Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-08-19
Enr Farmers,

of the most neglected and disregardeo 10
Eastern Virginia. 1t involves the grand Sc
cret of efficient aud profitable culture, and Is
of the easiest possible application. ibis prin,
ciple is, that one acre highly improved and
well titled will produce more than iVe acres
tended and managed in superficial sloVeniy
way. Although the evil practice OF squso-
tefiny labor upon broad fields, whose fertility
has by oyer-cropping been reduced below the
standard even OF mediOcrity, has been OF late
wears partially superseded by an improved
system of husbapdry, it has not been eradia.
Gated. Far from it-for there are hundreds OF
farmers who still continue to SOW and plough
after the old fashion, and to reap, of course,
the same skeleton returns. stany man traV-
ell through the country now, and ne VIII see
along the oad.side, in fields OF corn, thousend
Of hills, which will not and cannot under the
most favorable seasons add even nuobin 20
the crib. All this ia naked waste OF Ia
Dor and heavy loss of capital. 1t cost just
ms much to work these puny, fruitless stalks
as i. does to work the most luxurlant and
productive. 10 other words, il cost just as
much to cultivate an acre Of sterile land as
on acre CT the richest.
The owners of small farms are particular
" interested in the method Of turning them
t,.the best account and havo q better oppor-
,unity OF awaiting themselves OF its Dement'S:
We believe that on our common uplands, II
the results could BIO ascertained by proper In.
yestigaton, it would be found that out OF
eyery ten thousand acres cultivated, at least
one thousand are either wholly unproductlve
or of such comparative insignifcancy of yield
as to be unworthy of notice. Concentration
Of fertilizers upon q small space is Infinitely
better than expansion Of them over wide
surface This is so plainly and obviously
true that il would be waste OF words to en-
ter into au argument to prove it. Facts
which amply curroborate it have been album
dainty supplied by experiments, aud are up
on record in all the agricultural Journals
The great misfortune is, that when case of
enormous production from a few highly i'm
proved acres, however well certified, is re-
ported most of our farmers, especially those
who have not yet discarded the notions aud
usages of the last generation, are incredIlous.
They consider such cases as either altogether
fabulous or grossly exaggerated, and are ex-
tremely apt to apply to them the favorite cpl
tibet ofthe day-hUmJHg. But humbugs, they
certainly are not. We have not the shadow OF
doubt that they are true statements, because
they do not conflict with reason or with nature.
A we'll attested case occurred 10 Maryland
many years ago, which was published IN the
America farmer, in which, from an upland
field OF fifty acres, $500 bushels of wheat were
cbtained-being an average of fifty bushels
per acre! Another case Was reported 10 the
same paper in which an average of twenty
barrels Of corn per acre was crbbed from
lot of FIVE acres. Twenty-Five barrels have
been gathered from an acre in Buckingham
county, and thirty-six in Kentucky. The
question suggests ITSELF then, whether, if one
or five acres can be rendered so fertile by az.
! tifciai appliances, q whole farm may not be
gradually raised to the same condition by the
same process? Ii would be well for such Of
our farmers as have fields, which, under the
! present system, with the best seasons, aver
| age not moro than ten bushels of wheat or
three barrels Of corn per acre, to turn their
thoughts aud attention to the economical
principle and mode of improvement, which
have been tried 50 successfully by expert
mentors. Ii, by go doing, they can accom-
plsh the same results they will be enabled
to realize from few acres, with the same
outlay and labor, treble the crops they now
do lr0m the oyeT-many which they cultivate,
and consequently they will ensure for them
selves d rapid annual increase of fertilizing
substances, upon their own premises, for push
ing on the system of improvement which we
recommend. besides treb!ing the market val
ue OF their lands.
These remarks have been more immediate
ly suggested by the following publication
W bich we tiud in the last New York Tribune
which has frequently 10 its columns articles
of great interest and value to farmers. 1t
will be seen that to South Carolina belongs
the credit If the vigorous aud splendid agri-
cultural feat which 10 recorded .--IeterS6urg
Mtdtgencer.
idian CONT r0 Hundred Bushels per
Acre 1t has been northumberland so far as
we can see duly cert,fed--that DR.. j. w.
Parker, Of Columbia, S. c., grew, in 1857,
upon his farm, near that town, 200 bushels
and II quarts upon one measured acre of
grcund and llG bushels and quarts upon
another acre.
In the report to the State Agricultural So.
ciety, Dr.. Parker states that the seed selec |
ted for planting was from the State Of North |
Carolina, and designated "Bale Mountain |
Corn" After soaking it during the night |
in strong solution Of nitre, it was plant |
ed to II inches distance in the row,
covered with hoes, and the ground rolled,
leaving it perfectly level The land was
the border of o small creek, under-drained, |
and prepared by blowing 10 November, and |
MANFRED in December with 25 twohorse |
loads Of cow-house manure, plowed in and |
followed by subsoil pillow drawn by two
mules. About the lst Of March another coat |
of good stable and COW manure was spread |
and p!oget in as the first. Early 10 April, |
three cart loads Of air Stacked lime and two |
sacks of salt were spread over each acre
aud lightly plowed under. On the 18th Of
May the ground was thoroughly plowed with |
Glaze'o large iron pow, narrowed level and |
laid Of 30 inches apart with shovel plow.-
Guano aud plaster were sprinkled in the fur
rows; near 200 lbs of the former and 800 lbs. |
OF the latter to each acre.
Ga The l4!h of May ths corn was plowed |
with long, very narrow plOw, and dressed |
over with hoes. On the 5th and 18th of June !
the same work was repeated, each time leav-
ing the ground level About the first of July |
it was necessary to draw ridge about the
roots Of the corn to prevent it falling. Du.
ring protracted drough:, acre No. l was
twice irrigated, and acre No. 2 had tho water |
turned on it once.
The yield Of acre No. l, q. before stated, ex-
ceeded 200 bushels. No. 2 was, part Of it re-