Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-01-30
From the Tennessee Farmer and Mechanic
Agriculture in Arkansas.

is the staple
The soil and climate seem to be well adapt
ed to the growth and maturity of corn, wheat,
cotton, and most of the vegetables but clover
does not thrive we'll
Corn can be raised here with the greatest
ease, and in quantity to the acre not to be sur
passed by any State in the Union, if rightly
TILED and the season suits. The soil being OF
black, loose nature, the corn comes up very
soon after planting, if the spring is not too wet,
(Which is the case frequently grows rapidly,
and seldom needs more than three plOwingS
before it is in silk and tassel, and ready to lay
by. 1t natures early in the fall, by the mid
die of September at least, which gives the
farmer ample time to house his crop before cold
weather sets in.
But the manner in which corn, the staff of
life," is cultivated, and the time of planting
very frequently make it an object here
Land is seldom broken up here before spring,
and great deal of it not broken up at all. In
April or May, some farmers commence turn
ing over their land with One-horse plow,
(Which seldom runs more than three or four
inches deep,) if they discover they have time
to do so but if they find they cannot break
their land quite in time, they seize hold of a
bull-tongue or shovel pillow, lay off their rows
with one furrow each way in the unbroken
ground, plant the corn, cover it with two fur
rows, scrape the ridges just before coming up,
break out the middles, pillow two or three times,
and gather in the fall from four to six barrels
But other farmers pursue a different course
they break their land early, turn over the sub
soil, plant at the proper time, use Judgment
while cultivating, and the consequence Is, IN
the fall they gather from ten to fifteen barrels
per acre, double that of the first named farmers.
But according to experience, observation, and
the seasons, the proper time for breaking and
pulverizing land, the time of planting and the
culture of corn, wheat, &c, are too little no
ticed by the farmer.
To insure heavy crop of corn, the land
should be thoroughly broken as early as the
season will admit, and then crossed and re-
crossed, so as to get it in as fine condition be
fore planting as possible; thus bestowing the
most labor on the land before planting, and by
this means better crops would be produced
than by bestowing One-third more labor after
the crops are planted.
A great many farmers are too much in the
habit of planting too late, which is great err
ror | have ever noticed since a boy, that corn
planted in April, or the first of May, always
surpassed that planted later in filling out and
in weight. The working of it generally gets
off the hands by harvest, so that when harvest
ing is over there is no necessity Of going back
to pillow. But the late planter is hurried from
the time he plants till he is done laying by
He is bothered about harvesting his small
grain, and then he cannot gather in time to get
the benefit of the fields before frost.
This country will certainly become a wheat
country of some note, because large quantity
of wheat is raised here already, according to
the quantity sowed. The farmers are not yet
fixed for the raising of wheat, as every one
knows from the history Of the country that it
is in its infancy, and consequently the farms
are new and full of standing dead trees, and
not suitable for raising wheat, only on a small
scale; but the principal disadvantage our west
ern country labOrs under is, that 1t Is too wet;
vet there is a sufficency Of elevated land upon
which to cultivate wheat for the consumption
of the whole State, and then a surplus left for
expectation. Notwithstanding the rust, which
is the prevailing malady in wheat, a consdera-
bic quantity is produced every year. and l
think it might be increased by proper manage
ment. Like corn, wheat is put in too late l
think wheat in this country should be sowed
in September or the first of October, then it
gets a good start before winter, grows rapidly
in the spring, ripens early, and thus escapes
the rust. But most farmers sow in November
or December. and some after Christmas, which,
according TO reason, and the growth and nature
of wheat, is entirely too late. The land being
generally grassy, wheat is merely scratched in,
whereas the ground should be well broken up
and crossed, before it is ready for the reception
of the grain, which should be plowed and har
rowed, and, if possible, rolled.
But one great reason why wheat is not sow
ed more extensively is, because there are no
Touring mills to convert wheat into flour, On
this county St Francis, | mean,) after it is
raised, more than horse and steam mills fixed
up for the grinding of corn. But this want is
talked of being supplied by erecting a large
Touring anill in the centre Of the county the
money for the erection Of said mill to be taken
from the Internal improvement funds Of the
county, provided majority Of the taxpayers
are in favor of the appropriation. \ mill of
this kind, erected in the midst Of a rich farm
ing community, would give to farmers fresh
courage to raise wheat; in fact, they would be
more particular in sowing and reaping, and
then ten would SOW where one does now. In
stead of shipping our wheat TO foreign mills or
for instance to Memphis, to get it ground, or
exchanged for -four, which would require
weeks trip, we could 90 TO our county mill in
a day or two, and get as good an article of
-four as could be had at Memphis or elsewhere.
Then taking the above into consideration
think the people should take hold of this mat
ter and CARRY it through, especially when it is
so much to the interest of all.
Cotton is cultivated here with success, and
the climate seems to suit it as we'll here as in
the more southern States indeed, some years
cotton is remarkably fine, producing from if-
teen to eighteen hundred pounds per acre.
Cotton is cultivated here pretty much as it
is in West Tennessee, and the time Of sowing
about the same Cotton, like corn and wheat,
require to be sown early, as early as the spring
will admit, then it squares and blossoms carly,
and the bolls have time to mature before frost !;
but if the crop is pitched late, as much cotton
cannot be expected as from an early crop, be-
cause there will not be as many bOls, and the
late b0lls will not have time to open unless
there is late fall. The fifteenth Of April is
the time set for sowing seed. In March the
land is thrown up in ridges from four to five
feet apart opened with a small pillow, the seed
sown quite thick and covered with boarl.-
As soon as it is Of sufficient size, it is scrapod
and let alone for two or three weeks, then come
the hoes and it is chopped through, and a light
portion Of earth thrown to il to prevent it from
falling down. and as soon as il gets out of the
reach Of rust it is properly thinned, hoed, and
killed. The working process continues until
about the middle OF latter part Of July.
This State, like the adjoining States, does
not favor the culture Of clover Ii is well
| known that our soil does not contain the pro-
per ingredient Qime) for the growth and matu-
rity OF clover or it is owing to the dry season
| that sets IN early in summer-this must Dc the
leading cause, from the fact that clover does
very well till it is in full bloom, when comes
the hot sun and parches it up, and the fields