, 1880-01-14

PA'hCSAo OAVA6AOs W1Ul U16 dlu OI u loan
from the Colonial Treasury, a s~teamplough
into the island. What is stated here NAV
be nothing of magnitude, but is enough to
disprove the assertion that the planters
~obstinately oppose every change in the ex-
listing system.
And now let us be candid. We have
here also Danes both proprietors and
managers, and among them such, that are
young enough to be at least to a certain
degree considered initiated in modern Dan
tsh agriculture. Why have they not intro
duced something like a reform7 Or why
are they never heard to complain, that
they cannot get their employers or superb
Ors to do something to that effects There
is one among our planters, who own and
personally manages one of the best Estates
of the island; he has been here only a
couple of years, is nowiSe unfavOurably
situated, is himself very attentive to his
business, and a man against whom nothing
can be said, and who has had q thorough
agricultural training in Denmark. He is
looked upon as a good planter, but of a
change of system nothing is noticed. But
there remains something more to be said
on this head. When you bring charges
against others, because they won't do as you
say they ought, you ought not to be exposed
to being told, and that justly, by those
whom you cenSure. that they have done
the very thing you had demanded, and
that the con sequence has been loss instead
of gain; and this is just that which is
maintained to be the case.
Nobody has exhibited greater energy and
perseverance in d%enonncing the planters
of the island than Mr.. Hagemann, one of
the directors of the Company of the st.
Croix Central factory, and that to a degree,
which may be called insulting, to the no
small wonder OF those, who remember, with
how much kindness he was received on
his first arrival here, and how little the
establishment erected and partly directed
on the spot by him has fulfilled what was
hoped to come from it. In a communica.
ton to the Dagblad of 4 Oct. he says
among other things: "But if you want
to see agriculture in it's primitive state,
re to st. Croix. Everything there is left
to a benevolent nature, and the resources
OF modern Improvements are unknown even
by name" Those are strong words and
they involve grave charges. They are
written in Oct. 1879. / remember, when
some years ago lit was about the close
of 1879 | witnessed an experiment of
treating the land in quite a new way, and
at which | looked with great expectation
as the first beginning of a reform of our
imperfect and faulty agriculture, but /
have i'll vain waited for the accomplish
ment of my an%ticipatiOns, and for a long
time nothing has been said any more of
the matter. The experiment was made on
Estate Grange, which is conducted Jointly
with Work and Rest, and the operation was
called r~eOl-ploughing. / have now taken
the trouble to ask for particulars from
the owner, Mr.. Hyid, who carried out the
plan with every desirable goodwill, and
also | believe with confidence in the result,
and here is what | learned. A plough
drawn by s oxen, turned up the soil to a
depth Of six inches and was followed by
another plough with the same number of
oxen, which worked up the soil 81 inches
deeper, when the sub-soil was looSened to
adepth Oh the whole of Ia inches from
the surface, and plenty of manure was
added, at least more than is usually done.
The land was q ten acre piece. The work
was performed strictly in conformity with
Mr.. Hagemann's prescription, and mostly
under the personal supervision of the
owner. According to Mr.. Hvid's statement
and he is a man, who is to be trusted
on his word-the labour bestowed on the
experiment. with the ordinary number of
6 oxen to plough and the manure employ
ed would have been sufficient for double
the extent of land treated in the usual
manner. Although the effect on the field
was not better than showed itself on the
rest of the land on the same Estate, the
experiment was repeated the next year in
exactly the same manner without any
better result; nor has the land treated in
that way shewn any increase of fer.