Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-24
WALNUT GROVE. Feb. 20, Is.

To THE EDITORS OF THE PATRIOT =
In your paper of Feb. 11th. 1859, No. 9,
you call for the solution to an agricultural
problem, adfollows: what additional amount
of capital, whether in the form of labor,
manure, or what not, expended in the culti-
walton of our land will PAYS
If you have the Winchester Home Journal
there see that my essay on agriculture, OBJ
tanned the premium at the last annual fair,
near Winchester, Franklin county Tenn. In
my essay think you have the solution you
desire. But for your further satisfaction l
will make some explanatory remarks.
You say, much of the lands of Davidson
county, which once produced so bushels of
corn per acre, does not now produce more
than half that amount. All lands capable of
producing 80 bushels of corn per acre in its
virginia. or original state may be supposed to
have good subsoil or clay foundation, such
land when exhausted by excessive cultivation,
has natural tendency to return again to its
original strength, when the proper aid shall
have been given to it by skillful farmer.
This may be commenced by the use of veget-
able and mineral substances enough to cause
the land to produce n good crop of grain,
whether wheat or corn, wheat should be sue
ceeded by heavy crop of grass-as an i'm
proven red clover stands prominent, the long
roots which extend deep in the clay, and
draw support therefrom, produce heavy
r;cb. % Cd
under green, time after time, will eventually
put the land in as good state, for cultiva-
ton as it was, when it was in its virginia.
state. Any amount of manure will pay,
which is required to put land IN that state of
fertility,i in which it was originally found but
when efforts are made, to raise land above
that state-thcre is danger of loss to the
farmer; that is,when farmer attempts to raise
land which was originally poor, (Which has
not a good foundations to a state of fertility.
That will cause it TO produce heavy crops ;
crops far beyond it's original production, the
tendency of that land is, constantly to recede
and will eventually return to its original
strength. This it will do, both by absorption
and evaporation; and how fast it will lose by
absorption, depends entirely on the quality Of
the clay. Were it not that all cultivated
lands, have natural tendency to return to
their original strength; there would be no
difference between lands originally rich and
lands originally poor, when the peor lands
are raised by manure to equal the rich land
in its production; but all experienced farmers,
know that when poor land is made to produce
good crops by manuring it, that the process
of manure must be repeated, or the land will
recede and get poor again.
The crop of one acre of land producing so
bushels of corn per acre, at fifty cents per
bushel may be set down at SIS, the crop of
one acre producing % bushels at the same
price is Sl2 80, from each acre deduct the
cost of cultivation, say SO %, then the profit
of one acre is SIS IS, while the other is SO
20. Now when Sl2 50 shall have been skill
fully expended on the tired (but originally
goodr land making it capable of producing
so bushels of corn you not only get that SIP
so back in autumn, but your land is able to
repeat this. year after year.
Very respectfully yours &c.
w. L. SEARGEANT.