The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1846-01-29
BRIGHTON lID DEEP PLOIGHISG.

From the North Earolina Farmer.
Nm. EDrroR: I am a practical farmer,
and shall attempt % present 10 your rea-
de.s no theory which Is not well esIah.
lisheL by ample experience, 10 be appli-
cable 10 the soil and climate Of North Ia
rulins. Tor Which your work. as perceive.
is especially intended. Although unprae-
ticei in the airs % rhetoric. and therefore
unable 10 write =" like boob" yet hope
20 lie able To communicate my thoughts
ike a farmer. which will best suit and
most please the asricullurist.
There are things winch | propose 10
bring briefly 10 the consideration Of the
farmers Of our own State, which are too
Iir,le attended 10 among them. They are
IRRIGATION and DEEP PL0UGHlNG.
The former should be attended TO when
ever the circumstances will admit Of IL,
and the latter. as il is every where prac-
ticable, should never be neglected.
To irriga'e means 10 moisien, TO wet; !
and every man Of experience knows tie
importance OF this 10 his lands and tn his
crops. The process is performed for US
by nature, from the clouds and from the
springs and streams Of the earIh. When
supplies from the first named source are
withheld from Us. as is often the case. II
has been ascertaiued that the other sour.
ces, sireams. an springs. can be so con-
troled, in favorable locations, as 10 rene
DIV tha, evil; and this is called irrigation.
lis pr,ciicsd in Old England aud in New
England with astonishing results. and IN
a few instances in North Carolina. The
plan Of doing il is, to construct dams al
suitable points below the flat lands or
meadows, BY which TO pond up the water;
then make bitches running To the highest
points alsng the edges Of the rising ground,
from which. by liule draias, such parts as
are not covered by the wafer. may be
moistened. by this means the wafer eau
be thrown upon the grass meadows, or
growing crops, whenever the drought re-
auires il. This, Of course. must be done
with prudence and judgment. II must
stand but short time al such a season
and where the ground is under cultivation
/, must be stirred as soon alter the water
is of rs it can be done without ploughIng
too wet, which every skillful farmer well
understands. During the fall and winter
the land can thus be covered occasionally
with water with great advantage. Its
fert;Iizing effects Is seen every where In
low place., where the "scen, OF water"
reaches vegetation. II shonh nOt, how
ever, be suffered TO stand long at time,
by no means long enough 10 stagnste.
Low grounds we'll aud regularly irrigated.
need bu, little more manuring; but care
must be taken TO have them well drained
by the necessary di,ching, in time for cul-
tivalion at the proper season. Thousands
of acres 81 our best land are useless TO us
for the want Of dilching, and thousands
more might be rendered doahly produce
tive by iudicIous system Of irrigation.
Deep PIoughing is recommended by
all theory, all practice and experience !;
and ye, nine.tenths of our farmers persist
in Summing their land over from three
10 SIX inches deep-nothing like hall the
depth that the land should be broke IN
preparing for the crop. have tried both
WAYS: and find deep ploughing does the
hes, Of wet as well as dry season, Il
done a, the right time: but its advantages
such q summer as the last, could not well
be estimated.
"Durins the pas, season, we saw held
after field of corn which would not yield
five bushels to the acre, land poor stuff al
that which nigh. have been put up to
twenty by deep ploughing alone. oi
course, one year would notexhlbit all tue
benefi, Of this culture; though even the
frs, year. if dry one, would show its
decided advantage; but let the land have
time to get used to deep ploughlng, ant
it will tell you plainly how it rellshes thai
treatment. And the man who plough:
deep, is pretty apt to put something else
into the soil as well as iron. He WI
have muck and peat from his swamp-holes
and a noble compost heap nea. his barn.
ave hear farmers complain, and mos
truly, that they can make nothing by thei
business-aud thus while they are payin!
taxes, keeping up fences, and perhaps
paying mortgage-interest. on twice a
much land as they can cultivate WE'LL ant
letting half of it go from year to yea
without tillage, without fertl'zlng, and oil
ten growing up to bushes aud all name
of mischief. Now the wonder ls' no
that such f.rmers do not lhrive--the mar
vel is, that they exist. Let any mutactu
rer, mechanic or merchant do his bust
ness after this pattern. and he must fall
there is no helpio it.
"Bu. must we conclude that bad farm