Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-08-15
Agricultural Improvement.

While outin this county at the tax-gath-
ings, we were grati6ed to hear from few Of
our farming friends accounts for their sue
cessful experiments in improving the ferdli-
ty of their land. Il is certainly encoura-
ging to see that spirit of improvement is
abroad and though but few, Comparatively,
have made much progress in the matter, an
earnest inquiry is awakened, and the i'm
provement is generally felt; we may there
fofe hope that the successful practice Of the
few will soon set The many to work in the
right direction. The important question
with farmers now Is, how can thesproduc-
tiseness of ogE lands be increased with tie
least expens4 yS<Ss aiding II The ans ---a,o:
& AIS isaAkiAE 3 ne 1r--
tpefience ofstwo tafmets Of this court as
related to US, in the use of Pea Vines as &
fertilizer. p ~. a. sg
: A farmer living in the eastern part of the
county, told us that he placed more reliance
on the pea vine than on guano, having tried
both. The pea vine he regarded as a Ger
tain profit !; while if the gua1e failed from
any cause, he, considered it a dead loss of no
inconsiderable amount at present prices. He
stated that he had just gathered crop of
wheat from lot of eight acres, upon which
the previous year he had raised crop of
peas, leaving the vines to be ploughed in
The wheat he pronounced the finest he ever
saw. He had not measured it, but stated
that he hauled from the field ten four. horse,
wagon loads, each.of which he was confident
would yield from eighteen TO twenty bushels
of wheat Take the lowest estimate, and
it gives a yield of twenty-five and half
bushels to the acre!.. How many fields. up.
on which guano was used will beat that the
I past season.? q =
The other experiment was related to US
by an intelligent farmer living in the neigh
borhood of-Chape Hill. The experiment
was. tried on a poor piece of land, upon
which year or SO ago he attempted to raise
4 a opsof wheat, but entirely. failed He
did not attempt even to eut-it. After pas
turing it awhile, he ploughed,in the remain
ing straw, and followed it with peas sowed
4 broadcast, At~the proper time last fall the
4 vines were ploughed under, the soil being
Z broken as deep as possible, and a crop Of
7 wheat put in. The yield of wheat on this
field was better than eotsaEy sother on bis
plantation, and proved. the beneficial effects
: Of the system adopted entirely to. bis salts
faction. - -
: Weregard these experiments as impor
f tant, not as furnishing any new truth, bu
/ as afoFding gratifying evidence that SONS
at leasb of our farmers are beginning to1eay'
n the ad patbsSby@..which their lands hav
f been exhausted and are adopting plans b,
i which their fertility may be restored an
; their productiyeness greatly increased. On
good example in neighborhood, by il
W success, will soon induce others to follow i
a We have seen this happily exempli6ed i
q this county. In a neighborhood IN whic
4 were many waste old fields a few years back
i we, now see, upon these same old fields, th
e most hourishing wheat crops; and we d
f not think we 60 too far in saying that th
. was brought about by one intelligent ma
q in the neighborhoo9, who set the exatnpl
nj of producing good wheat crops upon then
a What he did, others could do his neigl
bors argued, andswent 10 work accordin gly
=. and it now, perhaps, may be considered tn
best wheat growing neighborhood in th
county. ty.-HiltSboroug Recorder.