Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-11-18
AGRICULTURAL.
FARMING IN ROCKBRIDGE, VIRGINIA.
HnME RncKRRinGE Va. JUNE 10 1851.

HOME RocKBRrDGE Va, June TO- 1851.
To- Editor Of The American Farmer:
Permit me, while renewing my SUBSCRIPTION 10 your lnVa
uaoe paper TO send you specimens Of my ~heat ana 70
give YOU shor, OF my little farming operations
No is smooth white wheat, called here the blue stem
rainbow, from its color when approaching maturity Inc
growth most uSurlant, easily sustaining my Ola
straw hat when throw it the surface OF The spke-ise
tars and measuring average height Of five eet nine
inches My other wheat measures about i've feet Inc
heads send are fair specimen OF 10, Vi eight acres which
is pronounced by of the farmers Of neghborhood
one Of the finest pieces of wheat they saw. Some OF
them hesitate assert that II is the very best wheat
they ever saw grow OF the earth The product is va
osy estimated from thirty To forty bushels ~ the acre
NV nephbor Mr.. Peter a. Sailing who years ago,
made by actual Measurement, hundred and seventy odd
bushels of four OF tobacco land, remarked
that he thought, fully equally that lot and Col. Jacob
Ruff OF Lexington OF opinion that II quite good
as any he had observed his fathers John Ruff Esq.,
one OF the best practical farmers III the county, who has
made thirty odd bushels tic
No. is white bearded wheat, called the Harper, which
procured in Augusta last fall. The growth OF straw is
quite rank. The heads yoa will OBSERVE, are remarkably
long Inca surfing seven inches and hall
No the Mediterranean, which, though sowed very late
lin November) land promises yield Of at eas
twenty bushels the Ia Joint Of maturity, it has the
decided advantage Of the other varieties 1t will be ready
f,r the cradle a, least ten days ia her
No 4 is the wnlir-oehr!ed. have cultivated II
70! several My crop ias year, un'avo
able for wheat averaged seventeen Bushels TO the
acre. years o"J:e the average was about twenty
The bearded whats best I'd pied ~ bottoms be-
Ing all the world knows less liable IL fust Than the smooth
heads.
Ny entire crop twenty Of wheat is variousy es
mated nrehbos at from ;'ur 10 five hu ntred bushels
-uYpu,n. Df COURSE SHOULD be favoub!
- its maturity The weather l. .w as ne as could Dc de-
,Hltd-coul and dry.
No manure o rny Kind has tccn applied my wheat
TIE crop the naiu:al pr"uc; u the system Of Improve
beer Prosecuting FOR several years. More than
half OF il was eown ci".-r ia''ow broken up IN July
and seeded Tie is Il August ana The 'st ot oepleiori
with the wh,as :aT ctscrited at The rate OF uo"u
one bushe 10 the whc, i sown cnIiy, equally dsri-
ground and W., pun 10, have found by re-
To h.
The soaked in t., rolled in lime, and frs plough
ed and then narrowed in.
attach great Importance cnvhnc the ner varieties,
which generally succ,td wci or lew years until they be-
nccated and srhlrc; ola Tie prevailing diseases OF
deeenera'ed gain tailed in whea, crop and
! abue my uniform sGcress, in great measure ~ the
fact that have always raised The nep varieties change
my of all kinds every i!tec four years variety
is the spice of farming well as OF ie Nature deShIs IN
change
nv little farm about len times large that Of Cncn
mains, when GOT sip yens agu had been
-rduced bv nj cltvatio product
lid not exceed five bushels OF weat, fifteen OF oats anu
twenty of the My crops Tor me present year.
with ordinary luck estimated by good Judges al twenty
five bushels vi wheat forty ." oats, tom fifty TO sixty OF
corn and two Of hay 10 the acre.
Had every farmer The county OF Rockbr!dge, and in
this glorious old Commonwealth Of Virginia, and in these
United States ICED gran, that they may long be united
effected equal improvement IN that portion OF the earl
which Providence has committed TO his care TO iertzc and
beautify lmpU versh and driorm what immense
addition would have been mace 10 Individual comfort and to
national wealth
How has this striking Improvement been effected Not
BY the lavish expenditure money for and other fer
tizcrs my experiments in that way ast year and
In The present doa!s-l stick 10 the old
ways until have found belcr-but by the liberal use o.!
clover seed and plaster taking not 10 plough my land
when il was wet I" break II rs deep US possible nave suo
socd this year than hall OF my twenty acres OF corn
and and keep my grass lots well covered with
The rotation prefer Tor croHs and improvement is five
SHIFT consisting of
ls Grass an equal mixture of clover and timothy, dress
carly March with equal quantities OF plaster ashes and
Stacked lime at the rate OF three bushels The
TO he nd
fall
3D. The same, pastured, but nerer grazed close am
more than half my uncle Bob Baldwns shade
theory which is confirmed by many facts under my own
observation.
3D. Wheat.
Attn. Corn.
9TH Oats with clover and timothy seed, pasteed at the
time OF sowing the rate of bustie! 10 the acre.
NV experience is that wheat clover falow, an
average years. is worth five dollars than
wheat after corn and that after wheat equally supe-
ror TO corn on clover sodmaking difference of dol
lars in favor of this rotation in preference to the
customary of corn on clover lea followed by wheat
object tho crop Of oas not because concur IN the
prevailing opinion that is exhaustins than wheat oul
because II don't At maximum crop OF forty bushels
the acre and OF the price OF twenty-five cents
bushe make only dollars whereas twenty.
five bushels OF wheat fifty OF aud two tons OF hay Will
bring double that SUM- intend 10 some experiments TO
ascertain whether ant, in liz improved condition, will
not produce crop bushels of whea, to the
acre after the corn particularly ii aided by sh, appca
on o! bone dust Chappes salts guano other fer
,zsr. IT, by expanding five dollars TO the acre. add
five bushels of wheat per my CROP and I'M
prove the land, will be abundantly compensated.
But did not sit down to write an essay farming. AT
convenient will give You iu OF
my little farming operations in ali their minute details
My farm painfully aware, is far, very far from per-
fecton In TRUTH have hardly aid the groundwork of
series Of improvements which expect carry forward lit
lie BY little long live. hope in few years nearly
double my present products and create farm which
will be worth looking well Tor its substantial improve
mens for lis appropriate and ,as,eiu! embellishments.
Most respectfully, G. c. BALDWIN.
We observe that James A. Seldom the late dslins ushcc
Representative in Congress, from the Richmond District
Virginia has arrived in town. and putting up the Veran
dab Mr. Seldom is the moest and accomplished
defenders of Southern Rights in the Union. He has
coup,..d retire from public life on account OF bad health
Mr Seldom has ri,ntaun in this State, which he yeor
visits. His sojuurn for sometime, IN this heahiu CHM
would, we feel satisfied, greatly improve his health
IN O. Deto