Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-07-23

On the Comparative Value Of different Manures,
To which waS awarded the Premium of the
Maryland State Ag,icultural Society.-By
WIN. D. GRESHAM, Of King and Queen Co.,
Va.
CONTINUED.
EXPERIMENTS WITH L1ME-Upon six acres of
land accurately measured there was gathered in
1s46, thirty four bushels of corn. In the sum-
mer of ls49, this lot of land was dressed with
fifty bushels of lime to the acre, applied as top
dressing, and the following spring dressing of
woods scrapings was added, thoroughly plough
ed in, and well cultivated in corn; there was
gathered in the fall of 1850, one hundred and
twe1ty-nine bushels Of corn; the same fall this
lot of land was seeded in wheat, (the first time
it had been in small grain for the last twenty
years) the wheat grew off finely, ard in spring
so fourishing did it appear, | was Induced to
seed it in clover. The wheat was got out, accr-
rately measured, and eighty bushels the result
The clover has taken finely, and with the appli-
cation of plaster and bones, will make one of my
finest lots.
2. In a field containing 13O acres of land upon
which there was gathered in 1874 about 500 bar
rels of corn, was lined at the rate of fifty bushels
to the acre in August lS4S, and cultivated in
corn in ls49; although the corn suffered very
greatly for rain, there was gathered 647 barrels
of good merchantable corn.
Sd. Upon field of $50 acres of land recent
ly purchased, lime was applied at the rate Of tf-
ty bushels to the acre, in the summer of 1850,
and well distributed; it was in corn last year and
by good judges it was pronounced the best crop
that had been upon it for number of years. 1t
is now in wheat, having had an additional fal-
low of peas, (peas having been sown last summer
in the corn.) believe this old field, which con-
tanned the sorrel and poverty grass, and which
was an "eye sore" to all good farmers, will this
summer present new aspect IN the foliage of
good set of clover.
Marl.-Ths is another agent which has been
extensively used in this section of the countryiu
the renovation of land, and much advantage has
been derived from its application, yet so greats
the deficiency in agricultural chemistry and chem
ical analysis, that some of the mars which from
a superficial view appear to have the most shell
and other valuable properties, have turned out
to be very inferior, and to reward but poorly the
undertaken. have frequently seen farmers who
were jealous in marlng their lands, and so soon
as they had taken off their crops would turn in
large herds of cattle to gaze them, "nd when the
same fields would come into cultivation, (that
being every year) they would declare the mari
had done them great injury, in rendering their
lands more sterile and neutrality-suspicious. how
ever, has proven their theories tallacous, added
to tie great improvement in the division Of lands
and the rotation of crops. No country has more
improved by the application Of mari than this
SECTION of Va. The green sand mari acts more
efficiently than any manure have everapplicd;
and the mari to which have reference, is that
found along the Pamunky river, of Va. and which
has rendered the farms along that river 50 valua-
be, and given them a celebrity which is not sur
passed by any lands in the State. have seen
poor fields by the application of this mari pro-
duce almost double, and il has been asceraned
that any amount can be applied, and to the
greatest advantage. 1t is to this mari that the
experiments and the five years profit Of farming
of Edmund Rutiin on his estate in Hanover Co.
Va, and which appeared in the pages Of the
American Farmer, for July, lS+9, is alone to lie
attributed, and which gave newimpetus to the
agricultural interests of this section of country.
An attempt is now being made in this county, by
raising company and sending vessels after this
mari, and lbelieve it could be delivered any where
on the bay shore Or its tributaries at cost not
exceeding from six to eight cents per bushe.
And it can in deed and truth he said to be a
mine of wealth to the proprctors, and the ada
cent districts which admit of water transporta-
tion." have already occupied more space than
intended upon the subject of lime, and as it cali
with equal propriety, be said of mari, shall not
elaborate with other remarks and experiments.
Ashes.-The application of leached and un-
leached ashes upon land, has been SO visible and
apparent to every farmer thatit would be unne-
cessary to mention their beneficial effects in detail.
In supplying the alkaes to the soil, so necessary
for the production of all crops renders it one Of
the most important of all manurcs. Its applica-
ticn to light and sandy soils, in supplying the
silicate Of potash" so necessary for the land,
and thereby giving them the power of produc-
ton, renders it most valuable to such lands A
sufficient quantity of ashes being out of the
question for our large fields, the supply not be-
ing equal to the demand" and tile price higher
than the farmer can in most cases afford, that
more need not be said upon their beneficial ap-
plicaton, except to recommend them whenever
they can be obtained at fair and reasonable
cost.
Guano.-I have been both successful and un-
successful in the application of this manure no
doubt owing to the fact that some of the article
used was Of inferior quality or had been adul