The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-04-11

rUnsDAY ..... APRIL u, as7s.
The Planter tilizers.
nv some disadyenture we did not receive
the p,anssr Of the present month In due
time. We saw it noticed elsewhere, and
wondered how It was that we were neglect
ed. But upon examination we found that a
No. OF the Planter intended FOX us had
s taken tho wrong shoot" We cannot get
along without the Planter. It has become .
sort OF necessity 10 Us rs well rs to the farm.
a, although our farming experience has not
proved oar skill or ended in our gain. This
fscs we confessed on certain occasion,
and our filed Colonel NoIasn biurts 1t out
Ia the Flsnter. We confessed Ia q rather
cxtnYagants way that our eabbsges cost us
three dollars per head. This was not alto.
gesher the sober truth, but more OF con.
yiyisl Munchansenism, covering up hit ol
practical information not without value to
men who live in cities and are yet ambitious
Of talking tillage and getting credit for big
ezbbages, beets, radishes, and their highly
respectable relations. No man can follow
farming successfully and devote himself to
smother pursuit ir the, city. Farming re.
Guires for Its successful and advantageous
management as much experience as any other
occupation on earth-and we are almost
ready 10 cay more. And the man who hopes
TO follow different pursuit aud run hand
some farm as a side-show will pay heavily
for his experiment. 1t can hardly fail to be
source Of pleasure to him; but be will fino
1t the dearest.bought pleasure he csn In
dulse. Taking lis outlay for tillage in his
absence by proxy, and also his expenses In
coming and going and keeping the commits
sary department of his country paradise al
ways ready for self and family, we have no
doubt that q proper ledger Of the expendl-
ture and gains on account of the farm will
rate the eabtages at somewhere about three
dollars per head, and other things accord
ipgIy-i. G., unless be Offsets the account by
en- understandable amount OF pleasure. And
there ia exactly the point at which the pro.
proprietor may justify bis enterprise. The
real snount OF health along with the vast
amount of pleasure any man will enjoy from
this indescribable felicity OF coquetting with
country joys are always enough TO everbsl.
aBee an immense outlay. It is only necessary
for any man who eontemplates this sort Of
feliciious life to ask whether he has means to
enable him to stand it. If he has, let him 60
it. II he has not, let him avoid it as be would
a great evil for it will surely bring him to
grief. We have given up cabbages and de-
ternined to remain content with our city
occupation and our own " cabbsge.head"
until we are rich enough to act otherwise.
So muck for this point. We notice that
our friend, Major NowLAND, alludes to a
debate in the Henrico Agricultural Society
in which We were participant. He writes
50 correct some errors which he contends ap.
tpcar In report of his remarks by the Sec
rotary of the Society. AS to the matter OF
Tho report Of them it becomes no great mats
ter, since he d!sclaims opinions attributed
to him and states those be entertains under
his own name. We are sure the secretary
claiming 10 report him as he understood him
will readily acquiesce In the Coloneps present
account of his own opinions.
The issue discussed in the club was as tc
the comparative value Of commercial ferti
lizers and putrescent manures--s. o., TIT
guanos, phosphates, Sc, manufactured fol
agricultural purposes, and the manure
saved from the offal and accumulated refus'
Of. domestic economy. When Colonel NOLAN
commenced his address he stated the issu
very broadly, and left the impression that b
would reject domestic manures altogethe
and use concentrated fertilizers alto
gether as the cheapest when tn
cost of accommodating the domestic ma
nures and The hauling of them out upol
the fields was considered, and Whel
their condition after exposure to rains, ant
frosts. and winds wa, considered-a condi
sior, by the way, which no good farmer vii
allow. His i" homemade manures "should b.
kept under shelter and ever preserved from in
jury. There is no use In saving manure .
oil II 1t is to be left open and exposed to In
jury that will make it valueless. Colone
NoLANp is right in his estimate of such ms
aures. They are half water in weight, ant
their fertilising properties are so much ez
hausted that it is nearly futile eToi
to improve land. with their aid. LIE
Us hope that this foolish system Of hus
bandry Is at an end. They wer
poor farmers who pursued it. Bad az the!
did with scattering exhausted manure upo
their lands We think, they did worse with th
concentrated manures. For they sought h
pay Themselves every year by skinning thei
their land, and each yesr they wore hurryin
their lands to the point Of exhaustion, an
have now brought them to- stsge fror
which neither the commercial manures no
their own badly-saVed home manure can 500
recover them. - -
Colonel holland advised, IS better Wa
Of applying the offal OF cattle to fields, th
feeding OF them on the fields. In this
xpoke as grazier-ss one who had NOR
ssttls than be could well house, and who ha
Wide surfaces Of grass lands to be refreshe
BY top-dressing. This is practiced In som
sections, but English grssiers generall
pursue the different plan Of stallia
AL ootf,pr u>~ rnav If orp farm, ar