Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-07-07

| De accounted Tor by the feriiiiztng mum
| dations oiiie Nile. With regard To Sicily,
there may be something in the system oil
husbandry, or some particular local cir
cumstances, Which countervail the con-
| tinued asportatiou of the fruits of the
soil. But II is far more probable, that the
| island Is less productive than il once was.
LII Is certainly less Of granary for other
countries now, than it Was when II receiv-
| e;i that title from The I.cient Romans
| And lis pop:liation BENG diminished, the
| 1ntcrnai consumption must also be diniI-
nishc,i. II d single farm is rendered less
| productive by continued removal of its
crops, without any All, qun,e returns, no
| reason occurs why II should not happen
| Ia annmber OF farms multiplied to The
extent eta " hole country.
And that individual idrins do lose their
fertility. III proportion ~ crops are taken
from them, and returns u manure neg
irc,eo, is Il fact not likely 10 be Ques-
iioned
Ii ii were, Virginia. unfortunately, is
but TOO capable OF furnishing tie prcois.
Her pre-, aling crops have boea very cx-
iidus ting, and the use OF MauureS has Eern
pariil ularly neglected.
Tobacco and Indian corn, which for a
long time, on tho east side of the Blue
Mountains, were ,he ar,i, |. salmost exciu-
sirely cultivated, and which continue 10
be Guilt, aied, the former extensively, the
latter universally, are known 10 lie grea,
empoyeriShcrs of the sell. Wheat, which
has Tor number OF years. formed "a large
pC,,lon OF tie genera! crop, is also au
exllaustinG crap. So are rye and oaIs,
which, enter occasionally into oHr farming
sy stem.
With so many CONSUMERS olihe fertility
OF The earth, and so little attention. TO lie
means oi repairing their rdvagos, no one
can be surprIzcd al the Impoverished face
Of The country whilst every one ought
To be DESTROYS OF aiding III Ike work OF re
formation.
Tne FIRST and main step towards it, is
iO make Tie thieves restore as much as
possible Of The stolen fertility. On this,
with other improvements which may be
made III our iiusandry, we must depend
Tor tie rescue nj our !arms irOin their pre-
Sent dcgradi 1t condition.
Ci tobacco, moi Il great deal more than
one HALL oi the entire plant Is carried TO
market. The residue is an item on the
iisi OF manures; and il is known 10 BE- in
It's qualify ID vrS rich one. Tie crop OF
tobacco. however, though of great value,
covers but small proportion oil our cu!-
tlvaied ground; and lis offal can otcourse,
contribute but Incorsiderabl, 10 the-gpn.
eral Stock OF manure. Ii is probable also,
that VIVA; II does contribute, has been
more carefully used as manure, than al
ny other article furnished by our crops.
The article which constitutes our prin-
cIpal manure, Is wheat straw. Ii is of
mich Importance, therefore, TO decide a
right on the mode OF using it. There are
three modes Il. Carrying it from the
farm yard, after having passed through,
or being trodden and enriched by cattle.
In thai mode, the greater part of II must
be used, ii used at all; the straw going
thro' that process, being necessary part
OF tie food allotted to the cattle. 10 de-
rive The full advantage from il, il ought
10 be hauled cut before the substance has
been wasted by rain, by the sun, and bv
The wind; and 10 be buried in ibe earth
as soon alter rs possible. 2. Spreading
me Stta" ON The surface of The ground
Many RESPECTABLE farmers are attached 70
tlls mode. as protecting the soil from The
sun; ana by Keeping II moist, favoring
HE vegetation underneath, wheiherSpon-
| ianeens or artificial whilst tiIe straw it.
sell is gradually decomposed into ma
ihre. The objection 10 this mode, is the
loss by evaporation, before this last effect
| isooiained. 8. Turning the straw at once
| under the surface OF The earth. This
| nasing nanures generally least Of their
| substance being thea lost When the
! grain is troddcn out from Tie straw, il is
| ieii Ill 4 state easily admitting tins ope-
| ration. Some difficulty may attend il,
| when lie grain is threShed from the straw,
| by the fail, or by the machines now in
| use, neither Of which break the straw sul-
! flciently 10 pieces.
II may be remarked with regard 10 this
| article of manure. That lis weight is
barely more than that Of the grain
,. That The grain is the part which makes
| the greatest draft on the fertility OF tie
| earth. 3. That the grain is for The most
| part not consumed within the farm. Ii
| Is found on trial that a stalk of wheaf, as
| generally cut, including the chat, AID
| the grains borne by The stalk, are pretty
| nearly OF equal weight. The case is pro
baby the same with rye, and moi very
| different with oats. Tie proportion Of
| iertilizlng matter in the straw, 10 that in
| the grain, has not. as far as know, been
| brought 10 any satisfactory test. Ii is,
| doubtless, much less in The straw, which
| alone, in the case of wheat, is with US re-
tGrnable in any fern TO the earth This
consideration. whilst il urges us TO make
| the most OF he article as manure, warns
US of its insulficiencv.
The stubbie, and The roots Of the small
grains, not being taken from the earth,
may be regarded as relapsing inio a ferti.
lily equal to tkat OF which They deprived
the earth. This remark is applicable to
all cultivated plants, the-roois OF which
| are moi an esculentp part.
An eminent citizen and celebrated az
riculturistf of this state, has among o.
Her instructive lessons, called The public
attention, TO The value OF iIc corn stalk
"a manure. am persuaded that he
has not oSerraled il. Aud it Is "a subject