Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-10-14
GREAT YIELD FROM one ACRE.

Wecopy from the last Marlborough Southerner,
the following letter from John S. Dancy, Esq, one
of the best farmers in the State
s'MR. EDITOR: have made such an extraordin-
airy production Extraordinary for this region of
country of Oats and Hay from acre ofland, that
propose to give you an account of it The acre in
question comprises lots Nos 8 and 10 in this town
and was seeded to Oats and clover in March, 81.
The Oats in 81 were fair: yield, followed in '52
and '53 by excellent clover, good as saw
in the Piedmont country of Virginia The land was
well manfred in ST. 81 and 53 and received in ad-
dition so bushels of ashes in 80 ~4
In the month Of March last plowed the land Seven
eight inches Deep sowed two bushels of Oats and
applied $50 pounds of Peruvian guano mixed with
one bushel of plaster and narrowed and cro.s-har
rowed the whole in. e.
The latter part of June cut the Oats, the cnt-
ting occupied three hands two entire days. the Oats
being badly lodged, caused the slow progress of the
hands. - -.>sgs. :
After cutting and curing hauled off the Oats
and the yield tlc0 horse acGsg0n loads, equal
to four md a hakf stucks l regret that did not
weigh the product but feel safe in saying. that it
would have been between seven and ten thousand
pounds. -
A fine crop ofcrab grass sprung up and 10th
ing was done to the lot, pulling out the weeds
and brars twice. On Monday the 10Th Sept. COM
menced moving the hay, which from two to
three feet high all the acre. and II venture the
opinion, with a great deal Of certainty, would COM
pare favorably with the best of New England Tim
to it and when weighed, after four days curing
and sufficiently dry to house, made seven thousand
i've hundred and twenty one (752) pounds. Now
here is amount of provender truly astonishing to
have been made single acre, upwards of four
teen thousand pounds of Oats and Hay, sufficient
to maintain four horses for twelve months.
Now where is any wisdom displayed in abandon
ing such country as this to seek virgin soil IN
the South and West The lover captious may say
your product cost you too much " w here
vas the costg The only item which cost any cash
was the 100 pounds of guano at q cents per pound,
50 20. The balance was labor, and we'll spent labor
to bring about such a result.
once heard of farmer in Halifax county being
jeered by yankee about the condition ofhis team.
His reply that his fodder crop the past year was
short Nv ny don't you raise grass ?" says the yam
kee. "Our climate don't suit il" says the farmer
1t in the midst of summer and our yankee friend
came from Halifax to this place, narrated his con-
vcrsation with the farmer and said he had seen more
grass that day than lie erer saD an one ddy before
Every body knows we have to struggle with the
grass from the LIST of May to the lst of August and
every body knows it too often happens that grass
wins the victory. Let the cry no longer be raised
that climate doesn't suit grass, when seven
thousand pounds of crab-grass Hay can be made on
acre. Nothing is necessary, but to curtai your
cotton crops or 10 acres according to the size Of
the farm, manure it well, pull out the weeds and
briarS and the Timothy of the South (crab-grass)
will do the balance. "-"
Calculate the production of this acre at present
prices of Oats and Hay, one dollar per hundred,
and we have the round sum of one hundred and Tor
ty.Jfre dollars Objection may be made to valuing
crab-grass Hay with Northern Hay, but the OBJ
lection will not hold good l confess with sorrow
be it said) to using Hay from the North one season,
and assert that nell cured crab grass Hay is in every
respect equal and often superior to the yankee artc
deem it proper to state that took number OF
gentlemen both from town and the county several
times to see the crops of Oats and Hay and can
confidently appeal to them to sustain in the state
ments here set forth. Very respectfully,
Your 'ob't serv't, ]
mo nAN(Y