The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-04-13
debts or the purchase of property than il

oSlLS OE~lilc purchase VI pIopSlty 'ho'i
does at present, if we take into consldera-
tlon theamount which We now expend ont
Of it for articles which under this plan, we
could make at home.
TO further illustrate my views, would
propose to take plantation of $50 acres
Of open land, and on which there is Is
work hands. This / would divide into
6 equal feIds-of which ! would have GO
acres in corn, 80 in cotton, 80 in small
grain, and $50 in grass or at rest. Eleven
on twelve hands would be quite able to
cultivate this crop to advantage. Leav-
ing three ro four hands to take care ofstock
make manure and spread ton the lands.
To these duties, they should be specially
assigned and constantly employed. The
other hands could give their whole care to
the crop and secure it forhome consump-
ton, or market. Many complain that
they have not open land enough to allow
them to rest their lands, or they. could
save them. Let no man say so. If you
have only open land enough to work all
youriands on, and YOU runit continually
in crops that exiaustit, youwill soon have
less. 1t would be Earbciter at once to de-
tach a part ofyour force III creating more
land by multiplying its power of produc-
ton. Five hundred acres Of land that
produces ten bushels ofcorn to the acre,
becomes equal to 5000 acres when tits so
improved as to make GO bushels to the
acre. Would it not be better to work
enc third Of your force in preserving your
lands and multiplying its,produc'iob, then
working one half your force in exhausting
your soil to enable you to purchase more
land? The present mode is like sinking
a capital to make usurious interest instead
ofmaking full interest, and, atthe sametime
preserving your capital-preserving, did |!
say!-Yes, doubling and trebling it, and
yet, getting your interest besides.
Next to tomanuring and rotation of crops,
with view to Improvement in farms
Good tillage is the next important consid-
Grafton. On this head must be brief; be-
cause from experience I-have but little to
offer. The most prudent plan have no.
ticed, is good fall and winter prepara-
ton. by thorough deep ploughing. The
great advantage ofgood ploughs, and 9TH
or agricultural implements, now becomes
manifest. Ourpresent manner of plough
ing is too superficial; and our agricultural
behind the age Of improve
mcnt. The ploughing with our light
ploughs, up and down the hills without re-
gard to sidc-hiIl bitches, isone great cause.
which has given to our hill sides, that
worn out appearance they every where
present. Deep horizontal bedding, with
side hill bitches would have prevented this
Now many of our hill sides. are too far
gone. to bear the plough--but side hi!
bitches, yet, would be benefit. This.
with some brush work or litter on their
bare surfaces, may with the aid of natures
slow process, hide their naked deforInity,
until they can recover new life and new
Wig ". But not moment. issto be lost III
saving such as are not too far gone. In
part Of Virginia and North Carolina,
where | have travelled lately, and where
they have to guard against the injury Incl
dent to Tobacco planting as VIC should
against the Cotton, they have succeeded
much better in preserving their hil-sides
and rolling lands, than we have. This |
attribute to their hill side bitches and hnr-
zontal beds. All the best farmers drain
their whole estates by bitches at short in
tervals, watch wind aronhd the hill sides,
and are SO graduated as to coav, y off the
water without much injury. Between
these bitches horizantal beds are made
with water burrows between EACH and is
so graded as to empty the watcrnto these
bitches. BY these means washes are pre-
vented. Their corn is planted in the CEN
tire of the bed, and Of course in drills, as
you scarcely ever sec a starlight row of
corn, or corn in hills. When they seed
the land, they throw two Of these beds to-
ge:Ilcr, but still preserve the water turrows
with care, between these widened beds.
when they prepare subble lands for corn,
they again suI;-div!de the whcat-bcdS, and
it takes its first position. Under this man
agcmcnl, they preserve their land from
washing--kecp it clear of surface water
in the winter, and are embed to plant ear
Iy on dry ahd well prepared soil. A crop