The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1852-04-07
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May yourrich soil,
Exuberani, natures better blessings peur
Der evey land"
From The Raleish Star.
Agricultural Improvement In EDGE
comhe-Interesting to Farmers.
We are permitted to make the fol-
lowing interesting extract Of letter
from Jesse H. Powell, ESQ.,. of Edge
combe county, to Maj. Charles l.. Hin
ton, Of Wake county, dated
marlborough, Edsecombe. n. C.. !
March IL. 1854.
"Haying little leisure, and believing
that you and others in the upper coun-
ties are too much dis posed to attribute
the improvement in farming in this
county. now in its infancy. to Mari,
and in order to show you that kind Ma
ture has put in your reach the materials
Of improvement in abundance, am in
duced to make some remarks. A por-
ton Of this county Crown Greek which
has. believe, the best practical farmers
in the State, and who realize the largest
profits, is almost destitue Of Marl-but
one farmer in that region having used
il at all, and he only during the past
year. A great deal Of this Land. for.
merly quite poor, is now producing
1200lbs seed cotton TO the acre, and
one farmer has averaged over a bale
400Ibs) to the acre-his crop seventy
odd bags. Swamp mud, fence scrap
ings, ditch bank, ashes, stable manure.
and their surplus cotton seed, are the
materials used.
Having committed some errors and
improved by experience, though only a
medium farmer, permit me to submit
my present plans Of operation in inn
prosement. not doubling that you carry
it much further. The land intended to
be manured is first staked of seventy
yards apart, which puts it in acre lots.
In the centre Of this | begin my heap ;
if the land is very poor, and the larger
portion is Of this kind, | first put down
90 load Of Muck in circular form of
Is or IS feet in diameter, which is
made level with the hoe, on which is
put (measured) or 10 bushels Of cot
ton seed, and spread regularly over.
now put on IL or Is loads more of
Muck diminishing the number Of loads
as raise the heap) which is followed by
IL or Is bushels stable manurc-con-
tinuing in this way until the heap is
finished. generally having two layers If
seed and two of manure--the whole to
be cap'd Of with 10 or IL bushels un-
leached ashes. The whole pile, when
finished, is not more than so or Sc
inches high. The advantage in having
the pile so large for the height is in
order to drive up the mules on the
heap and pour out. thereby saving much
labor. lpreler puttingin several kinds
of manure in the heap. The size OF
heaps is made to contain just the loads
/ intended for an acre Some of the heaps
are made entirely of ditch bank and
ashes, the proportion about 10 or 12
bushels ashes to 90 loads ditch bank.
4 "My carts are made to hold, when
/ heaped, about bushels. This prevents
overlooking and renders the applica-
tion on land more regular. If / wish to
use manure on corn, the shovels full
that are required to fill the cart are
carefully counted, and the load dropped
accordingly-shovel full to the hill, on
the grain of corn. This will work out
exactly. neither too much nor too lit,
tie.
"The Improvement now going on il
/; this county, is greater than ever seer
! before. The increased quantity o
manure is supposed to be double tina
Of last year. Thorough draining i
certain to follow this system. OLE
bitches must be cut deeper in order t.
: furnish material for the compost heap
and new ones cut from the same cause
81 raised last year 5000 loads man
! ure, this season over 5000, and am nov
convinced, by beginning my operation
U as soon as the present crop is laid by
| can with more ease put up 10000
have reserved some cotton seed to be
: gin with, and shall reserve all the ma
nnre raised from lst April until August
/. The RATS that have formed in my loy
n grounds, together with dead trees, vii
be converted into ashes. This last ar
ticle / am careful to use immediatel
after the fire is out. Manure put up S
long before it is used and exposed t
the wheather, will require small POI
tion Of charcoal lpowdered) or plaste
applied to prevent the volatile proper
: tyfrom escaping. lam at this time break
ing my compost heaps and hauling o
the land. A man will load and driv
and carry cut IS loads day.