Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-10-09
MISCELLANY.
From the Newberry Conservatist.
Restoring and Preserving Land.

The following Report was read before tho
Ncwberry Agricultural Society last wear, and
has never boon published before The Sec
retary handed it to us the other dav, and
we give 1t to our readers. as one of the best
straight forward and simple essays on the
subject we have seen--Ed Con.
Can it be done? That land can he pre-
served in constant cultivation for any length
of time there can be no doubt; some of the
oldest countries in the world bcing the rich
est. But can our lands in NowLcrrv Dis
trict be preserved in their native fertility. or
restored when exhausted, arc they worth the
trouble and expense of doing it? FIVE find
that they arc doomed to grow noorcr with
every crop whichis taken from them. with
out hope OF recovery. or if We find that their
preservation or restoration will cost us moro
than they arc worth. Why then our Sorcty
~ engaged in vain pursuit. and we should
dlsband 1t, abandon the homes of our alfec-
tlons and seek moro favorable land i'm tho
fertile regions of the far West. But gentle
man, your committee rejoice in the belief
that there is still hope for our old country.
and that our interest will not require us to
leave IT., but that our lands which nre vet
good, may be preserved and that those which
have been exhausted may be reclaimed; and
we have been led TO this conclusion from ex-
pericncc, which we consider the only COM
Pctent evidence in this case One Mt least
OF yoNr committee feeling deep interest in
the SUBJECT and Knowing that our agricu-
tura' prosperity depended upon tho solution
of this question: has for the last Is years
adopted series of experiments in planting
with view toascertaining whether the thing
waspossiblc, and lie is happy in bcing able
TO state that he has succeeded not only in
preserving such portions of his lands as were
good at that tlmc but in improving those
which had been injured by bad system Of
cultivation. The plan which has been tried
and which we recommend, VIC will briRv
state:
Tho first object is to prevent Gland from
Washing, II broken or rolling, az most of our
DISTRICTS, which must be done by hill side
ditchlng and horizontal blowing, tho direc-
tions for which we hav'nt space TO give. bu,
which You find in any of the Agricultural pa
Pers. But one thing VIC would urge not use
ditches, except whcrethey arc Indispensable
toprevent break. Next manurlng the SUBJ
soiiinS, aud the most important of all. q prop
orrotation of crops But we will exrloin
more fully. The manure used is con,nost
and cotton seed, tho first ON the corn crop,
and the latter on wheat and oats. The COM
post is made in two ways; lst, the old fash
iionod way of littcring the stock yards with
leaves or straw, or any other vegetable mat
ter, and after being sufficiently tr,mped and
mixed with animal manure, put into pcns to
terment. This is an inferior plan. and in
lures stock If allowed to stand on tho lots in
pad weather; but q largo quantity can he
made in this way, and should be anp6ed TO
fields nearest the lots. But for the more dis
tant parts Of the plantation, the manure
should be hauled dry and fresh from the sta
bles, and composted with leaves and mould
poaf where 1t is to be used. 1t should be put
mp IN square railpons 10 or IL rails high,
the stable manure wellmixcd with the leaves
ana mould, which should be wot, one wagon
BODY tnli OF stable manure to each pen. If
those two pcns should not mako manure
enough for the whole corn crop in the hill.
then nse guamo for composting; 100 lbs. will
nc sulfciont for one pen, such as above named
mixed and put up i'll the same. Go ON max
ing until you have enough for every hill of
upland corn you intend to plant. The ma
nuro should be made in August, Immediately
after the crops are laid by otherwise it will
not be tit for use the next spring. The ma
nure ehould BIO put into the drill three feet
apart, a donblo handful in each place, the
rows being4 l-2 feet wide, and the corn
dropped on the manure, tho hand pressing it
With bis foot in passing, and all to be eover-
90 with q acoOter furraw, ON each side throw
ing 8 bold ridge on 1t, to bc boprded oil If
necessary. Tho eubsoil plow is to be run MS
dsop as possible in the shovel furTow, with
which tic land is laid off; and after the corn
comes up to be run in the scooter furrow,
which. covers the corn, 80 that yon have three
deep burrows immediately under the corn as
o reservoir for water in dry woather. II
would certainly he better to sabsoil the land
entirely, hut we only recommend what we
have tried, and found to answor tho purpose
very wCil. We use tho Broylos' subsoil pillow.
prefeTingit to others, on .pcount of simplic-
ity, chcapnoss and efficiency. The rotation
which we bayo tried, and wh;ob wo .ccors-