Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-08-02
Agricultural.
From the American Farmer.
Renovation of Worn Ont Lands.


From the American Farmer !
Renovation of Worn Out Lands.
We copy with great pleasure the following excel |
lent paper from the pen of H. K. BURGwYNN ESQ |
of Northampton County, N, c., from the May No of
the Southern Cultivator in which paper it has been
published in anticipation of the patent Office Re-
port" for which it written We agree with the
enlightened editor of the CuItiyator that if the Re-
port" contained nothing else than the essay in ques
ton, the money which will be expended in printing
1t, will be probably laid out. What Mr. B. states
is not theory, which may may not be true, but are
the results of has practice and experience and
therefore, implicitly to be relied upon.
In reading Mr.. BIS excellent communication, we
regret that lime and mari were available in his
District as either if used in connection with his pea
leys would render his soil infinitely productive
1t is possible however, that the stiff cays which
derlay the lands of his neg hbOrhood and which are
brought to the surface by his deep pOughing, con-
tain notable portions of lime potash and salts of iron
IN various stages of oxidation, and may thus afford
heathtul supplies of the two first named substances
but even in that case, benefit would result from the
applications of lime in the quantity properly sug
gested by the discriminating mind of Mr. B., even
less quantities" quantity of lime," says Mr. PU
Wis, (which does not exceed the thousandth part of
the titled surface layer of the SOIL like proportion
of drawn ashes, or a two-hundredth part, even
less, of mari, sufficient to modify the nature,
change the products, and increase by one-half the
crops of soil destitute of the calcareous principle
In another part of his valuable essay the proper
ties and modes of applying lime, he speaks most ap
prOVingy of the practice of the farmers of La Sarte
France, who apply, every third year. III bushels per
acre In compost made of one part Eme and seven or
eight parts of good mould earth
In those districts of country where both lime and
mari are to be had, but where the soil has been
hausted by improvident culture, by adopting the
deep filth and pea-leY system of MIR. b and by Ii
ming marling the proprietors of such lands will
greatly add to their productive capacities.
We invite your attention to the following:
Improvement of Worn Out Lands by the Use of Peas
and Glover.
BY H. X BURGwYNN ESQ, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, N. c.
Having heard from various reliable sources of the
great success of Mr.. BURGwYNN in renOvatlng worn
out lands in North Carolina, particularly
anxious to obtain, from his pen, account of
his practice in this important matter for the Agri
cultural part of the Patent Office Report At our re-
quest MIR. B. sent the following able and instructive
essay which we take the liberty to publish in the
CultlUatoy simultaneously with its going through the
press at Washington
'There are large bodies of land lying in Eastern
and Middle Virginia and North Carolina, which have
been so much reduced by continued cropping, plant
ing tobacco cotton and sowing oats, longer to
pay the cost of cultivation, and turned out as
waste lands These really still possess good share
OF fertility, and, by very moderate expenditure OF
labor and attention to common sense principles of
agriculture may be reclaimed and have their pro-
ductveness increased from 100 to $50 per cent They
can be made truly valuable; and | do not hesitate
to say the result of experience that they will
give greater profit in the of five years cul-
tivation than can be derived from any except
rich river lands
O. This is the method have adopted, and by which
have increased the products of such lands from
to barrels of corn to barrels per The in
of wheat is proportionably greater than that
In corn. My system of culture is substantially as
follows:
q the broom straw in which these waste lands
always grow up, retains any sap by which, when
turned under fermentation will ensue and cause the
straw to rot, let the land 1T as be powed with the
largest size plow drawn by three four horses,
ming as deeply possible-say not less than ten
nches-and turning everything under. If the straw
has no sap, it will not rot in year and in that case
burn it off and pillow before. If possible, follow
each pillow with a subso pillow. and go or inches
deeper. This will make the stiff clay which almost
everywhere underlies land, open to the ge-
NAL Influences of the sun and air, and enable 1T to
get rid of the surplus water of winter, and heavy
rains in other periods of the year.
about the middle of June following, when the
weeds about half grown, and before they have
formed their Seeds the land broadcast at the rate
of bushel per acre, of any OF the numerous varle-
ties of peas among u.s. except the blackeyed which,
having very little vine affords little shade In all
cases, prefer those which have the most vine, and
ripen earliest. When the land has much OF weeds
grass upon it, turn under the peas with any kind
of plow running not three inches deep. Ii the
land is bare of Weeds prefer covering the peas with
large, heavy harrow, running both ways-frst
lengthwise and then across the beds AS 1t is I'M
portant to give the peas start over the weeds and
grass soak them six hours in water, and rub them
In plaster of Paris and when they begin to leaf and
branch, say when IL inches high, sow plaster at
the rate of bushel per acre. This stimulates their
growth and they overpower the weeds and grass.
'When about half the peas ripe-not half
ripe'-hogs should be turned in to trample and cut
up the vines otherwise it is extremely difficult to turn
them under. So soon as this can be done, the hogs
should be taken off, for the peas are useful for sha-
ding the land from the summers sun-a most impor-
tant matter in all improvoment-and giving to the
table substances. From experience in the use OF
both think peas not iAferior to clover (to which
family indeed, it belongs specific manure for
wheat.
"After this mass of vine has been turned under,
you have pea ley over which a bushel and a
half of wheat per acre. and quarts of clover seed
Harrow both in thoroughly, and let the work be fin
ished by the middle of October The return will of
course, depend somewhat on the quality of the old
field but venture to affirm that it will amply re-
pay all labor and outlay, and astonsh by the great
result apparently from so trivial
81 am familiar with the great increase of crops
from the use of lime and clover, and do not near
to compare the two methods of renovating land as
equal but, where lime is not to be had there is nc
application that can compare for moment on well
drained land f need draining) with plaster, peas
and deep tiliage. No gold mine is valuable as a
good mari pit. | am, however, confirming myself tt
interior districts where neither lime mari car
be had.
aAfter the wheat comes off in June following, the
clover if sown early in October, will nave grown 81
as to shade the land pretty we'll, on the waste
lands speak Of It should not be grazed the frs