Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1848-11-09
AGRICULTUR A L.
From the Marlboro Gazette.
AN ESSAY

From the Marlboro Gazette
AN ESSAY
RENOVATION OF WORKOUT LANDS,
- WALTER W. W. BOWIE.
As Doctor should learn the condition
orhis patient before he prescrhes, or Law
yer ascertain the facts before he attempt:
the application of remedy, so desire il
the beginning to explain what conceive te
be the meaning of these terms-"the reno
Walton OF WORKOUT lands"
The WORKOUT lands Of This country are
generally blowing sands, gravelly knobs
interspersed, with little or no vegetation
unless it be brars and sheep-sorrel; or they
are cold, stiff, clay lands, holding water so
as to be miry in winter, and hard as brick
in summer, poverty grass and few scatter
ing briars being the vegetation This I'M
fortunate state of things has been brought
about by shallow plowing-no manuring
and other glazing errors in that ungener-
ous skin-flinl system of our forefalEers. 1t
is now desirable that these lands should be
overwhelmingly up once more to their
original fertility. How is it to be done !?
This is the question. By lavish expendl-
,ure of money, upon scientific principles
and directed with consummate skill and
judgment, we have seen instances Of almost
miraculous transmuta,ion from death to Vi
gorous Iife-from extreme poverty 10 the
highest pitch Of fertility and richness. But
the great mass of our farmers who own these
lands are not sufficiently informed to make
proper application of these wonder-work
ing manures, even did they possess the means
Of procuring such. Again, many farmers,
and vas. body of this WORKOUT land, are
remote from the deposi,es Of these great fer
tilizers that renovate the land as by magic.
The Philosophers stone, then, that we are
at present hunting after, is that system which
requires the least capital, and which is ac
cessble TO the greatest number of persons,
thereby securing the greater extent of i'm
provement-bringng in larger amount Of
land, because of the lesser outlay in capital,
although the ''renova,ion be rather slower
Now it is evident that the same system will
not answer both descriptions of land as ]
have noted before. The WORKOUT sandy
field. and the clay field are both patients
suffering from extreme debility, but they re-
qulre some slight difference in their treat
men,, therefore ! shall prescribe for them
separately, beginning with the sandy land.
Let it be thoroughly drained and grubbed,
all the briars and bushes gathered in piles,
end when dry burned. OF course it is i'm
possible to say wha, the cost of these pre-
para,ory steps might be, or what they would
even likely be. In March, pillow it deep :;
if it should have clay bottom and near e.
nough to be reached by the plow, get to it
by all means, and turn up as much as posi-
bic, for from experience know that clay
acts on sand like manure. In April, sow
one half bushel of cow-peas, and half apeck
of buck-wheat per acre, which would cost
fifty cents. Harrow the peas and buck
wheat, then roll it we'll with heavy three
horse roller-sow one barrel of plaster and
ten bushels of ashes per acre. Here is an
outlay in cash the first year o. not more
than 1925, which can be more than repaid
by the crop of peas, besides seed for anoih-
er crop saved. As soon after the 18th of
September as it could be done, pillow under
the crop, SOW one bushel ofrye, harrow and
roll we'll. During the winter and earl part
of spring, feed the rye off with sheep, taking
care not to feed too close. In the last of
March or first Of April, let the rye get up,
say knee high, and plow it under, then har-
row the ground level. Then sow one peck
of cloverseed and one peck of peas, by way
of shelter for the clover, roll thoroughly
with a heavy roller, sow ten bushels OF
ashes, and half barrel Of plaster IN Au-
gust of the same year, sow again half a bar
rel of plaster. Thus, the second year the
outlay in money is
For Cloverseed, ST. rs
For Ashes, ] SO
For Plaster, .e.e 25
Whole cost per acre, ,... 81 so
If from any cause the clover did not
"take," then fallow early for wheat and SOW
clover with the wheat in September. But
if the clover came up and stood well, the
field would be renovated, and by an appli-
cation of bone dust when it was put in
wheat, it would be permanently restored to
fertility if a judicious system was afterwards
pursued with it, As to the stiff clay land,
] would clean it and drain it by under and
open drains. Then break it up deep, sub
soil it as it was broken up, harrow it, sow
300 lbs. of Guano mixed with one barrel of
plaster. cross pillow it in, then sow wheat,
harrow well, sow one peck of clover, and
half bushel of timothy seed per acre.
Roll it well so as to pulverize the clods.-
Thenext autumn spread fifty bushels of lime