Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-08-24


and tobacco 10 light soils, and wheat 10 The hea-
yier claws. The best vegetable 10 grow in our
climate for stock, is The pumpkin, and The GYM
bin The best for our laborers is The pea The iur,
min lhrives in a cooler and moisier climate, and
should not be grown in North Ciroia and Vir.
einia except as n garden vegetable. Il can, II is
true, be sometimes forced 10 large axe: by an
immense application oil manure but II IS tnen
expensive, and after all uncertain. The manure
which an acre of lurnips requires would enrich
tour acres tor wheat or tobacco.
The planter should make as much tobacco as
he can, and as much wheat as he can. The cul-
tiyalion which the tobacco receives is The best
possible preparation for The wheat and The straw
and the chat of the wheat is good manure Tor
The tobacco. The crops mutually aid each other,
and are but little in each others way.
Green crops, such as peas, clover and buck
wheat. when turned under, while in flower, mel
low The land, and are fine preparation Tor wheat,
and increases the product. II must moi, however,
be forgotten, that they can make no permanent
addition 10 The land. What they derive from The
Amos here, they return in The process Of decom.
position 10 The atmosphere. Clover, however,
with its long tap root, shoots down into The clay
and brings 10 the surface much dormant fertiliz-
ing matter. The roots serve 10 decompose the
small stones in the SOIL and to extract potash and
make it available 10 the plants which succeed II.
Bu when the soil becomes exhausted, as it must
al last OF all its potash and lime, then these in
dispensable ingredients OF good soil must be
supplied by the farmer. Green crops will not re-
store il. Peas are more certain crop than clio.
yer, and is better adapted 10 our climate bur il is
very hard 10 bury Il properly, on account oil the
length OF vine. Ploughed in The spring after il is
sowed, il has a fine effect on oats and Indian
corn, and doubtless on tobacco, though have
made no experiment with il as manure for This
crop. So great is The iertilzing property of the
field pea, that in Louisiana land, which after re-
pealed crops OF sugar cane almost ceases 10 pro-
is there called resting the land, so completely re-
suscitated as 10 produce almost as vigorous
growth of cane as il did AT first
The most perfect rotation, where land is abun-
dant is The five field system tobacco-wheat-
wheat-clover. On good low grounds
The three field system is found 10 answer very
WELL and on uplands, where there is liberal ap-
plicaion oil manure, il has met the expectations of
some of our bes, farmers, and where The boot is
kept off of The land, is not inconsistent with
high grade of improvement Against this system,
knew, there is The great authority Of John 1ay-
lor of Caroline. But in his day, the universal
practice was 10 Craze very closely, and TO manure
very sparinsly, and these abuses were well de-
serving OF his anathemas. Where there is a
standing pasture, good ploughing, and liberal
use OF manures, many il not all The objections 10
the three-feld system may be overcome. But The
truth is that The qualities OF The different paris Of
The same field are so different, and the surface so
variable, some steep and some level, that most ol
us will always find il very difficult TO adopt any
system, and is better perhaps 10 lay down no &C.
neral rule on the subject, but each farmer must,
for himself be governed by circumstances and
- - LscI nc
ability. apporioniDg the burden 10 the strength
favorIng and abiding The weaker parts OF his land,
while he imposes The heaviest burdens on that
which is healthy and vigorous. Here is room
Tor a sound discretion, and skilul practice, which
experience and observation alone can give, and
which no set OF mere rules can ever teach.
This observation with regard TO The application
of general rules 10 the rotation Of crops, is still
more just in relation 10 the cultivation Of crops.
In The cultivation OF Indian corn what a variety
of PRACTICES and many OF Them contradictory, are
recommended One advises lhalh crop be cul-
iva,ed with very shallow poughing, while an
other thinks deep ploughing indispensable. One
nsiss that the crop should be laid by very early,
another that The corn should be worked even al
Ter the silk appears. All are wrons-wrong in
applying general rule where general rules are
inappicable. II there was the same amount OF
rain and sunshine each summer, and if they came
at The same lime OF The year, then the whole
science Of agriculture would be simple, and the
man in his close; would be as good farmer as
he who made his fields his home. BY late plough
ing of coin in 1888, increased the product, J
have no doubt, one-Ihird. while in 1874, b. this
same late plougbins. lost nearly one-halt. A
rain followed The pluu.hing in The first instance,
and long drought followed in the second Per
haps the snrest road 10 success in our climate is
10 anticipate drought in July and August and |
10 regulate The cultivation accordingly. Irepeal |
that no general rules can be safely adopted in |
agriculture. Observation and long experience,
with a large fund of good, practical sense, sli- |
mulated into activity by a devotion 10 The pur-
sniI, can alone make a good farmer.
But, gentlemen, | will not continue this course |
OF remark any farther Even il | we're capable |
Of throwing any new light on our profession, |
and am not, il would be useless. ! say again, |
that you do mol want light. When you have |
used The light which we all now have, and come |
10 acl up TO your knowledge and information,
then you will demand new light, and that light |
will be supplied.
Our State gentlemen, calls aloud on her sons,
for increased energy and increased exer,ion.
We are urged by This day, associated in our
hearts and recullections with deeds Of high re.
nown, and consecraled by The VOWS OF pure and
patriotic souls, 10 wake mp from our apathy, and |
show ourselves worthy Of those fathers whose
sons we claim 10 be. One would think, 10 look |
al Virginia and North Carolina, that their idea |
Of freedom was the liberty of doing nothng The
privilege OF iHlessness, and the luxury Of mac
lion. How dcbasing an idea! Has God, in his
Providence, freed our hands, that they may hang |
idly by our sidts1 Must The blood, which, The re-
collections OF this day sends leaping from our
hearts, stagnate 10 our veinsl No! Liberty is
not given TO rs that we may vegetale in security, |
but that we may act-that we may improve our
condition. promote our happiness, elevate and |
enlarge our enjuyments. and raise ourselves in |
the scale of being Virginia was once first |
among The toremos,-frsl in valor, first in patriot |
ISM first in moral, in physical and in poli,i-
cal strength. Where is she now? She has sue
cessiveiy descended from The first rank among |
her conederales 10 the second 10 The third, 10 The
fourth, and when is this relrogade motion 10 |
cease, and what platform is TO arrest her tall?
Virginia is rich in the memories OF The pasi,
and The fame of her great men is an imperish-
able monument other glory. II is as impefishable |
as The Pyramids, bu, that il like The Pyramids
stands in the midst OF desolalionl We may gaze |
with pride and compacency atlhe past, but Others
will look 10 the present. Men are much aper to
see, than TO remember. Greece is rich in her mo
numents; and history and song tell oil The uney
ampled lriumphs OF her arms and her arts; and
yel her past elories, SO far from gliding her pre-
sent degeneracy, serve but TO daTkeu the shadows
which rest upon her. Who, looking at England
as she now stands, The centre of civilization, OF
wealth, and OF power-toTemost among The ma
tions-lhinks OF her past history2 She stands be-
fore u.s. in her present glory an object for the gaze
and wonder oil the world! The gloom and The
obscuriy Of the past, is lighted up by the luslre
of the present. Her early years, contained but
the germs OF her marurer eories, and her sons on
ly look back upon her, that they may see the steps
By which she has assembled 10 her present height.
Let such reflections as these, gentlemen, turn our
Thoughts from The past and direct them 10 the pre-
sent and the future; and may our efforts, and our
successors efforts be so directed, that our chill.
dfen's children may look down upon the monu-
ments erected by their ancestors with gratitude
and Affection ii is true, but only as stepping stones
10 The ye, higher eminence, which they shall have
reached.