Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-11-10
MR npMunpe Appnnss.

The horse carrie more chcnply led ana may
be more extensively and iudicously used. Hence
all Of those directions for thorough preparation Of
+ the hand l., the plough and harrow, strongly
pressed by intelligent farmers IN dense populn-
+ tions, apply with far greater force amongst us.
I Aud to the same extent in favor of using those
machines for labor saving. which have rendered
f 80 conspicuous the inventive genius OF our me
4 chanie-.
] Ia extensive regions Of the State the soil has
E become 50 much oAbausied by scourging oultisa-
/ ton, that improvement from the sources Of the
+ farm i SLOW aud Encouraging. even under the
E direction Of experience and Judgment. The dis
i appointment 1T sangune hopes often chill- the
] enthusiasm of young melt aud disgusts them
i with the efforts at improvements The toundh-
/ ton for more rapid Improvement may Doe judi
eiously laid IN tie Of guano and other speclnl
mauures. They nre powerful auNiliHrles 10 the
materials OF the farm ia it, rapid i'm. .roYement.
/ Though not permanent improyers Of themselves,
they furnish the materials in straw and clover for
continued improvement. When used for the pur-
/ pose Of improvement, very light grazing ought
Ia follow uat the land is far supplied with
organic matier ns to bear the loss BY grazing.
The use Of special mnnures is always more bene
bcinl IN connection with mnnurcs of the farm
(Norton's Elements, lO1. Transactions of the
Highland Agricultural Society, l5IS+19; "Spe-
cial Mnures.' y The effect of special manures
is 10 cnuse "a heavy production, withoutsuppyng
hll WHICH tlf nffil IN ulilfsH
ameornting crops occur, or vegetable litter be
supple exhaustion of the land will follow their
continue ! nso Many special manures frequently
yield rs heavy and profitable returns as gnano.
The nitraies of potash and soda-the compounds
Of ammonia sulphate of soda-nnd those sub
stances in combination with various manures. \
series OF very carefully conducted experiments
with large number of special manurcs, cmbra-
cling the gnanos, viii be found detailed in the
Transactions of the Highland Agricultural So
clety. lsls-'l9. They recommend the use of all
IA top-dressngs To the grain crops about the
middle of the spring. bring them to the no
tee of the Society the farmers generally have
been unable to procure guano III time Tor use in
sowing their wheat and there is every reason to
believe That spring top dressing is rs valuable
an npplicutienas any other.
In addition 10 guano as an auxiliary in the i'm
proycment of the land il iuny be proftably used
on all lands of moderate fertility At least such
- the result OF my observation and experience.
II hostens the maturity of the wheat and tobacco
crops, and this mny bc regarded as one ofits val
liable qualities. When applied TO tobacco, il pro
dnces marked Improvement on the wheat crop
That follows very little inferior to the direct APP
pcaton to the wheat.
There are large areas Of the State peculiarly
adapted to the crop of tobacco-this has been
generally regarded an eXhaustng crop; and
this may be the usuul consequence, but is not the
necessary effect. \ crop OF one thousand lbs. of
leaf tobacco, which may be regarded fair
/ crop from one acre, contains only pound and
! half of the phosphate of lime, seven of malate of
lime, about two of the compounds of potash, and
/ no magnesia.-C }ous., 1861 A wheat crop from
an acre, c0ntuins in the grain alone, twelve
+ pounds of phosphorc ncd, one of lime, four of
/ magnetism and seven ofpotash and soda.-( Bous
] 3bb.) The wheat crop eXhausts far more for the
soil than the tobacco CROP hut of different class
of mgrcdicnts--and hence it succeeds so admi-
/ ruby in following tobacco.
] 1t Is stated in 'lhaer's principles of Agrcul-
/ ture, as the result OF general observation that
/ four loads of dung per acre will place the land in
/ the same situation rs before the crop. That
/ the four londs OF dung form the chief item of
expenditure that must bc laid 10 the tobacco crop
and for this reason culture of tobacco is most
practiced in those places where dung can be at
tuned at n low price" Even for this small
amount ot manure, no magnosia, and only small
4 proportion 81 the lhosphatos are consumed
This isho result of observation in those portions
ot Europe where tobacco is cultivated, and
wher" mnnnres nrc Systematically collected and
/ have cNnct marketable value. 1t is obvious them
/ that neither geucrpl observation nor annly sis
would indicate this rs am cxhnusting crop and
where exhaustion follows its culture. it may be
traced Ia neglect, or mladicious over cropping
/ by the planter. II i not crop that is mcom-
! putlblc with rapid improvement profitable
; Agriculture; and extensive districts of the State
/ are hotter adapted to its cultivation than to any
/ Other crop-thoSe formations which contain pot
ashbpt arr deficient IN lime, nagnesia x the phos-
/ Phates- and where the distance from the lime
stone formal Gus render mproeem by lime too
/ expensive Plaster produces most striking eff
feet upon the growth of the plant, though il CON
/ tains no snlphatr of lime, and very considera-
bile amount of suphate of potash, The benefits
of the application are beyond doubt; the mode of
its operation is uncertain. The production of
tobacco may be greatly extended by the use of
/ urotted leaves, ashes and guano-without en-
poylng the manuring products of cultivated
crops-and as II furnishes no materials for mn-
nnre, il might properly be thrown upon other
sources to supply its wants.
No particular rotation of crops can be recon-
mended suitable to u State so extensive, with
soil and productions SO divcrsihed-the extended
rotations of continental Europe being wholly n-
suited 10 tn. sparsity of our population, and the
distance from market. We confined to few
or staple crops for market, and more frequent re
petition of the clover and grasses for mprovers.
/ he usual tive held system, of one hoe crop, two
wheat, ana two clover crops, forms one of the
best rotations, and Is scomging can be
JudcousIy prnctiscd on any, except soils of high
fertility. This Is ol iec ionable in the two fire.
quent repetition of the wheat and clover. 1t has
been observed in the best wheat countries that
the growth OF particular classes of weeds, and
the multiplication of parasitic plants, as rust,mil-
dew and snut,are favored by too frequent alter
nations of the same, or nearly allied plants. This
elects said TO be still more remarkable in the
case OF insects Some proper to peculiar
species OF plants, and when the crops are not va
RED, IT Is often found that n destructive mutip
cation OF these species takes place. U.ow' :
Practical Agricul.) The southern border of our
state is near the southern boundary of success