Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-08-09

| ried five crops Of grain after being ploughed
from old grass.
We summef.fallowed and dunged this
| field applied lime also, which was laid on
hot from the kiln, in the month ofAugust,
after six ploughings were given. The
quantity applied was forty barley bolls per
acre which, in less than month, occa.
stoned fermentation of the soil, something
similar to what is produced by yeast upon
unbaked bread. 10 another respect, the
Improvement made upon this field by lime
was conspicuous. Barley could, with diff.
Guilty, be raised before lime was used /;
whereas, afterwards, fine crops ofthis grain
were procured with facility. The ground
was likewise much easier ploughed and
narrowed than formerly, which is always
sure token ofan Improvement being accom-.
| plished. gs&s
-rlsEdS The soiiwas generally
thin sharp loan, grea. paFsnf Il incum0eut'
upon close bottom. It had been three
years in grass, and vas sown down in good
order and, therefore, was proper subject
for receiving lime upon the sward. There
was reason to believe that lime had been
applied by former tenant, but this was not
certain. After harvest, we laid on from
,hirty-five 10 forty bolls per acre, no. think.
ing the soil required heavy deae. ltwas
partly hot, and partly efete, as generally
happens at that season Of the year.
First years, oats were taken; the crop
good. Second year, drilled beans, with in.
tervals of twenty-seven inches: the ground
being twice ploughed before sowing, and
four times horse -hoed crop .middling.
Third year, wheat after one ploughing,
which yielded full average crop. Fourth
year, It was under summer. fallow {; 10 which
IL double loads Of dung per acre were Civ.
en-. Fifth year, in wheat; crop excellent.
Sixth year, in drilled beans, which were
manag ged as above. Seventh year, wheat ;
crop above mediocrily. Eighth year. bar.
ley, with grass seeds, after three ploughings /;
which. though the season was adverse
(l7s9), turned out decent crop. Ninth
year, under grass, which was pas,ured with
cattle, and not inferior to any in the country.
It may be objected, that the above is hard
cropping. This may be the case but we
are far from acknowledging that hard crop
ping in certain cases, is inconsistent with
good farming. The expense of lime in
general is 50 great, that necessity for hard
cropping may be said to be thereby created
Besides, this necessity is increased by the
. general shor,ness of leases, which impede!
every permanent improvement and in the
usage of lime, calls for the utmost exertor
!, Of the tenant, that he may be reimbursed his
extraordinary outlay and trouble.
} Field, No. s.--The soil was chiefly
} loan, though Of different varieties, and
mostly incumbent upon a close bottom.
This field, which consisted Of fifty acres
, had been cropped for time immemorial
and, when we entered to tho farm, was SC
tired with carrying wheat, that is was scarce
ly worth the plougbing. 1t was therefore
laid down to grass with oil convenIen
speed. In this state it remained five years
when i, was broken up again thirty acre:
having been lined upon the sward, at the
? rate Of forty barley bolls per acre. Some o
the lime was laid on three years before
pIoughing, some Of il two years, and the re.
J mainder few days before the ploughs en-.
tered. Part Of it was hot, part Of it e6etts
but the effects over the whole field, even in
the first year, were nearly the same !; il
there was any difference, the ridges last
; lined fermented most, but the crop was ECU.
ally bulky wherever the lime had been ap.
piled though, upon the twenty acres un.
lined, the inferiorty was evident. From
this i. appears, that it was not necessary to
apply lime 10 grass land one or two years
before it was broken up, as inculcated by
several writer's upon husbandry apractIce'
a. any rate, not reconceable with economy,
as much of the lime is washed off the sur.
face, and carried away by rain before the
ground is ploughed. >.
Field, No. 9.--The soil was chiefly thin
clay, incumbent upon bottom oftlll con-
seouen,ly, subject to receive injury from
wetness. This field had been severely
scourged by the preceding tenant; had been
iniudiciousy straighened, which is a fatal
measure TO such soils had been lined pre-
vious to the Strengthening; but at our entry,
was wholly under crop, and 10 an exhausted
state.
l After being summer.fallowed, in as per-
feet way as circumstances permitted 'hs
| field was laid down in grass, and depastur'
ed with cattle for several years. Lime (the
+ creates, part ofwhich was in an etste state,)
was applied upon the sward during the win
ter months and, in February following the
field was ploughed for oats. The crop was
midding good but, in the six subsequent
years, it did not appear that much benefit
was gained from the application. In the
eighth year, however, the lime acteo & v'gos' or
onslu a small mart of the field which re.