Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-07-31
AGnXCVA'YVRAN.
FOR THE SPECTATOR.

The subject of agriculture has been
SO often well discussed from the north,
south, east, and west, that it may appear
supcrfluous to dwell on that ubiect--no-
thing could excite Old Rustic" to
this essay but pain, occasioned by the
mismanagement of so many, almost all,
of his brother planters of Indian corn
only see cornfie!ds all round the best Of
land, two or three times ploughed, some
oftener--corn hardly waist high, the
ground SO foul that it is more in need Of
assistance from the scythe, than the dis
Cipline of the plough, it is true, the
weather has been uncon,monly wet ever
since the middle of May until now,
near the middle of July--and last season
was as much on the extreme the other
way-by an uncommon draught; yet !
can assure the public, there have been
seventy or eighty bushels OF corn raised
10 the acre, on an average ot q field con-
tanning about thirty acres, within four
miles of Etiwardsvillc, last season, not
outstanding the great want OF rain; and
from all appearance OF the crop of corn
en- the same farm there will be as much
raised this season, with all the uncom-
mon wet. AS the two seasons are in
extremes ii is but fair that the manner
ofculturc should he taken as main, as
it was precisely the same both Seasons
which Is (what every one knows, but I'M
fortunately do not putin practice) simply,
10 clean the ground of old stalks, and
break up as early as it gets dry after the
frost is out, and as deep as the teams are
able, as quick as the corn is ankle high
run the little barshear once round, or two
burrows between the rows--thc week fol-
lowing plough it we'll the course the corn
was dropped, which will require four
burrows, taking care to thin or draw the
stalks or corn plants down to four in
each bill, and about four feet between the
rows from centre to centre. That was
precisely the mode Of culture given to
the above mentioned corn, no doubt at
all but all additional ploughing would be
advantageous to the crop-but from the
early and deep plou9hing, aud the early
ploughing OF the corn, it caused the
plant TO grow SO luxuriant that more
work could not have well been added
being eight feet high cobbed and siiked
by the tenth of July, and only planted
the middle of May-neithcr the benefit
of the hoe or manure have been used
the use of the latter have been found no,
only superfluous to farms in the Illinois,
but always injurious to small grain, as
it occasions it to lodge. have known
cabbage to split and rot when part Of the
lot was on ground made use of as an old
threshing floor, the residue capital, large
and sound-always make potatoes grow
too much to stalks and deficient in roots.
The nature of things ought to dictate,
that the crops easiest raised and most
productive ought tobc preferrcd-wbicb
in the Illinois is certainly Indian corn
10 matter about the lowness Of the price,
the way is to raise on, in wonderful null
tiplicity, the profits of distilling, brewing,
and manufacturing kinHdried corn flour,
for expectation, will certainly dictate to
those manufactures as business of pro-
fit. Is it not ridiculous to see US bying
whiskey, -four, butters and tobacco from
the neighboring states-which in few
years ought to furnish half the West In
dies, and the Spanish main, with these
articles. BY this time the agriculturists
of the union must see the ruinous policy
of importing ardent spirits, when we
hold the means of furnishing the habia-
ble globe with sufficiency of superior
s,imulus-all on mistaken notion, that
a small duty per gallon on domestic spi
rits, to support government, and spent at
home, would be worse than not only pay
ing the present duty on foreign liquors,
Gas the consumer always does) but pay
also the price of the article to other coun-
tries, send the money away out of our
country, instead of employing our own
hands and materials for the valuable pur-
pose of raising the prices and demand
of agricultural pursuits-there are some
thousands of our farmers, now in the
state of Illinois, who are able (and would
certainly be to their private advantage
as we'll as public good) to build horse
mill and erect distillery-why not do
it, and not give ten dollars barrel for
whiskey to strangers-thousands of bar
rells of corn on hand that cannot be sold
for one bit the bushel? The reply will
be, no price for whiskey.-See the enor-
NOUS sums leaving our country in these