Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-08-20
a Agriculture.
" The chosen People of GOd."-Jeserson.

We have received the 81 No. Of RufIn's Farmers
Regsfe' and again we cordially recommend it pub
lie support.-The Contents of this No follows:
Embsnkment and Cultivation of the Shirley Swami
page l29-The Four Shift System l32-New Mole Of
Rearing Asparagus l35-Splitting Rocks without Gun
powder l36-Experiments and Observations on the Fer.
menation OF Manures, disqualification Of Waste Lands
and Pauper Colonies of Holland l42 On Hedges Iii
Hunting Bees, l46-Report on Agricultural Premiums
li7-To destroy Insects on Trees, lI9-System of Farm
ing OF John H. Craven, Esq of Abemarle, I5O-Domes.
lb2-Sumach Leaves, 152-Turnips, l53-Imporance of
Geological Knowledge 10 Agriculturists, I53-On the
Underwater District of Virginia, l55-Yellow Locust i56
Sassaras Bushes, 15S-On Dstemper among Cattle $50
yellow Lammas Wheat, and Haymaking, I6I--ln.
X W o, me Moon. io2mExPerments in Feeding l64
ankee Management, 167-On Reclsiming Marsh. Land,
&c. l67-Clover Hay, I69-Fine Stock, I7O-Vegeta.
BILE Physiology, l7o-Cung Corn and Feeding Cattle I73
Advantages and Estimated Cost of the Portsmouth and
Roanoke Rail Road, 17l-Unduating Railway, l75-
Raiiways-and Canals, l77-Ancient Greek Lease, 1870
Rockbrdge Agricultural Society alton ON the
profit attending the Culture OF the Grape, IS2-Sheep
172-Remarks on the first number of the Farmers Re-
gister," lS3-Wato by Boring in the CITY of New Vol
lSl-EXtracs from Private Core pondence IS-SIaves
oil Hunger or condition of the Laborers in English Fac.
tories IS7-Efrcls of removing the Flowers and Stems
oil the Potato. l0O-Repor OF the Examination and Ora
Agricultural Publications, 1872
we seize this opportunity TO Ivy before our readers the
following Exposition from The pen of Hill Carter Of Shirley
well known as one of the best among the enlightened
farmers on the James River.
THE FOUR SHIFT SYSTEM
The best rotation for James Riuey lands or ann good
'cheGt and soils.
Imagine no will deny that the rotation OF crop
Is that which yields the greatest profit to the farmer and
al Tue same uns enables him to improve his land the
rapidly Inc great object is to combine both profit and
improvement BY some systems, you may improve las.
ter than by the above but then you much less profit
and by none, In series Of years will you make more
ht witt the same imprOv
think cannot establish the above theory in more
satisfactory manner than by giving concise account Of
The system pracsed on James river farm for the last
seventeen years with what leave The reader TO
Judge from The product In the year 1916 cane 10 live
on Shirley, farm Of nine hundred bundred
and nifty oil which cleared, which had been i'm
tie hands OF orerseers many years previous who cu
hVaed on The old fashioned ystein of three sLns-ta,
is to say, the first year corn second in wheat and id
In pastuTethc most system that could he
ed, taking Into consideration the shalov nloughin, n
waste Of manure, almost isuse OF it, y this svs
ten The farm was much impov ershed that il barely
supported itself wo years out of The three when the two
best heds were cultivated; and the third year. they had
To bring corn TO support from other lands at distance
The whole farm covered with gals merely men.
ton these things to prove the impoverished state of the
will also state the crops reported to have been made
previous to my coming here TO live. FROM twelve hun.
dred 10 hieen hundred bushels Of wheat (sometmes no,
merchautabe and four hundred TO six hundre barrels nj
corn on either Of the best shifts two hundred acres each
was considered great cropping by The overseer, and
hundred TO thousand bushels of wheat and bree hun
dred 10 four hundred barrels of corn ON the ir sJG nj
two hundred and fifty acres was considered sG beer s
mat was the poorest This about six seven bush.
els oil wheat, aud two three barrels of corn TO the acre
on the best fields, aud much less the poorest so a il
q X.
hdusted, aud The management very bad. When 1 first
came homeio live knew nothing of agriculture and for
me hrs three years continued the three shift system ut
coon saw That the Ovcfseer knew lille or nothing of hi.
trade, and what little he did know did not PRACTISE so tt
dismissed hin ss as his expired and empiovcd
Tor man who was Industrious aud one the be corn
makers IN The state (aying been al his life in tic Great
corn country on the Pdmuhkey) From him learnt how
70 make coih' out nc knew nothing Of wheat clover
and plaster, or any Of the present modes of
However, by the aid Of good plouebing and colectn
all the manure which had been neglected for years on The
tsrn lac made better crop OF ON the pooree, bn
han had been made for many years back even on the
lie made eight hundred barrels His crou of Isat i
ISIS following tlIis crop of corD indifferent Geino
s Oh he Three shin stscm) only eleven hundred snl
hiy bushels. I thd there was something v,ong
aoou' 'h's system and hogan to read little ON the sb
Jrct o. aecWiTe, anl soon discovered that be tree
Sn" SyS'eh was totally wrongs and although soyged
cover 'nu PidNer II would not answer At The same
hme "' begdn TO read the subject Of agriculture
went frequently 10 visit my good friend Jain G. aIosbv
who ihen yel IN Curle' Neck on james liver and n
whom lower virginia, or az least lower Js,nes river IL
more indebted an to any other in the state for Inc
introduction OF clover and plaster and the ov svs,o
Ire 'hree forming The sheet anchor farm for when
al seems 20 be lost, hey viii save the ship