The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-06-28
Prom the southern Agricultural.
What should be the Chief Crops of
the South2

2.
the South?
Corn and coiinn in the cotton plant
ing States. have by common custom
become the universal craps Of exten-
sise cultivation. How Car this shift ID
carrect, is not entirely proved by its
unlsersaiity. nar by the prejudices
which sustain il in Che minds Of plan
ters. Indian corn, indigenous 10 the
soil. was perhaps the most convenient
and profitable when the country was
first settled. and when an abundant and
easily prepared crop, 10 supply the
wants of both nan and beast. was re.
quirement VI the times. lu this rela.-
tive value. il still is the most valuable
crop grown op the virgin soils III the
Middle and Southern of the Western
States, fpr il lpxuriates upon the yege.
table matter .aboundipg IN pe~ soils.
and with little preparation and indif.
ferept culture, yields large returns for
labor bestowed. Such. .homeyer, is not
khe case 10 older States. where the
cream Of the laud has been stolen away
ipperceptibly by the mast eSLaustipg
systems 10 which titled soil has ever
been subjected ; and, taking tep years
cropping tosetbers the lndiap corp crop
is the most uncertain we can plant.
II is difficult to grow on any but virgin
or alluvial soil. and the droughts af
summer, except in extraordinary aud
most favorable seasops, cpt il ol to
\ Fpipeus. extent. The corn crib is
called the store house Of the planter in
the South. aud indeed il is his main
dependence. But this is only because
he is not accustomed to Intervene
other crops with the cultivation of cot
ton. On improved aud well prepared
soil. harley aud wheat woul,l yield
more bushels Of grain Of more value to
the planter than Indian corn. In fact,
barley is the most valuable grain which
we cultivate at the South. Ii sown in
The proper season. it readily perfects
itself frola the wiRter moisture in the
earth, and yields heavily. 1t is fine
soiling for all kinds Of stock, and comes
into harvest iu May. a time when few
days cap be spared from the cotton
crop without detriment to its growth
or production. Its grain is so well
protected, that it is not liable to be
spoilt by exposure to he weather. aud
il may lie any lepgth Of time in the
straw. when dryly housed, without be-
ing injured. 4 barley crop soUn with
guano, cotton seed, or well prepared
compost manure, after the cotton crop
is gathered IN December and January,
would come OF sufficiently early to sow
the stubble dosn in peas to be turned
under in autumn. aud the rotation OF
small grain with this system pursued.
would be the best aud most efficient
mode Of improving our lands. II would
also be fitted to the economical and
easy cultivation of the after cotton
crop, BY the plowing under Of the her.
bage in the fall, which would be tho.
roughly Y decomposed by the nex t spring.
Barley, ground aud mixed with the
straw, reduced to chat by cutting
machine, is better food for horses and
cattle than any preparation Of Indian
corn, and to those persons who have
not mills, simply soaking the grain in
water is fine preparation for feeding
to horses. Swine fatten and keep in
condition more easily on barley than
on corn. As conclusive argument in
its favor. more barley can be cheaply
grown on an acre OF improved dry up-
land, than we can grow OF corn. Wheat
sown with guano in like manner after
the cotton crop, would come in at
season when the harvesting could be
attended to without detriment, and af-
ter the cotton crop is laid by, and in
the interval between that time and the
commencement Of picking, the thresh-
ing and preparing it for market or the
mill, could be attended to without hin-
drance. The middlings, shorts and
bran Of a large wheat crop, all mixed
together, would 60 far to feed the plan
tation stock, and negroes would relish
wheaton bread as change for the corn
bread usually allowed to them.
We would, from these few reasons
stated, and many more needless to
mention, recommend the reduction Of
the corn crop to such q degree as would
throw all lands not naturally produc-
ing Indian corn we'll, into wheat. bar
ley, rye and oats. We wGuld then
cultivate our titled crops we'll and ca
silly, and the avenues the system would
open for Improvement would su6n. ere
pay Tor the experiment. We know