Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-01-12
Better Wheat Crops.

| Mr.. Hill Carter, who is regarded a. one oil
| our very best farmers has L communication in
the December number Of the Planter and
Farmer on the Causes Of the Failure OF: the
Wheat Crop in Virginia. He states quoting
from his diary that forty years ago there vas
| succession Of failures on the Lower James for
q number of years with a slight qualification.
In 1921, 1922, and 1923 the crops failed, owing
| to the rust. Iu 1921, good crop; no rust. :
In 1926 some rust; only tolerable crop. In
1926 some little rust; moderate crop. In ISL
a bad crop. In 1928 rust and bad crop. In
1929 rainy May and bad crop. He rcmaks that
in 1881 he began TO mari his land, and after
wards to lime it, The crops increased after
the use until they doubled \ wet season in
May, he says, is certain to injure the wheat
in tide-watcr Virginia Our SEASONS ior
health vary. We have series Of healthy @ra-
sons and series Of sckly years. So with the
wheat "a series Of good crops and u series OF
bad crops. We have had series OF bad crops
since the war, and we shall have Il series Of
| good crops hereafter We have had SIC
cession of rainy and cold Mays ever since H."
war. and that has caused the rust in the wheat,
which has caused the failure ii the wheat
| crop.
| We hope Mr.. Carriers prediction will he vrl-
| fed He proceeds TO say in his article:
"Thcrc is plenty of fertility in our james
| river lands to make good crops OF wheat. As
a proof Of it, We have very heavy crops of
straw and fine crops of clover; and believe if
We had been able to continue to lime our lands
regularly, as we did before the war, We should
not have failed in wheat so much as we have
But do not despair; We shall make good crops
Of wheat again on James river | would Ger.
tainy advise an extension oil the old iour field
rotation, to five or six fields and make hay Tor
market, and Craze for market as far as we have
the means. We must, as MIR. Ruffln and other
gentlemen Of the Farmers Assembly advised,
diversity our crops, so that il the wheat fails
we may have something else TO rely upon. Be-
fore the war We were coming money under the
fou7-fel1 system on James river. Then wheat
was the great CROP but it is very different now,
so have advised my sons to change their 70,
tation from four to five fields. and 10 have
three grain crops and two grass crol,s-nnc to
NOW hay for market, and one to Craze modrr
ately for market. Six fields three in grain
and three in grass-perhaps would DC better:
but it would increase the fencing very much.
which is Objectionable. propose to my sons
to adopt rotation Of five fields which is m
dcrstand, practised in Louisa county, viz: first
year 10 clover. to be grazed; second year, heath
third year, timothy, moved for market: fourth
year, corn; fifth year, wheat, sown IN clover
seed to begin the rotation again. Plaster the
clover the spring it is sown, and be sure to har.
row the clover seed in when SoWn --Rirh. EHq.
MURDER VERDIcTs. In trials for murder, in
illinois, the jury is allowed to decide whether
the punishment shall be death or imprison-
nent for life 1t remains to be seen how the
experiment will work There is reform in the
same direction which seems to be much needed.
Gov Hoffman, Of New York, reminds the
Legislature, ''for the fourth time that in
many cases 4 jury knows that man ha, com
mitted willful murder bu: under such crcum-
stances that hanging seems cruel and unfair
punishment Under the laws Of New York,
however they are not allowed to bring ina vcr-
dict Of murder in the second degree. Their
only recourse is to render verdict for man
slaughter in the third or fourth degree, for
which the punishment is equally out Of proper
reason why juries should be confined to one de-
gree of crime, or why all murdercrs deserve
equally severe punishment. Under the present
system many dangerous man escapes the pen
itentiary because jury does not think he is
quite bad enough TO be hung.-Bnh. SIN.
SNoW.BALLING THE DUKE.-Thc Grand
Duke Alexis was -balled in St. Louis BY
the qnn,ins as he was on his way to the Mer-
chants Exchange One ball knocked off his
hat. One of the St. Louis officials explained
that snow was very rare 10 that region Of coun-
try, and when it did come the populace went
nearly wild with delight. The street boys on
these rare occasions we're permitted by the po-
lice to do as they pleased thence the accident
to your hat, your Highness.' AS Alexis listen
ed he began to smile, and when the explana-
ton was made, he burst into hearty English
laugh, with strong Russian accent, at the
idea of the people being 80 delighted with what
is so common to Russians.