Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-01-20

FULLY invited, IN order that although truth
may elude the search OF one or more OF
US individually, the combined research
es oil all Of us may bring 1t TO light
II is conlended by many well informed
( farmers, that corn is the least profitable
oil any crop we raise. Why then Is il SO
generally cultivated to such an extent.
As an article for market this may pro-
baby be correct-but as an article of
/ food, used IN a proper manner in my
opinion IL has no substitute. Although
AN acre oil land cultivated as we do IN
the western country, may not produce
as many bushels oil cern, as II will OF
mangei wurtZel, potatoes or ,urnips In
the eastern states when highly MANFRED
and cultivated, yet | am persuaded that
one bushel OF corn ground into meal !;
contains more neurishment, than several
! bushels oil either otthe above mentioned
ROOF crops.
The most Iudieious rotation OF crops
appears at present 10 be, first year in Ia
diaa corn or IRISH potatoes, second,
wheat or rye; third and fourth, and
sometimes fifth in grass of some root,
either IN timothy or clover generally the,
| latter.
Livery country has its peculiar staple
commodity. But what, let me ask, Is
the staple article in Missouri? Is ii
wheat, flour, hemp, or tobacco Cotton
we know IS out of the ques;ion--not but
that every farmer can raise a sulliciency
tor his own demands-but ii IS known
that our seasons are generally TOO short
10 render 1t an object OF exclusive OF
even general attention. Much has
been SAID tad written on the culture oil
wheat, some preierrIng TO sow II al one
time, and some al another, and whiist
some pretend that il should be plou khed
ID deep, others say that II ought ho, TO be
covered rrore than two or three inches
my experience is too limi4ed to offer for
the adoption OF the society any general
rule on this subject. |, appears 10 ne
to depend much ON the condition Of The
ground to be suited. Ii IL be corn grpuud
winch has been well prepared and in
good tluh; to harrow i, IA may some
times succeed very well, especially
v"ore the corn has been previously re-
moved. But | incline to the opinion
that IN the general use il is bes, ID
plough IL liz, though Aol very deep. II,
as has been very ably commended by dis
/ Iinguished NTeioan thai i is unnrcessa-
ry To cover wheat TO greater depyh than
ABBOTT two inches, some very obvious ia
d9oements may be offered Tor the former
seed On corn land. FIRST, the frequent
pIoughing of the land, greatly bcnehs
the corn, keeps the ground clean and in
! good order TO receive the small grain.
i Secondly, alter the corn has been cut
/ down and enatr stacked up or removed ],
the gram can be pat IN much more
speedily with a barrow, lhan vita
plough, and thirdly, this Is the most ex-
pedlliouS way OF gathering the corn
crops. 1t appears 10 be The opinion OF
the best Informed farmers amongst us,
that both tobacco and hemp can be cult
waited to great advantage in Missouri, and
OF that the farmers Will certainly form
one OF Our principal staples. 1t is with
great pleasure that | state the fact nc;
only for our information, but also toI
that OF others at distance: that for the
last year or two very considerable crops
oil tins plant have been grown in Nilsson
ri, and that preparations are making by
many OF our farmers to embark IN Its
cultivation to still greater extent.
| am aware, however, there is a por-
ton OF our community who depreca,e
the introduction of this plant into M
souri, as an article OF general cu!livs-
ton, aliedglng it as plant, tina, in all
countries where tobacco is extensively
cultivated, the soil is not only improve
rshed but the great mass oil the popula-
lion also. Why the latter should follow
as the necessary consequence of the cul-
ture of tobacco, cannot perceive.
must therefore think (if indeed i, be a
facD that it is attributed to some other
cause. After our grain crops, the next
object of importance, for our attention
should be, the next species of grain for
summer grazing and for hay. Let me
here suggest doubt whether our eli
mate be we'll adapted to the culture Of
timothy or clover. Is not the atmos-
phere with us generally 10 arid and dry
in the summer, particularly for timothy !?
lfso, MIA, is the best substitute for them
for winter forage? Whether an acre OF
stock corn is not better than an acre of
the best timothy or clover hay, particu-
larly for cattle?
1t cannot escape the attention of any
OF us, that we ENJOY great advantages
over most of the states bordering on the
Ohio. We can transport our produce
to New-Orleans at all seasons of the