The national whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1847, 1847-06-02
COL. CApRoN On THE RENOVATION Or
WORN OFT LANDS.

Dear Sir have frequent letters from
different parts Of this State and Virginia,
asking my experience as TO the effect Of dii-
ferent manures--particularly, Guano--and
of my success in renovatlng these worn
ont lands, the modns operandi, &c.
Now, my farming operations, being quite
\ secondary consideration in my general
business, canno. spare the time from my
other occupations to answer in detail these
Tsrious communications, and ] therefore
nave concluded 10 reply 10 them generally, |
through your very valuable paper. and hope
il mar ranch through this channel every
one of my correspondents. For TO this
paper, and other agricultural publications,
together with a natural fondness for the
pursuit; | am indebted for whatever success
have met with.
You know my where abouts in this de-
serl Of old fields, gullies and poverty grass,
and are well acquainted Gas who is not that
has ever travelled from the city Of Balti
more to the seat OF Government) with the,
total barrenness Of the land generally. !
therefore, need say but little on the gene
raj character of the land to start with, and
will begin by giving the reasons for my
first attempting, WI hat appeared at that time
Herculean task, the renovation OF these
barren old fields.
Having been reared amidst the green
fields and lowering herds in one OF the
most fertile regions in the State Of New
York, could mol look upon the barren face
Of this country, without its producing q
feeling Of melancholy. | came to the con-
cesionit would never do for me, to plant
myself down here with the expectation Of
making it permanent residence, with
such permanent residence, with such a
prospect al before me; Therefore re-
solved either d change the general aspect
fthe country in this respect or leave IT,
The former appeared the most feasible, !
,aa,is the effort, and have the satisfaction
i" ,;,y, that as far as the vision extends
nom my residence, have succeeded.
This country with all lis. faults, has re-
deeming qualities. Favored with Heavens
greatest blessings, universal health and ne
yer failing supply Of the purest spring wa
ter-with soil possessing naturally the ell
ements Of fertility, beautiful rolling SUR
face covered with clumps of trees, which
forrichness and variety Of foliage and beau
" Of proportions---for landscape or lawn
purposes, cannot be surpassed in the world.
It Is not indebted to Heaven for its forbid
ding appearance, but TO that reckless sys-
TEN Of cultivation too generally to be found
in most of the Southern States I
There are two ways Mr. Editor, Of rem
ovsting these old fields one l see recon-
mended frequently ID yar valuable work,
that is, to SOW broadcast Over tie land some
FIVE bushels Of ashes with bushel Of plas.
ter per acre, TO be followed by ploughing
SOME Iarltuues, DuIH WIFI not DO here, where
good north west wind after frost in
November, viii sweep into the fence cor
ners every particle Of vegetation from the
face of these old fields. The labor alon.
which would be required in the ploughine
and re-ploughing &C., on this method
would, If hired ont by The day on some
public work, purchase ashes enough 10 do
inone year what would require FIVE years
to accomplish in this slow method.
Another plan is to 90 at il Taylor Fash
aoa and DO the thing right up! as an exam
pie Of this latter plan, / will give Won the
result o. experiment made last year upon
ons OF thesea old fields" and ! take this
becsuse i is now fresh before me, having
just finished threshing out the crop grown
upon the field, and not because It shows
any more favorable results than 90 other
experiments Of which have memoran-
da. .1
purchased last year, an addition to my
farm of 366 acres Of land. On this tract
there was one lot which lay in upon the
lands. 1 had already improved, in such
msnaer as 70 iljure the appearance Of the
whole. In the spring Of 1886, resolved
70 make an attack upon this old field, and
to satisfy myself sill further Of the cost Of
such Improvement, Il bad II surveyed and
and plated by aregular surveyor and found
the contents TO be "a acres---out Of which
there was taken for a house, lot and road
per acre, leaving &c acres to be cultivated
This field was tenanted out in the year 1916
to very worthy man, who cultivated il in
corn, and Ihave his word for the product
land am sure no person who saw the crop
growing will ever think Of questioning The
amounl,) was 25 bushels of nubbins, or
less than bushels Of corn per acre. This
by the way, is the character Of many crops
grown in this neighborhood.
In March, 1910, as soon as the grounds
would do to haul over, brough out the
right arm OF my resources, my flying artil-
iery, in the way ofmule teams, loaded to
the muzzle from my manure heap, and
made my discharge upon my greatest ene-
my, the washed and quilted side hills. These
iPePpered thick and strong. then put
in the ploughs, and flushed the whole
helc up deeply, following the stiff clay parts
with the sudsoil plough. then brought
out my other forces, in the shape Of leac6ed