The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent., 1851-07-18
Farming bv Rule,

Mr. ED1ToR:--I have been reader Of your
journal for several years, and am pleased to
say ali your numbers contain (more or less
valuable information worth great deal more,
in my opinion, than the amount of the sub
seription. Asitis Southern paper, in the heart
of the South, and devoted to Southern inter-
ests and principles, it ought, and | amin hopes
does circulate very extensively. Having said
thus much in relation to the merits of your
journal, with your permiss ion, will give some
OF my experience upon the subject on which
most OF your correspondents write--that OF
planting. have been planting for the last ~
years; during that time | have given my farm
| large portion of my personal attention, not
wlthstanding | have had oyerseers all the time
have been as successful as the most success
ful of my neighbors. For the last three years
| have kept a regnlsr diary of the enasols: when
| planted corn and cotton, how prepared my
land for both, and how cultivated during the
season; and no two years have prepared my
land and cultivated my crop. in the same way
! Some of your correspondents lay down regular
rules for planting and advise US to pursue hem.
Mr.. JENKINS, of Choctaw, in your February No,
tells US how he cutiyates, and advises he young
planters Of Carroll not to plant more than
twelve acres 10 the land. agree with him in
that, and am free to admit that it is a safe rule
we may follow. But | do contend that no
! planter can lay down regular rules by which he
is TO be governed in cultivating his crop unless
he can control the heavens, to say when it shall
rain, and in what quantities, when spring shall
set in, and when frost shall come. II he can
control these things, will agree he may lay
down regular rules and work by them, oiher1
/ wise he must be governed by circumstances, in
great degree. This reminds me of crcum-
! stance which occurred in this county several
years since. A young planter, or at least one
who had been planting bat short time, went
to one of his neighbors who was looked up ~
as an experienced and successful planter, 20
know how to work his crop. The experienced
! planter told him how he was working and ave
him his rules for working CROP and advise d
him to follow them. The gentle IN N went
home, did as he was directed, used the sano
plow even that he was told to use, and in Il few
DAYS went back, and found his friend working
entirely different from what he was when he
was there before, and entirely different from
the course he had advised him to pursuel
With some astonishment he asked him why he
had changed, and why he had advised him to
! work differently! The answer was, it has
rained good deal since YOU were here, ard
you see how the grass grows. | had to work
! "a
according to circumstances, and would advise
J you to 90 home and do the same, and not listen
20 the whims of every passnr by. If yoa d
you will not make crop. think Mr.. Editor,
2 that was good advice Iwould advise farmers
to read all they see on the subject Of farming
g subscribe to the SOUTHERN CULTIyArOR pub
) sbed at Augusta, Ga, for it is only 81. Bul
t after all, you must bring common practical
: sense along with it, or you will never make
!, planter. Some men theorize learnedly an'
: write beautifully upon farming: TO hear theu,
e one would suppose it was the easiest matte
e imaginable TO cultivate and make a good crop
v but short of hard licks and steady perseverance,
o have never made one. When you take holC
II of the plow, never look back except to see i
d you have left grassor plowedup the eoflor cot
e ton have written this, Mr. Editor, ia haste
Z whilst it was raining. If should write yol
again (and want 20 say few words to DI
PHILIPS and others, upon the subject Of blood
ed cotton seed,) will endeayer to take .moF'
time
History tells US of the Ephesan who burne
i the famous Temple of Diana, on the night j
IS which the great ALExvNDER was born, in orde
k to transmit his fame to posterity; and as d
e not court this Ephesian's fame, protest agains
n subscribing any other name to this than that {
,, I,oGos.
h Carol County, Miss, March, 1851.