Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-06-10

them as in nv opinion every citizen Is called upon
at time like this to Contribute his counsels for
the public good
RALrtan, N. c., June, 1861.
Ny Dear Sir Your friendly letter Of entreaty
was duly received, and, while regreteing your SO.
lection of one so little acquainted with tns tneoIy
Of pantine, as we'll rs its practical details ana the
nresent Agricultural resources of the State, can
not decline to indulge your request-at least 20
forward for your instruction or amusement as the
result may prove, the reflections of an hour or So
The ancient natieas bad very little idea OF the
sciences which has g such control Of an
agency so imp6staseS schymistry, whereby
the hus6andmsn us my state the fertilizer
should be at the '6assgf 9RpnlAtien, how aPphea,
to what production applied,S md OF what character
and composition is each fertilizer from any OF the
three kingdoms Of nature. And yet, there IS PROF.
ably not 50 great difference after all Except IN
the application Of msnures,) between the planting
Of early and later times for Virgil says:
Quid, qui, ne gravids procumbat culmus artists
Luxurien segetum tenera depascit in herbs,
Quum prnnm sulcos Squant sata!
And again be says:
Deinde salts duvium nducit rivosque sequentis:
Ell auum exustus ager morientibus asstuat herbs,
Ecce! supercilio cvOsi tramitis undam?
Elicit!
It is quite clear however, that from the earliest
ages, no employment has been SO well regarded,
and none 50 digniied, as none certainly is of such
value to the prosperity or grandeur of a State
Painter, poet and philosopher-sage, sculptor and
siatesman-the man of leisure and the man Of law,
and he of literature, have We'd one with the other
in its celebration. How important then, is it that
our planters should cultivate so that they neither
ruin nor njure, but actually improve the soil every
year. The present rage for clearing as it is I'M
derstood or getting new grounds has been prolific
ofinury; for according to q certain amount OF Ia
bor the less land the better-for we want labor as
an example and proof of which, witness England or
France, aud particularly Belgium, where the price
of land is enormous, and that of labor inversely
low. In Europe, therefore, interest prompts the
cultivator to cherish the SOIL With us, labor for
the same reason is more highly valued, and there:
fore we ought to reduce of cultivation and
not suppose it proof of skill wealth to exhaust
large extent of poor or worthless SOIL You doubt
less recolect the fable of the dresser and his
daughters: to the elder, on her marriage, he gave
q third of his vineyard and yet the balance yielded
him as much as the whole did; with the younger,
on her marriage, he shared the balance, and even
then his third yielded IS much as the entirety once
produced.
And again, if the spontaneous production be
more valuable, it we're very unwise to destroy the
trees. Surely, if any people were ever blessed with
every means Of independence and happiness, we
are that people; and nothing but blindness can
prevent US becoming the most magnificent and
colossal power ever known to the world by history
or tradition. Be it our care, then, to guard this
infant republic against the dangers which subverted
the late Union-against fanatics and the swarm of
pestent demagogues who mistook notoriety for real
enduring fame; who were willing to barter and did
barter the happiness Of their country for place or
pelf and in default Of obtaining these at 50 dear
prize inangurated bloody revolution, the end Of
which none can foresee. In every essential of
prosperity, the South sbounds: but our own be-
loved State excels her sisters. The pork and fax of
Germany, the wines of the Rhine and Hungary, the
poultry and sheep Of France, and the cotton, but
ter, neat cattle, fruits of every variety and corn
and grasses of Italy, the growth Of foreign nations,
find or may find in North Carolina a copgenial
climate. The precious metals gold and silver, and,
though not called precious; those more valuable
coal and copper, and iron, while the fossils-eyen
the diamond rest within our confines. Indeed, we
nave every element Of national superiority and
yet If the rage for cutting down forest trees and
clearing and exhausting shall continue, we NAV be.
come poor, unless proper fertilizer can be pro-
cured to recuperate land. .Staoe manure which is
believed superior to any other for any crop, will
nest produce wheat; marling and lining, next in
the list will best produce corn; and so Of compost
Win regard to cotton: bat these natural elements,
VI may SO term them) are too expensive for
large planter il at all practicable to obtain them in
sufficient quantities, because of hauling. &c. So
also the artificial manures are too expensive "a
gnano for instance, even where guano can be Judi.
eaously applied and not prove ultimately positive
injury to the SOIL Is there then, any article which
IN tsei not too expensive rendered so by the Ia.
GOT required to use it to advantage may supply fer.
unity TO worn out and exhausted land. or increase
the profits OF those not exhaustedP
Clover, l think, put In during the Spring, Tor
previous autumn, and in the latter case ploWed in
t!'ce) and plowed under in the autumn for the
wheat crop OF November or October, is the desd.
efstem sought for this cereal, and PERHAPS thus
,osee as eooo or better than stable manure After
s.toe1ing wheat pillow up the same for crop Of
o.a Always having one Of clover to supply you
WIN seed so that the plantation being divided into
three equal parts, you will have wheat corn and
e.ovef crops every year. As fertilizer for cotton,
use rye; use rye for the cotton, as clover for the
vneet ana corn-and the rye straw will he sn,en,
DID pasture for horses cattle &C., not ever 90 Good
however, IS clover for pasture. Each variety d
soil aoounds in one or the other of the metak and
saits; and if vegetable and inorganic substance,
nave not their due proportion, it will be deficient
~ Ns power OF production Some REQUIRE one bro
P9ruol and some another. CSsa, and cotton, and
wheat have each their several .af8niti.s. Thee d
recuons carefully followed with thorough dr,ininp
you'd make Eastern Carolina the garden spot q
tne Eorld-as certain portions of it now are. or a
leest were before the blast of sectional war re-
mlndlng one of old England; those portions o
carolina. | mean, on the Albemarle Sound .nt
North Of Edenton, and especially on the Pssouo
unk. Its wheat and corn, particularly the former
its noble lorses its fine stock, sumptuous Twin,
and splendid mansions, anil sleek slaves inlIv At
test what science and skill caa effect.
Our State possesses every advantage-rich land
and fertilizers in abundance. l know wheat Mar
tation in Carolina cultivated time Inmemorial an
yet its soil, appetss as virgin as ever. Carolin
yislds to none in her noble forests for building m,
poses. The main producing interests Of the Stat
originally, were wheat and corn, especially wheat
Afterwards wheat aud eorn and cotton :; then whea
corn cotton and,assal stores, and nov wheat, corr
cotton, naval stores and tobscco Every porto
Of the State. from point not very remote from til
seasncre quite OF nearly to the valley of the Caav
% with the exception Of s'narrow sFipia the Fo
sytne country, is adapted to the growth Of cotton
8n0 none Of 1hia knrritos,, H.