19th of February. — Journal of ITortk'uUure. 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 241 

Rawle's Janet Apple. 

BY J. U. CREIGIITON, IRONTON, OHIO. 

This old apple is still plenty in market in southern Ohio; but 
like certain men, neeih to he understood to be appreciated. Tho 
tree is a slow or medium grower, but healthy and stron;]i;, and bears 
young — but over-bears. It must have good soil, and such is tho 
slow and elaborate process by which it ripens its exquisite fruit that 
it must positively be left on the tree till ^vinter. It will improve 
till fi-eezing weather. It is injured less by freezing than any other 
apple. When pulled too soon, they have a woody taste, and many 
barrels are taken to market in this state. They will keep till Juno 
and lose no flavor ; perhaps not one-fourth of those sold in market 
have been fairly treated. When this apple is in its perfection — 
having good soil, and allowed to hang long on the tree — we pro- 
nounce it the most delicious npple we ever knew. It has a break- 
ing, snapping, cracking texture, and when it splashes and scatters 
its sparkling delicate juice round over the organs of taste, it seemg 
in an instant to fill every part of the mouth with its high wine-liko 
flavor. — Gardduer 3IontIdi/, 

[In Tide- water Virginia it will not keep later than March, but in the Valley 
keeps well until May — an excellent apple. — Ed, So. Planter and Farmer.] 



Currants in the New York Market. 

The prices realized bj the sale of currants this year have sur- 
prised even the dealers* The first arrivals were about July 1st, but 
being quite green, did not sell very well, yet they brought eight 
cents per pound. In a few days ripe ones sold for ten cents, but as 
the quantity increased prices fell to eight cents, antl at that price 
they sold rapidly. 

Cherry currants have sold from 15 to 20 cents per pound, as per 
quality and style of packages. The demand for this fruit is in- 
creasing every year.; — Mural New Yorker, 



The Yellow Aberdeen Turnip has been found one of the 
most profitable varieties for field cultivation, being more solid and 
substantial, and containing more nutriment than most of the flat 
turnip family. W. A. Underbill, of Croton Point, N. Y., who has 
had much experience and success with root crops generally, has 
raised his own seed of the Aberdeen for the past fifteen years, con- 
tinually selecting the best and most compact specimens for this pur- 
pose. He informs us that during this period he has improved the 
variety so much, that they weigh five pounds more to the bushel 
than at the commencement of his experiments. — Country Qenfn, 

VOL. 11—16 



242 THE SOUTHERN [April 



paiistfjolir Hcpiirliiunt. 



On Miich Cows. 



Mr. Editor J — This is a subject of great interest to every farmer, 
for the comfort and good living of his family are in a great degree, 
I might say mainly^ dependent on this source. What articles of 
diet are more- essential to good living than milk and butter ? They 
form the basis af all those airy as well as substantial superstructures 
that our ladies rear to tempt as well as satisfy our appetites. The 
great fault with our farmers, particularly in the southern part of the 
State, has been in keeping too much stock. They generally keep 
entirely too many cows, some ten or a dozen yielding half the quan-- 
tity of milk that three or four first-class cows would give. In win- 
ter our cows are badly fed and poorly sheltered; those that survive 
through March are " turned out to bud," which means driven into 
the woods to find subsistence from the young shoots of shrubs and 
trees, and in summer they have but scant pasturage. Is it at all 
surprising tiint uadei such treutment tlie breed should tlogeHerait?, 
become small, ill-shapen, and yield, on an average, not more than a 
pint of milk per day ! I had a neighbor who purchased at one^ of 
our State Fairs two Devon heifers, beautiful animals ; these, with 
their first calves, gave ten gallons of milk per day, but from hard 
usao^e and inattention to the crossing of breeds, my neighbor's im- 
proved cattle have deteriorated so much as to be scarcely more val- 
uable than the common ridge stock. 

While care, attention and good pasturage are most essential, yet 
I am sure we do not give sufficient attention to the selection of our 
ihilch cowo. In turning out calves, we are not particular in select- 
mrf them with a view to this purpose. My views on this point have 
been strengthened and confirmed by reading a treatise on the sub- 
ject of mlloh cows, published by the Agricultural Society of Bor- 
deaux, France. This treatise gives an account of a system entirely 
new at that time, namely, of ascertaining by external signs or 
marks on a cow the quantity of milk and time of yield. A com- 
mittee appointed by the Society to examine and thoroughly test this 
system, pronounced it infallible, and awarded the discoverer, M. 
Francis Gu(inon, a gold medal. Other Societies took hold of the 
subject, with the same result, and Gudnon received various medals 
and complimentary letters testifying to the utility of his discovery. 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 243 

These external signs or marks are certain spots on tlie hinder part 
of the cow formed by the meeting of the hair as it grows in oppo- 
site directions, and on these spots is always found a kind of bran or 
dandruif. These marks Guenon calls ears or quirls, and once 
pointed out, can be easily discerned by any one. After twenty-five 
years of -close observation, he reduced his knowledge to a regular 
system, dividing milch cows into eight classes, according to the size 
and shape of these spots or marks (he calls them escutcheons), and 
he could, by looking at these marks tell how much milk a cow would 
give, from twenty-six quarts to half a pint; the quality of the milk, 
whether cr-eamy or serous ; and also what length of time, after be- 
ing with calf, she would continue to give milk. By this method, wo 
are enabled not only to judge of the qualities of the full-grown ani- 
mal, but with equal certainty pass judgment on thfee year old 
calves. 

These facts must be of incalculable advantage to the dairyman, 
and greatly assist our farmers in determining which calves to turn 
out for milch cows. All sach as belong to Guenon's eiglith class 
(and we have many such) should be condemned to the slaughter-pen, 
lest by crossing we injure others of a higher class. 

Thinking, perhaps, there may be some of your readers interested 
in this subject, and who would like to know these signs or marks, I 
will describe them as plainly and succinctly as possible. In select- 
ing a milch cow according to Guenon's directions, we will take one 
of the first class. The udder should be covered with fine downy 
hair growing ujnvards, from between the four teats, extending up- 
ward over the hinder part of the udder and the region above it, 
blending with a similar growth of hair pointing upiuards also, v^hich 
begins on the legs just above the hockjoint, covering the inner sur- 
face of the thighs. This growth of hair pointing upwards encroaches 
a little on the outer surface until half way up the hind quarter, and 
gradually contracting upwards to the terminus of the back-bone. 
There should be also two small oval spots or marks two inches wide 
by three inches long, above the hind teats, formed by hair growing 
downward. These two marks can be easily distinguished b}- the 
hair being paler than the surrounding hair, whicli grows upwards. 

All classes of persons, by means of these guides, are enabled to 
form judgments of cows, and no matter to what breed a cow may 
belong, if she possess these marks, she is infallibly a good milch 
cow. 

Under the new regime, it will certainly be our best policy to keep 
a few good cows, and give them the best attention. Immediately in 



244 THE SOUTIIERK [April 

my vicinity, there has heen great difficulty in hiring milkers. Tho 
negro women object to any regular out-door work, particularly where 
early rising is a requisite. Where there are six or eight cows to 
milk, they soon grow tired, neglect them, and dry up tho milk. 
With such management, there is a great scarcity of milk and but- 
ter, and some of our largest farmers have either to do without du- 
ring tho winter months, or else buy Northern butter. 

Would it not be better to keep, say four cows, selected according 
to Guenon's method, build good substantial cow-houses, and give 
them such attention as the Pennsylvania Dutch farmers do? Tur- 
nips furnish a most excellent article of food for milch cows, cut in 
elices and fed in troughs twice a day. They not only increase the 
quantity of milk, but keep the animals in good order. They should 
be regularly %nd freely salted. In some countries straw steeped in 
brine is fed to cattle. As far back as P]ine_y's tim.e, the beneficial 
effects of salt for stock was known and acted upon ; he tells us that 
"cows have an avidity for salt pasture, and fed on these, give more 
milk and of better quality for curding into cheese." 

Our farming operations will necessarily be more circumcised in 
future, but I doubt not so soon as we thoroughly understand and 
accommodate ourselves to the new system of management, we shall 
be more comfortable, and enjoy the "labor of our hands" more 
fully than ever before. J. 

Creek Farm. 



Plain Cake. — Tavo cups of sugar, one of butter, one of milk, 
half teaspoonful of saleratus, two eggs, four cups of flour. 

Mountain Cake. — Two coffee-cups of white sugar, one tea-cup 
of butter, one of milk, four of flour before sifting, two teaspoons of 
cream-tartar, one of soda, six eggs, grated rind and juice of one 
lemon put iu the last thing. 

Corn Bread. — One quart of milk, four eggs, two tablespoons of 
sugar, one .teaspoon of soda, mix with meal as thick as sponge cake. 

CiiEAM Tartar Cake. — One cup of sugar, two of flour, one of 
Bweet milk, one cgg^ one tablespoonful of butter, two teaspoons of 
cream tartar, one of soda. 

Travelling Biscuit.— Two pounds of flour, one quarter pound 
of butter, one teaspoon of saleratus, milk sufficient to roll out; 
knead till perfectly light. 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER AND FARMER, 



mCILMOND, VIRGINIA, * . . . . APRIL, 18G8. 

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION AND ADVERTISING. 

Subscription One Year, ; $2.0(J 

ADVERTISING. 

S. square, 10 lines or less, one insertion, $ 1 00 M page, one year .' $ 35 09 

1 square of 10 lines lor six months, 6 00 V^ page, six months, 35 09 

1 square of 10 lines for one year 10 00 ^ page, one year, 60 00 

1 page, single insertion, 15 00 1 page six months, 60 00 

M page, six months, 20 Oft 1 page, one year 100 Ott 

PAYMEJN^TS, 
Subscriptions— in advance. Advertising— annuxil— quarterly in advance. All others in flGYsrc 



(Itliitoral ^rpartiiixiiL 



Tlie Violet In the Snow. 

An Emblem of Faith, Hope and Charity. 

TiY REY. T. S. W. MOTT. 

^Twas in the sprino-titme's early daj, 

When suns begin to beam 
With fitful warmth, I took my way 

Along a valley stream ; 
And as I passed sweet scenes among. 

With pensive steps and slow, 
I saw, where winter lingered long, 

A violet in the snow. 

Frail, modest fl )wer] what dosfc thxsu there f- 

'Twas thus my thoughts arose; 
Why to this eold aad biting air 

Thy tender frame expose? 
Why com'st thou tlras untimely forth,, 

Lii^e smile of joy in woe? 
I'hoE little spark of life in death! 

Thou violet ia tiie snow! 

The tiny flower made no reply, 

• But firm up bore her head 

Midst wend and eold, whiLsi in feer ejj® 

I marked a smile which said, 
<jI®^ ask fair virtue how she's bright. 

Where tears ia sad^ness fljw ; 
And then thou'lt learn to read arigkfc 

A violet in th-a snow« 

And tben I saw the moral hu^s 

'Tis thus where all is gloom ; - 
Where naught is left in life to cheer 

Oar passage to the tomb j 



246 THE SOUTHERN [April 



Where saddest seem their hearth and home, 

To mortals here below 
The ano;el-form of Hope will come 

Like violets in the snow, 

To snj a fairer, happier day ^ 

In the dim future lies, — 
Our March ia passing into May,— 

Oar ApriFs cloudy skies 
"Will soon receive a warmer sun, 

Nor cold winds longer blow. 
Nor streams be seen vt^ith ice to tuyi, 
■ Nor violets in the snow. 

The moral yet is eleare? bow : 

'Tis thns where sorrows fall, — 
IVhe^e gath'rinp; anguish knits the hioWy 

And life's worst ills appall ; 
"Where even Hope ilsdf has fied. 

Sweet Charity will ^o 
Ho soothe the heart and rear the head. 

And dry the tears that low. 

The moral yet is eleaver stjlh 

'Tis thiis where darkness lowers 
jRoond the tried so*ul, and do»btiag ill 

Benumbs her nobler powers, 
That Dew-b)rn f'avth will poiat above,, 

And peace serene bestow. 
Speaking of coming life and Joje^ 

Though all around be snow. 

Eternal Soaree of all that's bright., 
And pare, and fair, and brings 

Thy nobler, holier, truths to light. 
By means of hambla things! 

teach my heart to feel \hj love. 
Attune my soul t» know 

Thy hand alike iia stars aboye. 

And violets ia the snow. 

• 

And as I pass lifer's vale along, 

O' lead me still thy light; 
Still give me grace to See the wrong. 

And aye pursue the right; 
^0 read a lesson in each flower, 

Each scene where'er I go ; 
In every leaf that decks the bO'We?, 

And violets in the snow. 

Long years have passed since thea avrsj,, 
And joy and grief been mincj 



1868.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 247 



I've seen life's fairest flowers decay, 
Youth's bright warm gun decline; 

Fve wandered on with weary foot, 
Through toil and pain and woe; 

I've loved and lost, but ne'er forgot 
That violet in the snow. 



The Virginia State Agricultural Society. 

It gives us pleasure b state that the sub committee of this Society, to whom 
were entrusted the negotiation for the purchase of the Hermitage Fair Grounds, 
formerly in the occupancy of the Virginia Central Agricultural Society, have 
conducted it to a successful issue. They have invested a large portion of their 
permanent fund in these grounds, and it requires yet a considerable outlay to 
put the buildings and fencing in repair. 

This action on the fart of the State Society has given to the people of Rich- 
mond nnd the State f.t large, most convincing proof of its vital' ty, as well as 
its determination to naintain the position of being ready at all times to meet 
the wishes of the peiple in the holding of annual Fairs at Eichmund, beginning 
at as early a periodas shall be deemed wise and expedient ; having due regard 
to the resources of iie Society and to the wanis of the agricultural and indus 
trial community. 



Errors Corrected. 



In Gen. Rlcha'dson's article, in our February number, on his mode of culti- 
vating asparagus, a typographical error occurs in the fourth line of page 104 
by the milaprqjos insertion of a full stop in the middle of the sentence calcu- 
lated to mlsleiii the reader. It should read, "I split the ridges with a single- 
horse plough jhe next season, running twice in each bed," &3. 

In the Deember numbor of the FJanier we acknowledged the receipt of some 
fine ppecimns of a new seedling called the "Stonewall" apple, grown by Dr. 
K. J. II. Fatchetfc, of Lunenburg county, Va. In making the acknowledgment 
at thst tine, we erroneously gave the Dr/s name as B. J. II. Ilatchefct — and 
take thi? opportunity to make the correction, and at the same time to thank 
bin" for cuttings of the same apple recently received. 



Fertilizers. 

Seeding and planting time is almost here, and. the question now arises in 
every thoughtful farmer's mind, what Fertilizers shall I buy? ♦ 

Fertilizers our people must have, and they should only buy those known or 
believed to be reliable and best suited to the character of the soil and the na- 
ture of the crop or crops to be grown. For instance, Peruvian Guano,- a Fer- 
tilizer known to be of value in the growth of fine Yellow Tobacco, is not con- 
sidered by many, so efficient in making the pounds in Shipping Tobacco. And 
a strongly phosphated^preparatlon that will grow heavy Shipping Tobacco weigh- 



248 THE SOUTHERN [April 

ing from four to five plants to the pound (on even moderately thin land, hav- 
ing a clay sub-soil), is not so well adapted to the growth of Yellow Tobacco. 

Ir is very important, then, that farmers should knmv what suits them, and 
apply understandingly those Fertilizers that shall not only be helps to their 
crops, but improvers of the soil. 

Oar Advertising Sheet contains a most respectable list of Fertilizers, many 
of the vendors being personally lin)wn to us. 

In Richmond, we have " the Southern Fertilizer Company," and * the James 
Eiver Manufacturing Company," whose preparations h^ve been tested for seve- 
ral seasons. As dealers, and representatives of manukcturers, we have R. F. 
Willian^s & Co.; Nolting & Kohler, agents for Rhodes' Siiper Phosphate ; Messrs. 
Allison & Addison, agents for Jno, S. Reese & Co.'s Paclfio ; and the Lodi Man- 
ufacturing Company of New York; Spotts & Gibson, agknts for Wilson's Super 
Phosphate; and Wise Brothers, agents for Baugh's Supi Phosphate. G. Ober, 
Esq., of Baltimore, oflfers through his well-known agent! Messrs. Daane & So- 
merville, his valuable Mixtures. Lister Brothers, of Ney York, and Harrison, 
of Philadelphia, offer preparations claimed to b€ rich in juod for plants. 

The Rodunda Island Guano, offered by Messrs. C. T. AWtham & Co., at $30 
per ton, is pronounced a natural Guano, the deposit of fi^i-eating birds. It is 
certainly worthy of a fair trial, for our people need, in ther impoverished con- 
dition, Fertilizers at low prices, and we would gladly see tks tested. 



An American IVIanufacturer Abroad. 

" HONORS OF TUB FRENCH EMPEROR TO WALTeI A. WOOD. 
The official confirmation of a brief announcement made soiie time since of 
the conferring of the order of the Legion of Honor upon Mr. "Vialter A. Wood, 
of Iloosick Falls, in this county, by the Emperor Napoleon III\ has been re- 
ceived in this country within a few days, from the Minister of l^^reign Affairg 
at Paris. The following is an exact translation of the original d(i«ument : 

'Bureau of Foreign Affairs, Paris, Jaa. 4, 1868. 
Sir, — I have the honor of informing you that the Emperor, wisijng to give 
you a testimony of particular esteem, does, at ray suggestion, conf© upon you 
the cross of Chevalier of "Ills Imperial Order of the Legion of non\r." You 
"will receive the decoration from the hands of His Majesty. I congratulate my- 
self upon having named you for this mark of distinction, and upon havinj oc- 
casion to offer you, sir, the assurances of any distinguished consideration. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs, 

» MOUSTIER. 

Mr. Wood, Iloosick Falls, State of New York, Constructor of Agriculturil 
Machines.'" 

The foregoing was handed to us by P. H. Starke, Esq., of our city, who is 
the agent for the sale of the celebrated Mower and Reaper that bears Mr. 
Wood's name, 

We give it publicity, because we desire to show what rapid strides our people 
are making in mechanics, and how inventors of the old world are giving place 
to those of the new, when brought into close competition. As an evidence of 
this, the conferring of " the order of the Legion of Honor" upon Mr. Wood by 
the Emperor of the French is valuable. 



18G8.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 249 

"The Virginia Horticultural and Pomological Society." 

With returning spring, the officers and members of this invaluable Society 
are astir, and seem preparing for a through season's work. Below we give the 
proceedings of a meeting of their Executive Committee, held on the ISih ult., 
and which, we regret, were handed us too late to come into our Horticultural 
Department. A regular monthly meeting will now be held, and the discussion 
of horticulture, in all its branches, promises to be a most interesting feature in 
connection therewith. We call on the votaries of Flofa and Pomona through- 
out the State to give the " Horticultural and Pomological Sjciety " their cordial 
support: 

A called meeting of the Executive Committee of the Virginia Horticultural 
and Pomological Sociefcj was held at the (-ffijQ of the -SnUkern Planler arid 
Farmer Wednesday evening, March 18th, 18G8. Present: President W. Gil- 
ham, (in the Chair,) Messrs. Werth, Ilaxall, Davis, Claiborne, Johnson, Dim- 
mock, Tower and Shields. 

Dr. Johnson moved that a committee be appointed to select suitable persons 
to canvass the city with a view to securing members and extending the inter- 
ests of the Society. 

Mr. Tower moved, as a substitute for the motion of Dr. Johnson, that a 
Finance Committee be appointed, to take into consideration the entire subject 
of ways and means, receive a quarterly report from the Treasurer, and select 
suitable persons for canvassing the city, which was adopted. 

Resolved, That monthly meetings, for discussions, be held, the first to be the 
first Monday in April next, and the question for discussion to be "The General 
Culture and Treatment of Apples." 

Mr. Davis was selected to discuss the subject. 

The President, Colonel Gilham, appointed, as the Committee on Finance, &c., 
Major Claiborne, Mr. William H. Ilaxall and Captain C. II. Dimmock, 

On motion of Dr. Johnston, a committee was appointed to make a collection 
of books and papers for the benefit of the Society, and to inquire and report, 
at the next meeting, upon the possibility "of securing a room for the meetings 
of the committee. 

The President appointed Mr. Werth, Dr. Johnson, and Mr. Tower to be the 
committee last named. 

On motion, the meeting adjourned to meet the first Monday in April next. 

CiiAs. 11. Dimmock, Secretary pro iem. 

Colonel William Gilham, President. 



Our Correspondence. 

We are glad that our friends throughout the country are at last availing 
themselves of our pages as a medium of intercommunication, and that "'our 
correspondence" bids fair to be a decidedly interesting feature in " The South- 
ern Planter and Farmer." This is what we have long desired ; our farmers 
must feel that we are their special organ, and that our chief aim is to subserve 
the best interests of the cause we advocate, and that it is ever our pleasure to 
receive and give to the public, through our pages, well-wrifcten communications 
upon all practical subjects connected with Agriculture, Horticulture, etc. We 
invite an enlightened correspondence, that shall give to our readers actual ro- 



520 THE SOUTHERN ' [April 

suits of interesting experiments ; facts hitherto known and acted upon only in 
certain neighborhoods; the condition of growing crops in different sections of 
the country; the yield resulting from the use of the various fertilizers now 
offered for sale, &c.; for it is only in this way that we can utilize for the general 
good, individual experience and practice. The kind and flattering reception 
which has been given our journal by its friends in this and other States, is but 
a stimulus to further effort on our part; and if our readers should find in the 
following correspondence expressions strongly commendatory of the Southern 
Planter and Farmer, .we trust to their generosity to believe tha,fc we give them 
in no vain-glorious spirit, but as the expression of a most lenient good ivill to- 
ward us. on the part of our friends, and as giving their appreciation of the 
great variety of original and useful matter, for which we are indebted to an 
able corps of correspondents : 

Correspondence of Southern Planter and Farmep. 

To Clias. B. Williams, Esc[., Editor Southern Planter and Farmer: 

''Permit me to congratulate you and the agricultural community en the 
great improvement uf the Planter. I have rfcad the Frjbruary uunibcr with 
gl*eat interest. It reminds me. by the nuiuber, vailcL^'y usid Viilue of. i^b or*.ii,i- 
nal communications, of the Farmer's Register. The cultivated intellect of Vir- 
ginia is evidently again awakening to the importance of our calling. The 
new circumstances under which we are placed, and the many difficulties of our 
position arising from the madness and folly of our political rulers, which 
greatly aggravate our private troubles, call for the wisest counsels and most 
strenuous exertions of our best and most intelligent men. I ani glad to see 
that your paper is about to bring such men to the i*5scue. 

"I was gratified to see, in a late number of the Whig, that there is a pros- 
pect of speedy immigration from Europe. The immigration of Hollanders is 
particularly interesting to Tide-water Virginia. The soil and climate, and the 
great ivater privileges of this section, will suit them exactly. * * '^ ''^ ^ 
" We have had a terrible winter for farming with hired labor. The ground 
has been frozen almost constantly since the middle of December, and is now 
(5th of March) so hard frozen, that it is impossible to plough, or to dig post 
holes in the open field. Very little farm work has been done, and we shall 
again have great difficulty in getting spring crdps planted in time. The labor 
of the freedmen, under the nurture of their kind friends at Washington, is be- 
coming more and more worthless. I have now dispensed with them almost 
entirely, and employ white laborers, whom I find much preferrable in all re- 
spects. Indeed, we cannot afford to pay wages for the inefficient labor of the 
freedman. 



Westmoreland County, Virginia. 

To Chas. B. Williams, Esq., Editor Southern Planter and Farmer: 

"I feel really proud in receiving your last number, that our dear old Com- 
monwealth can have the advantage of so many really profitable articles each 
month on the subject cf agriculture ; and although the war has left us all 
without money, I think it will be to the advantage of every farmer in the 
State, who can claim one hundred acres of land, to subscribe to and pay punc- 
tually for your paper, and I shall use my influence, as far as I have any, to get 



18G8.] PLANTER AND FARMER 251 



our farmers to subscribe to ifc, and ■will pay my own subscription as soon as I 
can visit your city. 

*' My main object in now writing to you is, to let your correspondent (whose 
name you did not give) from Eichford, Tioga county, New York, know, that, 
although he candidly confeeses he is a real Connecticut Yankee, if he will pay 
me a visit, I will not only sell him a first-rate farm of two hundred acres, but 
will furnish ten others, with similar tracts adjoining ; and that, if he will write 
to me whoit day ho will be at Amelia Court-house Depot, on the Danville rail- 
road, I will meet him with my horse and bug^y and take him to my house, and 
pot only show him land I have for sale, but will take pleasure in riding around 
the county, showing him the desirable tracts that can be bought. I think I 
■\iill also convince him that, no matter what his politics may have been, if he 
is a quiet, peaceable farmer and does not insult our people, he will receive a cor- 
dial welcome, and can not only buy a great bargain in first rate land, but con- 
venient to market, convenient to churches, and healthy climate, with as good, 
if not the best, most law-abiding, friendly and kind people to live amongst, he 
ever saw. As the only means of communicating with him, I must ask the 
favor of you to enclose this letter to his address. ■^" * ^ '''' ^ 

Amelia C. 11. P. 0., A^iidla County, Va., Ilzrdi l-iih, 1868. 

Dear Sir, — I am extremely gratified with the February and March numbers 
of your rianfer and Farmer. I have read them with deep interest and great 
pleasure. Glad am I to find that you have again assumed apposition which 
you so early, long and honorably occupied, for the purpose of accumulating 
facts, truths and principles on all the numerous branches of rural economy, 
and reflecting back their concentrated radiance for the benefit of that immense 
portion of the people of the United States who, though down-trodden and op- 
pressed, are practically engaged in tilling the earth. 

In this country, the occupation of the husbandm.an has not been sufficiently 
appreciated; but, with the advancement .of intelligence, the return of reason 
and justice, and the augmentation of wealth, we shall, like the Egyptians and 
Itraelites in olden time, and the British in modern, go out from the thronged 
and uncongenial cities to find rational employment, real independence and sub- 
stantial happiness in the healthful and agreeably quietude of a rustic villa. 
Let the poor avoid cities, with their external magnificence, where they are left 
as entirely desolate, unregarded and hopeless, as if abandoned to destruction 
in the interior of a wilderness, and become the happy inmates of a cottage ; 
while the successful m the career of fortune, should emulate the example of 
Cicero and Pliny, Bacon and Scott, Washington and Madison, by retiring from 
the great Babylons of the nation and encouraging agriculture, by becoming its 
patrons, extendiDg instruction by experiment, and exciting a taste for horticul- 
ture, by the intrcdaction of useful and ornamental tree3, shrubs and herbaceous 
plants, and the picturesque and beautiful embellishment of their grounds, and 
thus render themselves the honored benefactors of the present and all future 
generations. 

I wish you could reform agricultural writers in one important particular. 
They state their experiments in such a loose way that one can seldom try them. 
We want quantities in bushels, distances in yards, areas in acres, in short, 
the length, breadth, weight, measure, time, &c., (fee, of everything, minutely, 



252 THE SOUTHERN [April 



accurately, and in terms understood everywhere. We are very io^norant here 
of the liibo'i-saving machines at the North. A list and description of all in- 
vented within t^venty• years, anl in successful operation, with their prices and 
where they could be had, would be highly acceptable here. Mr. Eiitor, I am 
a younor farmer, and comparatively inexperienced; but, if it be acceptable, I 
will, from time to time, give you my experience and the resalt of my experi- 
ments, with some thoughts on agriculture. 

Very respectfully, 

Georgius. 
Bn^klnghim County,' Va., March 20tk, 1868. 

P. S. — In reply to the latter part of your correspondent's letter from Rich- 
ford, Tioga county, New York, February 9th, 18G8, I would simply say that 
we have plenty of "openings" in Buckirgham of good land and at low prices'for 
him, or any one else who will act the gentleman and e«chew politics — especially 
Kadicalism. He must determine his status, and will be treated accordingly. 

G. 

We give "Georgius" a place in our pages with great pleasure, and hope to 
hear from him frequently. — [Ed, So, Planter and Farmer. 

Planter and Farmer, — Will some one who has had experience, inform me 
through the "Planter and Farmer," of all the particulars as to picking and 
marketing strawberries, thirty miles by railroad? I used, las^t season, the 
crates and baskets advertised by the American. Basket Company in the "Plan- 
ter and Farmer." They are very nice for the purpose, yet I failed to put my 
berries in market in good condition — got only half the price others did, who 
had them in hand baskets. 

I. I. IIlTE. 

Arrington Depot, Nelson County, Va. 

Mr. Editor, — "We are suffering in this section of the State from the ravages 
of a host of invaders, whose increase and voracity within the last few years 
have carried their depredations to a point beyond endurance. I refer to what 
is vulgarly, but generally, known as the "lady-bug." Melons, cucumbers, 
cymblins, pumpkins, &c., have suffered so severely, that their successful culti- 
vation is rendered impracticable. I have seen entire and repeated plantations 
destroyed successively, as soon as the vines made their appearance above the 
ground. My object, therefore, in writing is to obtain the knowledge of a 
means by which they can be destroyed or driven off. A reply from yourself, 
or some of your correspondents, through your columns, suggesting an effectual 
remedy within reach of the common farmer, is respcttfully and earnestly 
Bolicited. 

"Watermelon. 

Prince Edward County^ Va. 

\Ye hope some person will respond to the inquiry of our correspondent, who 
has found a remedy that he can confidently recommend from practical expe- 
rience of its efiicacy. In this connection, we would mention a new soap that 
has been prepared by Peter Crew, Exi , of this city, in which the principal in- 
gredient is Kerosene oil. The well known aversion of all insects to the fumes 
of Kerosene oil, leads us to think that the suds of this soap will prove a remedy 
in the case cf our correspondent, as well as a valuable wash to trees, vines, 
&c., ard invite our friends, engaged in market-gardening or fruit culture, to 
give it a trial. — [Ed. So. Planter and Farmer. 



18G8.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 253 



dki 



Book Notices. 

We bail with pleasure the return of our old friencls, Messrs. West & Johnston, 
and hope that great success may attend their resumption of business. It is a 
80urc3 of gratification to those long identified with our city, to see that so many 
of her citizens have survived the trials of the past six years, and are, one by one, 
entering upon their old avocations. We bespeak for them all a liberal patronage. 
Messrs. West; & Johnston displayed great energy during the late war in supply- 
ing the literary wants of our blockaded people. They have now fitted up a 
very attractive store in Shafer's new block, and it is only necessary for their 
old friends to remember their services in the past to secure fur them a generous 
support in the future. 

The Baltimore Business College and Telegraphic Institute is one of a 
chain of Business" Colleges extending throughout the United States. Any one 
of them, we doubt not, can offer to our young men such advantages as will fit 
them to fill useful and responsible stations in life, but none of them (ffer better 
credentials than the Baltimore Business College, and we feel assured that under 
the energetic management of Messrs. Sadler, Drysdale & Burnett this institu- 
tion will command a liberal share of Southern patronage. 

The Life of Jefferson Davis. This is the title of a handsomely bound 
volume from the pen of our fellov\ -townsman, Frank II. Alfriend, E-q., and 
for which vre are indebted to the kindness of the National Publishing Company, 
No. 917 Main street. This life of one of the most talented sons of the South 
now living, comes most opportunely, and being written in a fair and candid 
spirit, brings much to light that the enemies of Mr. Davis would gladly con- 
ceal, while it does not attempt to shade the fact that he was ever a staunch sup- 
porter of the rights of the South, and of those principles that were "the bono 
of contention'^ in the late struggle. 

This book is a part of the record of the sad past, and together with the 
"constitutional view of the late war between the States, etc./' by Hon. Alex. 
II. Stephens (which is also promised the public, by the National Publishing 
Company), will give to us and to succeeding generations a true history of the 
points at issue. 

Let every man who can afford it place these books in his library. 

The Standard of Excellence as Adopted by the American Poultry 
Society, is the title of a small pamphlet compiled by An Ilalstead, Esq., New 
York. We have no doubt that it will prove of value not only to poulterers, but 
farmers throughout the country, as its descriptions of the appearance and dis- 
tinguishing marks of the various breeds of fowls now offered for sale are very 
clear indeed. 

The United States Musical Review — A Choice Library of Music — 
Published by J. L. Peters, 200 Broadway, New York — merits the attention of 
all lovers of music. It is a mammoth monthly magazine, sheet music size, 
containing over seventeen pagec of musical news, reviews, and choice art items, 
every line of which is readable, and we should say, invaluable to all musicians. 
This alone is well worth a year's subscription, which is only $2. The pablish- 
ers, however, do not stop here, for, in addition to the above, each number con- 
tains yowrjf^iecd^q/ choice ?iew music by the best ivriters in America, thus giving 
a select library of netv music at such a low rate that even the poorest may in- 
dulge in what has hitherto been considered a luxury. 



254 THE SOUTHERN [April 

' -; • ' — 

The music in the Review is of the best, as the following select list "will- testify, 
all of which has appeared within its pages during the lasi six months: **Nora 
O'Neal," "Katy McFerran," *'You^'e been a friend to me/' and "Kiss mo 
goodbye, darling/' all by Will. S. Hays; "Good-bye, but come again," and 
"Do you think the moon could have seen us V by J. R. Tnomas ; •' Ally Ray," 
and "Little Brown Church," by William S. Plits; "Maribell," by.Danks; 
"Let the dead and the beautiful rest/' "Break, break, Sea," etc. 

Also Kinkel's "Heavenly Thoughts" and "Maiden's Blush Schottische/' 
Mack's "Damask Rose" and "White Rose March," and several other choice 
pieces, amounting in all to $9 at retail prices. 

The United States 3fitsical Review is published at $2 per year; single copies, 
20 cents. No musical family should be without it. 

Amateur Cultivator's Guide to the Flower and Kitchex Garden. 
Washburn fc Co., Seed Merchants, Horticultural Hall, 100 Tremont St., Bos- 
ton, Mass. 

A beautiful pamphlet of 144 pages, richly illustrated, containing a descrip- 
tive list of two thousand varieties of flower and vegetable seeds; also a list of 
French Hybrid Gladiolus. "The character of every plant (say the publishers), 
whether annual, bi-ennial, perennial, for the greenhouse, or whether hardy or 
half hardy, is stated; and with our prefatory remarks upon the culture of each, 
there can be no difficulty ia their successful growth, In addition to this infor- 
mation, our remarks on laying out flower-gardens will, we hope, not only prove 
a valncble aii to amatcnr?, but assist in dJ'^semira^irg a true ta=ite for [^arrlen- 
in^'art." 

The CAMi'AiGxSS of Li.iLUTEi\A>;T-GsNEiiAL Forrest, as v^'ritten by and uncei' 
his own direction and supervision, will doubtless prove one of the most interest- 
ing books yet offered. 

We have not seen a copy, but know enough of the deeds enacted, to say that 
if they are well told, they must make a most readable book. 

Addre!?s J. P., Miller & Co., Publishers, Philadelphia. 

The Richmond Medical Journal is a handsomely gotten up monthly, the 
numbers for February ard March being filled with matter of great interest to 
the piofession. Many of our readers are physicians, and we would call their 
attentiijn to this, tJieir organ, as worthy of a liberal patronage. 

Address E. S. Gaillard, M. D , Richmond, Va. 

The New Eclectic maintains its deservedly high standard, and offers for 
April a rich table of contents. 

It is published at New York and Baltimore at $4 a year by Lawrence Turn- 
bull and Fridge Murdoch, Editors and Proprietors, 49 Lexington street, Bal- 
timore. 

It seems that Soidhern Societf/, one o^ ouv choicest weeklies, is soon to bo 
merged into The Leader. We quote the iollowing from their Pivspecuis, and 
wish them great success: 

" The Leader will give the News of the Weak in condensed and readable 
form, Foreign and Domestic Intelligence, News from all parts of the SuUth,"and 
the latest Telegrams to the hour of publication. 

It will prii)t Good Stories, Literary Gossip and Intelligence; Sketches, Iliunor, 
Poetry, and Pictures of Life and Mauucic 

It will discuss the Tjpics of the Day, and the Course of Political Events. 



1863.] PLANTER AND FARMER. 255 

It will note the Progress of Public Improvements, and look after the interests 
of Commerce, Industry, Labor and the Laboring Man. 

It will have Notes on Art, Music, the Drama and Public Amusements. 

Single copy, one year, $3 ; single copy, six months, $2. 

Advli-ess " The Leader,^' BaUimore; Md/' 

TuE SoDTHERis; IIoME JoDRNAL is a standard weekly, handsomely illustrated, 
and we find among its contributors many familiar Southern names, and in its 
columns a great variety of choice literature. 

It is published at $3 per annum in advance, by Messrs. J. Y. Slater & Co., 
293 Baltimore street, Baltimore, Md. 

The American" Journal of Horticulture* and Florist's Companion for 
March is before us in a most attractive dress. Its publishers are Messrs. TiltoQ 
& Co., Boston, Mass. 

The Herald of Health and Journal of Physical Culture for April is 
received. Miller, Wood & Co., Publishers, 13 Laight street. New York. 

The Ruralist is the title of a new monthly published by J. S. Sheppard, 
Esq., Cincinnati, Ohio. We welcome the first number, place it among our ex- 
changes, and wish it a successful career. 

The American Stock Journal. Every Farmer and Stock Breeder should 
send for a copy of this valuable monthly magazine. The Proprietors offer val- 
uable Premiums of'Blooded Sf-ock, rare Seeds, and many other u?<^ful articles. 
Only $1 a year. Specimen Copies free, with list of splendid Premiums to 
Agents. 

AdurehS N. P. Bjyer & Co., Publishers, Gum Tree, Chester county. Pa. 

T:i"-i 2I::.x.x. T^.^.^Li^, ^., u, uu,, ocijul-ia^'ntlily pubLsued by MeisM's. Key (& iim-p, 
Coiiuth, x.lib: ibc?Ippi, at $2 per aatium in advauco. Tiie friends of agriculture 
throughout the South should sustain all such efforts. We extend to IVie Model 
Farmer a cordial greeting. 

The Rural Messenger, published at Chicago, Illinois, by Jeriah Bonham, 
Esq., is a neat, plain monthly — cheap at $1 per annum. 

The Leonard Scott Publlshinp; Company are giving to their American readers 
the beat literature of the old world at prices within the reach of even a scanty 
purse: 

'*The London Quarterly" (Conservative), 

"The Bdinburgi Review^' (Whig), 

"The Westminster Review'' (Radical), 

"The North British Review'' (Free Church), and 

"Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine'' (Tory), 
All come filled with intereating rn-irter, and one or more of them should ba in 
the hands of every man cf a refined and cultivated literary taste. 



^ommcrtia! ^fpoii 



Spring trade has scarcely opened yet, and we therefore report but little ac- 
tivity in any branch of business except Tobacco. Our merchants have stocks 
of goods in readiness, but customers come in slowly, pay up irregularly, and 
the stringeccy of the money market is such asto make the conduct of any busi- 
ness enterprise hard rvork. Id is our sincere hope that as spring advances, and 
crup^ Hi\^ livougnr. 'nto market, thao mn-ih of this pciiuoiary prosfure wiU ba ro- 
mnved. It is certainly the du^y of every man to relieve himself from pecuniary 
obligation at the earli-est possible moment that he is able to do so, and by 



256 THE SOUTHERN [April 



promptness even in small matter-?, to avoid straining bis credit. We deprecate 
credit, C'^peoially in such times, bub suppose that, to a certain extent, it is a ne- 
cessity, so long as our people are fettered for lack of capital. 

Thi-5 credit, however, should only be extended to men who promise cnutiously 
and pay promptly, and if it i« once understood that only such as prove trust- 
worthy will be trusted, it will tend to produce a much more healthy state of 
trade. \^^ U;V,., , 

Tobacco of the lower grades and very inferior in quality has been coming ia 
freely, and there is consequently a dull msirket and a decline in prices The 
order, too, has been very unsafe, much of the Tobacco not beini]^ as well man- 
aged as it might have been, even taking into consideration the unpropitioua 
weather of the past month. The high prices that have been obtained recently 
Beem to have temiited many farmers to rush Tobacco into market regardless of 
the handling, an.i for this they must pay in the reduced prices they obtain. 

We give the following comparison of quotations: 

April 1, 18G7. April 1, 18G8. 
Common Lugs, light weights, $2 G2^@ 4 00 4 00@ 4 50 

heavy weights, 4 00 ((^ 6 00 5 Oi)(al 5 50 

Good Lugs 6 00 @ 7 00 7 00(di, 7 50 

Bright Lugs, 10 00 (a)20 00 10 00@13 00 

Fancy Lugs, 22 00 @40 00 18 00@H0(a).35 

Common Leaf, • 7 00 (a). 9 00 G 00@ 7'' 50 

Medium Leaf, 10 00 (a).l2 00 10 00(7411 00 

Good Stemming, 13 00 (J^IG 50 14 00(^16 50 

Good Shipping, 14 00 (cvAO 75 13 00@lG 00 

Good Manuficturing (bright), 14 00 ("^25 00 18 00@.25 00 

Bright and Fancy Wrappers, 25 00 @75 00 30 00(^40 00 

The inspections in the State for the mouth of March are as follows: 
Kichmond, 2 902 hhds. . 

Petersburg, 1,000 ** 

Farmville, 23 " 

Lynchburg, 560 " 

Total, 4,485 " 

Wheat— We quote Prime Rpd, $2 60; Primp White, $2.70. 
Corn— Prime White, $1.11(^1.12; Yellow, $1.13. 
Oats — 75 cents. 
11ye-$1.65. 

Flour— Country Family, $13 50@14; Extra, $12.25@12.50; Superfine, 
$1125@1150; Fine, $10.50@10 75. 

The Fh ur in-^pections and btatistics of the Grain trade we extract from the 
valuable Circular of P. II. Gibson, E^q.: 

"inspected in march. 
283 barrels Family, 
1 755 " Extra Superfine, 
1,935 '* Superfine, 

67 *' Fine, 
1182 " Middlings, 
I 178 •' Condemned. 

Total, 6,400 barrels. 

OFFERINGS OF GRAIMT IN RICHMOND DURING THIS SEASON. 

The K'chmond Flour and Grain Exchange opened on the 18Lh day of July 
last. Bet\Yeen that date and today, the offerings of Grain have been as fol- 
lows : 

WHEAT-White, 260,342 bushels; Red, 122 112 bushels. Total, 382,484 
bushels. 

CcR.v— White, 303,034 bushels; Yellow, 38,922 bushels; Mixed, 90,223 
bushels. 'I'otal. 432 179 bushels. 

Oats — 176 542 bushels. 

RvE— 46,519 bushels."