Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1848-10-19
The no;n,s IN commence at are deter min

The points to commence at are detelmin'
ed by the eye; a cheap spirit level, costing
but trAe, will soon give the termination
with precision, and the proper IncIlna'nn
The operator takes station some ~ t" lUU
yards distant from the designated point me
assistant. having the staff, with movable
targeh and also bundle Of stakes, some
2 to feet long, places one in the ground
and by its side raises the staff and moves
the target up or down, to range win the
sight from the level: the target is then
raised 6 inches and confined by screw
the assistant walks II steps, and raises his
staff: the operator by merely ,nrn'ning his
level, and no, otherwise varying its position
soon determines the poin. for the second
stake, by The assislan. moving the staff, back
wards or forwards. Creeping his distance
from the first stake) until the target again
ranges with the level. then sci another stake
and raising the target six inches at each sta
ton throughout the field. One position
for the level, if selected with judgment. will
serve for or 10 sights they should be
taken in Advance, and on or near the sup
posed line of The furrow. With little
practice the eveling is done very expedi-
,iously, and, and by any person of ordIna-
~ capacity. When ready for the plough,
the Ieveler walks before il, (ihe ploughman
guided by his steps, picks up the stakes as
they are reached, land if necessary by much
inequality in the land-varies the line a lit
tie between the stakes, sill more to preserve
the level.
This gives a uniform escape for all sur
plus waler, with regular fall of abou. one
foot in the hundred. My experience has
proved, that if the burrows are not too far
apart, Zone for each fall of 5 to fee. will
generally suffice) they eAeclually prevent
washing; aud the gradual descent of the
wafer does not form gullies. They are
made directly after seeding wheat-are as
carefully attended to as the seeding ITSELF
and remain open until The land is again bro
ken up. They are valuable on all lands
liable to wash, and have materially aided in
nv efforts in ~renova,ing WORKOUT lands"
All The unsighlly "guIles and CALLED places'
have disappeared.
Rotation of Crops.-This is also sub
ice, Of importance and it is also one on
which much diversity of opinion exists
N o,hing short Of the concurrent testimony
Of a neighborhood, will establish one plan
as the best; YET in another, different one
has equally strong advocates for in some
sections Of The country '..he three field shif''
is pre(erred-in another, five, and third
will adopt the six or seven field rolalion.-
| Diheren, ''locaIiles," and other circums,an-
ces, may perhaps afford good grounds for
this variety Of opinion. But as general
rule, it is believed that where the latter
mode is adopted, or nearly so, other cir
cumslances being equal, the farming is bet
ter done, is more profitable, and the lands
more permanently, if no, more rapidly i'm
proved close pasturng, and "renova''ng
worn GU, lands," may do in theory, but are
not very likely to succeed in practice. The
seven field rotation, certainly admits of {;
better opportunity TO bene6. by The aid o
the artificial grasses and whenever thew
can be successfully invoked, the good worl
is more than half accomplished.
Before taking leave of my readers, thu
majority Of whom perhaps are engaged il
agricultural pursuits, would sgrin brief,
recur to The Important subject Of Manures
--nne Of >carcel, less m"men' to the tilltr
of the soil, than is The Mariners Compass
to The 'empes,-'oss'd sailor--f"r mainly 10
their agency in some form or other, mua
we he indebted for success, in the remove
ton Of worn. on, lands. My preference, IS
may have been seen, is gwen TO Lime over
all Others, when an expenditure of the sle'-
der resources of the farm is devoted 10 this
object, and although it is no, Panacea,
TO cure all The ills incident 10 the calling,
nor will it, like the tabled Sa,yr, "blow hot
and cold with the same BREATH" yet on all
soils 10 which have seen i, applied, -'fron
the stiffesl claws, to the blow ing sands,-
does ii appear to be renovation in greater
or less degree The one, it will Tighten AID
mellow, while the other is rendered more
compact, and more retenlive Of moisture. J
would therefore strongly advise the use IF
LIME as decidedly the most efficient aid
durable agent, for improving mos, kinds If
soils. If its action may be considered con-
paralively slow, IT is SURE, in lis ierllIzng
effects; aud will generally IN the end, proc
also 10 be the most economical, whenever
it can be obtained a, reasonable price.
The three kinds of ''hought manure'
most extensively in use in this State or
improving our worn-ou, lands (PIaser of
course excepled) might be classed sone-
VIVA, like The following: Lime, for the lend
lord. Guano for the tenant. and ground Bones
for both. All may be used to profit under
favorable circumstances; hn. they are be-
lieved to differ materially in their relaive
values, in proportion TO the amount OF no.
ney usually expended, if the improvement
of the land, isa primary object with The
l.