Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-10-27

| II IL is made upon new laud, il does not enter
into the rotation OF crops, II is used as pre- pa
ration for other crops. If.it is made upon old
iana, il should be planted upon the lands that
Ib The different rotations have given are al
lowed for corn. 1t will he found an easier
crop TO the land than corn, and will invariably
| De succeeded by better crop OF wheat.
| Miscellaneous Observations
II is Obvious, that at the conmenc c nieMt of
an improving system, upon an exhausted farm,
| or upon poor land, AZ is proper TO begin with
semtie rotations vixen the soil is improved it
VII. pear more severe cropping.
| ny the high price of wheat farmers have
| Deen induced t. cultivate too much land in
gram, and there is reason 10 believe that
STOCK, the great source OF manure bciu.. neg.
iected or almost given up, the soil will be
eAnausteu ny the se,s,ity of cropping. The
late change IN Europe TO IA state of profound
peace, mast cause the price of gran, To fall
winch added to decrease IN the produce OF
tie land, must bring distress upon the farmer
STOCK OF every Kind mist rise account ut its
scarcity, "a circumstance which cannot be rene
died Tor many Years. The read, answer ri, en-
by every man, when lie is asked WHY he works
MS land so hard, is that he must have the crop
from All the land he cuitivateS, that less viii
not support his family aud defray ms q p,us.s
Great and weighiy consideration. adn,,t mn
Is not a fatal error 10 believe that one INN
di ed and fifty acies of land N az exhausted
state, will produce more than third or AT amy
!a.e nan Tue same land, well cultivated and
Tree use OF plaster and clover and the propgr
mixture OF aneilorating with exhanstiuc cropsS
LEI thcse questions be tested by experience
1shn "ickham, Esq. when he purchased his
upper farm, L understand, could not eApect
more than from two thousand to Two tlnnsaud
I'VE hundred bushels of wheat annually. accor.
ding to the season. His crop is now fio,n four
to hve thousand bushels. Thomas Marshall,
Esq TOOK possession OF his estate when Two
and half barrels ofcCrn. and five or six bush
els OF wheat TO the acre, would have bpen thut
goou average crops lie now makes from six
10 eight hdrteiS OF corn, and from fifteen 10
twenty I'VE DIsheis OF wiieat 10 the acre. For
these iacts. many of the memb ers of this socie.
~ can 'ouc!i. Lille more than half MIR
Wickiams iand produces more than double
the grain he used TO make npon two thirds.
NAT. Marshall has been equally successful. 4
nope those gentlemen will favor the nnblir
tlron,h THIS society, with a full! statement of
their Improvement. Sir john Smclair saws
that the lands IN some districts i'm scotland
were formerly cultivated in grain three wears
| IN fo"r; The rent was then from twenty five 10
UNITY shilllnsS per acre the same lands are
now III gram not OfteTer than three wears IN
SIN they pay from five To six pounds rent.
aud make more grain from half than they tor
mefil did from thiee-fourths of the farm :.
ihese great and important changes have been
MADE III Scotland in about fortyyears
"A safe rule by which To proportion the crops
oil gram is, not 10 suffer more than frsm a half
TO three htths of the farm TO be in grain
H.
red, be The limit Of the corn crop TO he suc
ceedea by wheat. rye or oats, according 10 the
SOIL. anu the relative value of each species of
| grain, and then complete the rotation by alter
| nate crops OF small grain aud clover, allowing
one heid TO be always in grass for pasture 4
rear many farmers will be deferred from FOL
lowing Tins advice, from belief that il is i'm.
| practicable 10 accomplish what propose.
pledge myself That any man who will make
proper exertions, may make the quantity of
manure that will be necessary. 4 farm Of
three hundred acres in six fields, will have six
othfty each twenty loads, of forty bushels to
| me acre, VIII require a thousand loads for
| neau, TO De spread ever the surface equally. If
the manure be applied to the hill or the drill,
one fourth OF the quantity will be sufficient for
the corn crop. The application in either mo de
VIII give from two hundred aud fifty to three
hundred barrels of corn from the field, as the
year Is favorable or otherwise in one of the SO
modes. L Know it is i'm the power of every
man upon such a farm to manure fifty acres
II he will provide winter and summer food for
| his stock, and use due diligence in maxim. and
| saving manure, and consume all his wheat straw
| ana cornstalks as litter for his stock In thus
way, then, half the land will be ma dc 10 pro-
| Once the quantity fcorn usually made with a
| great saving of labor a certain aud constant
| mp.0Venent OF MS farm, and crop of wheat
| double what lie would make, when one third
| OF his land was planted in corn, and all his
| wheat made upon corn land
| lhe nature of the soil should have the great
est iiihuence In deciding upon the crops TO be
| made. In most cases, that crop will nav bcSt
| that the land is hest adapted to. n The dis,
| rance from market is too great 10 transnort
gram oil any sort, still il is made to great profit
ior iattenlng stock and for dsiila,ion. ON
| Tue sonth oranch OF Potomac, corn is tue priu
| ip"Iciop. Where the lands are peculiarly
adapted to corn let that he made the staple
| SO, DIS 10 wheat and every other plant which ix
cultivated. Upon the dry thirsty uplands of
me mountainous country, corn is a. precarious
L az gltnu
| lower country.
| Inc great error in Virginia, heretofore. has
| peep, that we have cultivated our lands with
OUT inttrnission; that we have at;empted
| crops without any attention 10 the quality of
lhe iait, or the fitness OF its culture that we
nave taken every thing from the soil wi,hont
| returning any thiug 10 il, and that even now
| "heh there IS Stropg seiicindc TO improve
our ianos, we are attempting il in Il way that
| cannot succeed. ( believe that bv the dur
application of plaster. and the proper mixture
| OF cloVer crops, IL the clover suCceeds good
iana may be kept in heart but if our Lands
shonid tire OF clover, or become clover sick. az
mas nap pened IN other countries, this resource
| WIN 'dii. is tnere any man so creduous as IA
believe, that by clover and gypsum alone the
quilted and exhausted lands Of Virginia can he
| reclaimed believe not ii there should be
can assure HIM he will be disappointed Before
c'oNS' VIII reform ITS oiflce, the land must be
mdde capable ofholdng and sustaining il
nothing but manure will enable such land "a
90 tns, aud TO have manure there must bt
STOCK on every farm, with a sufficieucy OF food
Tor winter, and pasture for summer SoilIpn
ior some time may be practiscd TO advantage
but 1t Is not to be relied upon in this drv not eli
male, with any certainty, for more than two
months, and can scarcely be practsed ut all in
the harvest mouth, from the middle of june Ia
HE middle of July because the farm hands
are fuiiy empIoyedin securing the grain crops
Instead then of excluding stock from our
farms they should be considered indIsponsa
bic, not only ter the purpose of making manure
and Tor the necessary supply of the farmer, his
family aud laborers, with meat, milk aud but
ter, but as means OF aiiordng income
Instead of Virginia having asurplus Of mea
and horses, as she ought To have, our suppIy i,