Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-06-09
From the Arator.
HOW re IMPROVE WORKOUT LAND.
TARBoRo' Both April 1855.
From the Arator.

HOW re IMPROVE WORKOUT. LAND.
TARBoRo', Both April 1856.
Some wears ago, as 1 have been informed by old
farmers the busiest time of the year commenced
about this season, and continued until the nrst OF
August when the cultivation of the crops was nm
ished and but little remained to be GONE the oaiance
of the yeas, more than to gather the crop, winch
was generally SHORTCUT little more than support
Now Mr. E8itor see how things have changed. Inc
quantity of work done the first four months OF the
year, decidedly the busiest portion, is now nearly
equal to what was formerly done in the whole year,
md the crops of and cotton doubled, II not ire
bIed under the present system OF lnanurlng, often
ing &C., l do not believe there is any part OF tue
world where the same amount OF labor Adoh mean
money! is employed in improving the sou, as Is no"
going on in the county of Edgecomb. Most OF our
fnnrov;no farmers are raising from eight hundred
to one thousand loads manure to the hand and put
ting from one hundred to one hundred and twenty
five loads to every cultivated In cotton Inns
amount of labor tells heavily on our teams, and
nanv of US think doing too mucn IN TINS one
branch of business causing many other Things equal
ly necessary be but imperfectly DONE yet we still
persist in this course, like thousands VINO nave pre-
ceded and millions that will follow us
ave know the right and approve it too,
Condemn the wrong, and yet the wrong pursue
But time will doubtless correct thus and many
other errors committing. The permanent
Improvement of the land under this system, great
think the increased value of land, at the expira-
ton of each year, treated in this way, is more than
equal Saying nothing of the greatly increased crop,
which is ample remuneration for expense, trouole,
&C., to the simple interest moned capital invest
ed in the land.
Allow me to give you the result OF my limited ex-
ncrience as a farmer. | do SO from no egotlstlc
views or desire of putting myself, but from q SIM
cere wish of benefttng others. began to farm in
l949 upon an old, worn down plantatIon-soll orig
inally good but owing to the Swimming system IN
blowing and imperfect draining or, rather, no drain
ing at ALL pursued by my predecessors, the land was
reduced to the lowest degree OF sterllty thought
then and every years experience since mas strengtn
a. hat
tborouoh draining, the first step to improve
ment NY bitches cut from three to five feet
(still deeper won do any injury deep, which LAID
my land sufficiently dry-(the quantity OF land IN
cleared and we'll drained and put in cultivation,
would feed the armies of Europe)-to receive other
improvements in the way of manure, deep plowlng,
&c. But here let caution my young brother
farmers of an error l committed in blowing
thought, if deep blowing was necessary to improve
the SOIL the sooner did it the better. 1 turned up
about three inches of the original sub-soil, which
had never been disturbed before, and the conse-
ouence was, complete failure in that years crop
on the small portion of land so treated. l am in
clined think the deepening of the soil should be
done gradually, not exceeding an inch of year.
The same object will be accomplished IN few years,
without sustaining the loss l did.
l continued to improve in every way l could, by
removing ditch banks; composing stable manure,
C, ton seed; keeping my fa.tening hogs pens and
COW pens we'll supplied with either litter swamp
mud. The result of this course here submit My
crop of 1s4S--6 hands constituted my whole force
was, bags, 400 lbs. each, cotton; quantity of corn
rot remembered bat sufficient for support Of my
family. My crop every year since has been regular
ly increasing, but will only give you a statement
of last years 1853 crop My force seven hands,
together with young man who acted las overseer,
and worked what time he could: 200 barrels
and 55 600 lbs.,) bags cotton. In all my farming
operations, have never used any bought manures,
Gypsum excepted, which found to act we'll on cot
ton. 1t pays well to buy simply to rub the seed in.
Rut 7 aIiedo on gnch of inD
had put in my reach, and from my limited knowl-
edge believe the means amply supplied upon
almost every farm to improve it.
If the plan of improvement now going on in this
county, and So rapidly spreading in the adjoining
countless be made general throughout the State,
and it is through the influence of your valuable pa
per this may be effected for suppose nearly every
farmer in the State will take the "Arator either
of the numbers issued is we'll worth the price of
one years subscription-then may expect to see
tn Old North State, longer the by-word, the
Grip Van-W inkle of the South shake off her leth-
argy, and be, she is well able to be, the best far
ming State in the Union.