Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-02-18

referred TO 10y The cHANcELLoR in his OPINION, their
Substance is comprised in tlat opinion.
Papers presented to the Ag7.ieultural Society
Of Virginia, at their last meeting.
No. 3.
COARSE MANURE& DRILL PLANTING.
h, Mr.. j. III. Roy, Of Matthews
The desire of fame has not produced
the present state of agricultural enter
pr'ze. but a beiief entertained by some,
That wealth Is good thing, and an incli
nation 10 obtain i, through The medium of
lie earth, with the smallest labor, have
gwen rise in the first instance, and this
principle which was selfish in lis com.
Mencemeni, has been diifusIve and bene.
tic!ai in IFS consequences. Indeed, II is
beiIeved 10 br true notwithstanding the
| opinion of the refined 10 the contrary,
hal those who are honestly engaged in
tie promotion Of their, private interests,
are most 10 be relied upon for the accom-
piishment of an object, and that public
good and private views frequently go to-
sether. Presuming that The Agricultural
Society has for its object, the diffusion of
the earnings of experience, and that il
will at all times he agreeable to hear from
It's members in thrNariOus sections of the
country, will premise by saying that
reside III the county Of Mathews-This
section OF the country twenty years ago,
a steady purchaser of bread sinfis, has
now become a considerable exporter OF
wheat and corn, and ii is believed. will
III a fey years deserve To be ranked a
Dong he most fertile counties IN The
state. Ii is about ten years siuce turn
e'i my attention 10 the amelIoraion of
tract of land, a great proportion OF which
was poor indeed; from an observation
upon men and thugs generally, N
Guided that all creation was under The In
| fluence Of siimulauts, that manure was
10 Earth in reduced state, what amir
ton was To man in his fallen. therefore
turned my attention TO tue uianuring vs.
TEN, and whilst the crops have conside-
! rabIy increased, my humanity has been
gratlfied by the abbreviaIiOn of labor, be-
my nov able 10 produce more than dou-
bic ile crop on half the land, and surely
there can be nothing more discouraging
ie Iaborers who require stimulanis, than
TO find that when they grow old q require
relaxation, their labors increase, bya me-
cessiIy OF enlarging the quantity OF land
10 make the same quantity OF produce,
with which they commenced, when in the
vigor of Youth and sirent III. Humanity
and interest both excite TO improvement.
Indian corn, in a country like ours, where
you have no land carriage, and where
you can beat ont and deliver from one TO
two hundred barrels per day, certainly
deserves and has met with the particular
attention OF our planters, because the
very otfal ct fins graiu furnishes the cure
or the wounds inflicted iii making II. |
was parrcuia IL attentive IN preparing
| the heii Oft 81 which | ave recently Ia
ken crop. The land was enclosed the
pre-" ding year, and very slightly, if at all
| srazed. Very earl last winter, / began
| 10 moee lArg quantities ofrich earth from
| ola turning rO" 5, 10 carry out dung hill
| manure, and about the middle of April,
| broke bulk i'm tue farm pen and an i'm
meDse quantity of coarse manure, made
the preceding winter, was scattered at The
rate OF about fifty carloads 10 the acre.
This was turned III with good coat of
| vegetable matter, so deep tbat the grass
seed might literally be said to have been
| buried. The criterion of good plough
iug, was, when the clay was turned up
from one end Of tlie road 10 the other
BY the mid lie of April most of The field
which contained about one hundred a.
! cres, was inanured III some shape or o.
| tier, and ten acres, rather better prepar-
ed, was Intended TO be put in Compcti-
|
| talked OF, and this ten acres was drilled
al the distance of eighteen inches single
| stalk, whilst the f-iJ, generally, was
| planted al The rate o. three ieei Two stalks
in hill, and the average distance of all
The rows " ds about five feet apart. The
season WAS uDcommonly favorable for The
| growth Of corn, and The return Of grass
| being very dnninuiive alter the burial oil
| the SEED, my curiosity WAS greatly exclt
| eel 10 know The result OF iiIe crop, be-
| cause there were several experiments
fairly tired. Duughill manure apon ile
best part OF the field prepared Tor the
sweep Stake, rich earth in large quantities
moved from one surface and combined
with another. and the coarse farm pen
manure was spread upon that part OF the
land which about three wears ago, pro-
duced moi more Than ten bushels 10 tie
acre. Mr.. Watt WHO assists me in ilIe
management OF HE farm, and who is
iudlciOus and observing man, was pccu-
harry anxious to Know The result OF The
drliI planting np0n the ten acres prepared
Tor he sweep stake he commenced th
gathering That part first, aud the Whole
crop was gathered aud housed previ-
Gus TO my leaving home three DAYS a.
go: the result as well as we could form
an estimate from Tie contents Of corn
houses III former years. was as follows -
he ten acres drilled produced abort g.
leven barrels 10 ilie acre. The adjoining
land so lille interior, that spectators
| thought II eqaal, planted al lie distance OF
about three feet apart With two stalks in
a bill, produced about seven barrels 10
The acre Tie poor land, covered with
coarse corn stalk MANURE, gave about six
barrels, giving 10 the drill planting an as.
| ionls'nug preference aud TO Tie poor
| land crop three times as great as was