Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-11-08
Z 8 - For the Spectator.
Agriculture of Augusta County.
SECTION v.


Agriculture of Augusta County.
SECTION v. 42 Y
Staple Crops-In point of quantity and af
gregate value, Indian corn undoubtedly stand
first among the products of this county. Whea
stands next in order, and demands large shar
of the attention of farmers. The Oat aud Ry
crops are subordinate to both of the foregoing
and while the Rye has been rather gaining favor
for few years past, the Oat crop has been fall
ing more and more into disesteem, though sti
Regarded by many excellent agriculturalists, o
good preparatory croptor wheat Buckwhea
is cultivated to limited extent, but not as
market grain, SO much as luxury. Anon
root crops, the potato is the only one which re
ceives sufficient attention to be worthy of motto
in this connection. The grass products Gnclud
ling clover form very conspicuous, as well q
most important item in Augusta farming
They are extensively cultivated both for ha,
aud pasturage; and also, as the most eficien
means of reclailning and sustaining the fertilit
of The lands. 1a2 si
There are some leading principles involved u
the attention required by each of the aboy
crops, which must be brought to our notice ii
order, to s4t fair view of our subject.
Indian Corn Is plant of rapid and vigorou
growth, with strong, spreading, and deep-pene-
itrating roots 1t Is much less fastidious abou
the condition of its food than wheat; and hence
will maintain most sturdy growth, amongs
sods and coarse manures, where the chances fo
wheat would be quite precarious.
THE condition Of land, which is regarded al
the most favorable to q certain, as we'll as a.
bundaDt yield of corn, is grass or clover sod
of two or three years standing Although the
fields may have been moved or grazed by cattle
there has still, in the mean time, been & large
quantity of both organic and mineral matter
prepared and left in the soil, to nourish the
growing corn. When the land is thoroughly
broken and turned, 10 the Fall or Winter, the
sod becomes partially rotted before planting
time; and, when the period for the most rapid
growth of the crop arrives, the process of decay
has advanced go far, that the roots find good
supply of food, well prepared, wherever they
spread themselves through the soil.
Deep thorough plsUing, is regarded as alto.
gether essential to the successful culture of corn,
| 10 all the clay soils of the valley. The method
generally adopted, is to break up the ground
with three-horse plow-the greatest possible
depth of furrow being regarded as Desirable
But, while this is now the common practice a.
mong the best farmers, yet there are very few
of them, who do not readily admit, that a two
horse plow, followed by sub soier, would put
the land 10 still better condition. The great
obstacle in the way of the introduction of the
sub-soil plow, is the want of the necessary time
and force required for its use. certain quan.
tity of land is assigned to corn crop, and il
must all be planted, whether it is well done OF
not. Now, ii four-flfths of this land, under a
more thorough system of tillage, would yield
the same crop as the whole, under the ordinary
mode, would it not be better to leave the re
lnainder in grass, and concentrate all the labor,
manure, &C., upon the more limited surface .
especially as deeper soil would thus be gradu,
ally formed for subsequent crops. Ii farmers IN
our country, like those In some of the older ag-
rcultural regions, would not rest satisfied, until
they have brought twelos or fifteen inches oi
SOIL into bealthful state Of fertility, and under
thorough tillage, they would be independent ol
any of the ordinary droughts, which now &c
frequently cut short this crop, on which they are
so greatly dependent.
When corn has been planted on an inverted
sod, the subsequent culture is all conducted with
the view of keeping the grassy surface down.
ward Hence, the harrow is used, soon after
the stalks are fairly out of the ground; ther
shovel plows or cultivators, run to moderate
depth, stir still more completely the upturnet
surface, but still without breaking through the
sod to any considerable extent. II the condi-
tion of the land seems to demand deeper tillage
couters are frequently employed, so as TO stil
| the whole mass of soil without inverting it,
| But, if good sod has been turned down, there
is very liltle danger of the land becoming baked
to any considerable depth. This condition also
favors the retention Of moisture, and tends te
prevent disasters from drought, which are al
most the only cause OF failure in the corn crops
of this region; provided the planting and culture
are properly conducted.
The product of corn per acre in this county
has a wide range. While twenty or thirty
bushels are very common on the light pebbly
soils, sixty or seventy are not uncommon on the
best lands. Even hundred bushels have beer
gathered from an acre in more than one case
Yet the average for the whole county, year by
year, is not probably much above thirty five
bushels. This is far below the real capacity o.
the soil. The county could be made to yield al
average of fifty bushels, if the lands were brought
up to the proper grade of tillage. The capita
and labor invested in the most thorough system
of cultivation, is always much lese iu proportion
to the products, than is necessary for more
superficial system. Because, in the first place
less land is required to produce given amount
and consequently less capital is needed in tha
form; and, in the second place, but little more
labor is required to cultivate an acre which
yields fifty bushels, than to cultivate one yield
ing only thirty.
As corn will not bear transportation to grea
distance and as there is no reliable market fo
the products of this county, nearer ct hand thai
| ;ahp ha far 0pn
of concentrating their surplus crop into the form
of beef or pork, before sending it to market
During the Autumn, before the corn has becom
I dry enough to be easily ground, 1t is most fre
Iquently fed in the car. When cut up, ant
thrown to cattle, stalks and all together, Their
would be great waste, were not hogs allowed 4
follow the herd, and gather up the scattered
Enthusiastically the large number which pas
from the cattle in an undgested condition.
T Wheat-Ths might be regarded as the stspl
crop of Augusta. if we take into consideration
| the proportion sent to market, compared witt
that of other grains. But when we take into tin
account, the amount of home consumption, ant
the quantity of corn sent off in the form of beef
wheat can only Claim the second place amongs
the products of the county. Stillit is the sourct
of very large proportion Of the inonied income
of all the farmers of this section Of the State
The numerous uufayorable contingencies, how
ever, to which the, wheat crop is subject, make
it unreliable. This is not owing to any want o.
the proper natural qualities Of soil but partly
to the sudden and frequent changes of weather
in Winter, by which there are alternate freez'
ings and thrawiDgs, OF such character as te
loosen and elevate the roots OF the grain, and &c
far expose them as to impair their vigor, and un
lit them for sustaining full crop; partly to the
depredations of the fly and joint worm, and part
" to unfavorabe seasons for the filing out and
ripenng of the grain.