The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-07-24
F6th Aprh, 1860.

/ pea- Clod Crisher..
BEAuRoRT S.. c., Sst
.,!gist 10th Apr, 1860.
+ MR. EDRro5t. ~ am very fond 81
| gardening, as well DIS an enthusiastic
planter, and my situations is o. peculi
ar one, and very favorable to The
growth of many plants that do, no,
generally succeed. .--Being also EN-
barked in the business Of making
manure' largely for which my situa.
tion' is very advantageous, I am desi
rous, of cultivating such crops as are
profitable for feeding mules and, oxen,
which are indispensable attendants
on maaSiag and applying them. l
wish, as soon as the season comes
foundy to try, the carrot, parsnip,
and the ;different varieties Of The beet
for this purpose on mese extended
scale than' in garderp. I made a
very fine crop Of the ruts Baga the
past winter, which I fed mostly to
my oxen, but / lost four fine oxen
when I first began on them, which I
attributed to their being given to'shem
with their tops on. for as soon as I
lost them I had the tops carefully cut
off, and lost no more, though I con-
tinued TO- feed on them two or three
months longer. ! once exhibited a
carrot weighing six pounds, and had
others that weighed rather more,
rarsed from seed brought from Paris,
but cannot recoHect what was the
variety, except that it was a white
one. l am very glad to see that
you are calling the attention of farm
ers to the value of the cow or field
pea as fertilizer Although one Of
the most cheapfy cultivated and pro-
ttable crops known among US, they
are very far from being valued as
they ought to be- No plant known
among us VIII furnish 50 much grain
for man and beast, and so much long
forage Of tho best quality on poor
lands; and for feeding laboring hors.
es, mules, and oxen, are much prefer
ed to corn, and for feeding milch
COWS, are unsurpassed for the rich
ness and quality of the milk, cream
and butter. Many varieties of the
field pea are cultivated among us,
only one, a brown, is generally
known as the COW pea, and is the one
mos. generally cultivated and sor
sale. We have also several varie-
ties that when sown down during the
month of April or first Of May, rip
en- their fruit during the latter part
Of July, then die off. A second crop
of these is generally raised from the
seed gathered from the first crop
and sown the latter part of July, rip
ening during the month Of Oct. A
few years since / accidentally got a
few seed of what has proved, upon a
thorough trial OF three years, to be
the best variety I have ever heard
of. It is said to have come from
Philadelphia, where it is called the
Shiny When sown early, and
upon good lands, it begins to ripen
about the middle of July, and contin.
ues bearing crop after crop until the
plants are killed by the frosts of Au-
tumn. The last summer I gathered
from crop sown on re-cleared old
field Of medium quality, nine pickings
or crops, and left the tenth because l
was otherwise too much engaged.
In another field, on one acre, sown
the latter part Of July, I gathered
1888 pounds Of peas in the pods,
while from one quarter acre of the
COW pea, sown alongside, and at the
same time, gathered only eighty
two pounds. This would not prove
good variety for ploughing in green
for manure, for ifit ripens good
crop, the temptation to gather the
pods would prove two great, and thus
part Of the benefit would be lost to
the soil. l could send one bushel Of
this seed for distribution, if you think
that it would prove acceptable to the
farmers of your neighborhood. For
turning in only, very small variety,
known among us as the Pigeon or
Lady Pea, would prove the best, as
it is of very luxurious growth, but
will bear but little, if any, fruit, if
sown before the beginning of July.
Allow me to recommend to your
readers a 'Clod Crusher,' figured
and described in the January No.
of the American Agriculturist, for
levclling and pulycrizing very rough,
stiff and ,ooty clay lands where the
harrow could not be used, and for
stiff clay lands generally.
With hearty wish for the circula.
tion Of your Journal proportionatc to
It's great usefulness and yonr untiring
neal, I remain, Your odd Subscri.
ber,'
Popsr TrrIcorU