The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-09-22
From the Newbcrry Conscrvatist.
Restoring and Preserving Land.

(rhe following Report was read before
the Newberry Agricultural Society last
year, and has never been published before
The Secretary handed it to us tie other
day, y,-and we give it 10 our readers, as one
OF the best straight forward and simple
essays on the subject We have seen-Dp.
CoN.)
Car it be done! That land can be
preserved in constant cultivation for any
length Of time there can be no doubt 4;
some Of the Oldest countries in tho world
being the richest. But can our lands in
Newberry District be preserved in their
native fertility, or restored when exhaust.
ed, and are they'worth the trouble and ex
pense of doing it! If we find that thev are
doomed to grow poorer with every crop
which is taken from them, without hope
OF recovery, or if we find that their pre-
servatlon or restoration will cost Ills more
than they arc worth, why then our Socie-
ty Is engaged in vain pursuit, ard we
should disband it, abandon the homes of
our affections and seek more favorable
land in the fertile regions of the far West.
But gentleman, your committee rejoice in
the belief that there is still hope tor our
old country, and that our Interest will
not require US to leave it, but that our
lands which are yet good, may be pre-.
served and that those which have been
exhausted may be reclaimed and we have
been led TO this conclusion from expert.
ence, which we consider the only compe
tent evidence in this case One at least
OF your committee Cfeeling deep inter.
est in the subject, and knowing that our
agricultural prosperity depended upon the
solution OF this question: has for the last
10 years adopted series of experiments
IN planting, with view to ascertauinp
whether the thing was possible, and he
is happy in being able to state that he
has succeeded. not only in preserving such
portions Of his lands as were good at that
ume, but i'll improving those which had
been injured by bad system Of cultiva
tion. The plan which has been tried and
which we recommend, we will briefly
state -
The first object is to preven, the land
from washing if broken or rolling, as most
Of our District is, which must be done by
hiil side ditching and horizontal plowing,
the directions for wilich We hav'nt space
to give, but which YOU find in anv of the
Agricultural papers. But one thing we
would urge: not use bitches, except where
they are Indispensable to prevent a break.
Next maRurng, the subsoilng, and the
most important Of all, a proper rotation
Of crops. But We will explain more fully.
The manure used is compost and cotton
seed, the first on The corn crop, and the
latter on wheat aud oats. The compost
Is made in two ways; lst, the old fash
Toned way of Iittering the stock wards with
leaves or straw, or any other verc,ablc
matter, and after being sufficiently tramp
ed and mixed with animal manure, put
into pens to ferment. This is an infcrio.
plan, and Injuries stock if allow to stand
on the lots in bad weather; bu: large
quantity can be made in this way, anC
should be applied 10 fields nearest the
lots. But for the more distant parts G
the plantation, the manure should b,
hauled dry and fresh from the stables
and composted with leaves and moulc
near wheTe it is TO be used. 1t should
De put up in square rail pens 10 or Il
rails high. The stable manure well mix.
ed with the leaves and mould, which
should be wet, one wagon body full o
stable manure to each pen. If those two
pens should not make manure enough for
the whole corn crop in the hill, then use
guano Tor compostipg; $50 lbs. will be
suihcient for one pen, such as above nam.
ed naked and put up in the same. Go
on making until you have enough Tr
every hui OF upland corn YOU intend 10
plant. The manure should Le made in
August, Immediately after the crops are
laid by, otherwise it will not be fiji for use
Che next spring. The manure should b,
put INTO the drill three feet apart, double
handful in each place, the lows BEING
4 l-2 feet wide, and the corn dropped or
the manure, the hand pressing It with hi.
foot IN passing, and oil 10 be covered with
scooter furrow, on each side throwing
bold ridge on Is, TO be boarded off il
necessary. TIE subsoil plow is to be run
rs deep as possible in the shovel furrow
WIN which the land is laid off; and after
the corn comes up to be run in the scooter
iarrow, which covers the corn, so that
you have three deep furrows Immediately
nhdsf the corn as "A reservoir for water in
dry weather. 1t would certainly be bet
ter to subsoiI the land entirely, but we
only recommend what we have tried and
found 10 answer the purpose very we'll
We use the BroyIs' Subsoil pIow, prefer
ins IL to all others, OH account of simplic-
lty' cheapness and efficiency. The rota
ton which we have tried, aud which we
recommand is; lst, corn with manure "a
above stated, together with peas be- cen
every MI of corn; 2d, wheat or oats
manured with cotton seed or guanc; 3rd,
cotton, which you cannot manure, the
land having been manured the two years
previous will yield fair crop with it,
We would recommend years rest after
the small grain crop, but have not had
sufficient open land to try IL. We do