Newspaper Page Text
in smaller places than is generally done. Wheat and oat
straw, oak leaves, hay, grass or other vegetable matter,
should be freely used for litter. Avoid pine stiaw n pine
saw-dust or pine shavings, all being injurious to an\ land,
by the resinous principles they contain. Better burn
them and apply their ashes upon the land. Coin, instead
ol being harvested in the manner generally pi act-iccd by
pulling of the leaves should be cut of I' near the ground,
nnd the stalks used in making manure. Repeated expe
rience has shown conclusively that there is less io.-s by
shrinkage in the grain, by being harvested in the latter
mode than by pulling the fodder. We have in the corn
stalks one of the best and most abundant of raw materials
to operate with. Manure should be c olk\ ted every day
or two in as large heaps as possible—the surface made
smooth, so as to give as little chance for evaporation as
possible—the outside covered with earth, or put under
cover. The best meilmd is, to have large quantities ol
muck or leaf mould, or good rich earth brought in the
yard, and the manure daily mixed with a portion of it.
Every load of fresh manure, mixed with three or four
loads of muck under cover, '.' ill cause each load es tie.
mass to become equal to its bulk of clear.manure, for
purposes of fertilization. This arises from the escaping
gases given off from the manure during feimentation,
being absorbed by the divisor. A igh(, sob' being produ
ced from the richest food, contains the largest quantity of
fertilizing principles. It, can be used with the bet t re
sults upon all crops. Those with dedicate nerves can use
it under tiic name of poudretu ', but this article is easily
produced by using liberal quantities of charcoal dust and
gypsum—causing it to loose all obnoxious smell by fixing
the ammonia.
The excrements of fowls are also a rich fertilizer—that
from pigeons being the strongest, it is equal to half its
quantity of guano, if kept under cover. The latter being
an animal manure, and when.pure, of a highly concentra
ted nature, may be used to advantage on any land ; but ii
improperly applied, it either destroys the crop or loses
its fertilizing properties.
The purely Vegetable manures, consist, of vegetal*!* -
ploughed under, in a green state. Cow-peas are one of the
best plants at our command. Cabbages sown very thickly
comes next, but Clover or Lueern are superior to either.
If Lime is convenient, it is advisable to spread from thir
ty to fifty bushels of slaked compost lime to the acre, be
fore plowing the crop in. This method, where other ma
nurcs are not obtainable, will be found an easy and cer
tain one to ameliorate our lands, especially such soils as
are deficient in vegetable fibre.
One maxim should govern the progress of the Agricul
turist, and that is, that in order to keep his land in a con
stant state of fertility, he must re-place in fertilizing parts
every year as much as he removes from it in the form of
produce ; but an increase of fertility can only be gained
when more is added than is taken away. The great fault
with our planters, is to use manure, when used, upon land
not prepared in a form to receive it. Deep ploughing is
essential. In general, all manures containing ammonia
should be plowed in—the others, containing salts, should:
be used as a top-dressing. The former escapes—the let
ter penetrates. —Communicated from Transactions of the
ffichmoud County (Gu.) Ay'l 8 -eiety.
80l TiiEiiN CULTIVATOR.
SPASING COWS*
Editors Southern Cultivator. —For the benefit of C.
A., ol Memphis Tennessee, 1 will state what I know of
spaying cows. Sum- thirty years ago, my brother who
then lived in South Carolina, spayed two cows, which he
kept in Ids stable lot. Had them housed, curried and rub
bed, as legularly as l.is horses, and he told rue that they
gave him milk and butter for his family, seven whites, and
a number of darkies. He kept them giving milk for some
sown or eight years, and then drove them to Charleston
and sold them for beef cattle. No one would believe they
i were spayed. I spayed two cows when I came to Enter
prise to live, and kept them giving milk for several years,
f bclivo they will continue to give milk as long as they
live, if well fed and regularly milked. 1 found no de
crease in iii} cows milking. My cows kept very fat, and
gave rich milk.
Respectfully,
Cl. VV. Donv.
Lnivrpr-se, Jim*., oiavc/i B ih, 1807'
From the Macon Telegraph, Jan. lb.
Ol t A rLMCTICAL IT Alt HI 1511.
Editors Tkleoharh —Gentlemen : 1 send you an ex
tinct from a letter received by me from J)a\iu Dickson,
of Hancock county. The stress of the iate war drove me
into his m igliborhood, and gave nut an opportunity of
learning much of the system and success of this enterpri
sing planter. Fifteen years before the war, lie commenced
planting on what was eonsidcretl light sandy lands, much
exhausted, with a capital of -$25,01)0. When the war
broke out, his capital was eighteen times larger. This re
suit was brought about by his clingy and system ; by im
proved modes of culture; by improvements in agricultu
ral implements; by attention to the health and comfort of
his luboi' rs ; bv nursing and protecting his stock ; and
care bestowed upon his bees, his orchards and dairy.
Above all, and mainly, bis golden harvest was reaped from
the judicious use of Fertilizers. Believing the views lie
advances will be interesting to your agricultural readers,
the extract from his letter is submitted, with the hope that
his example may bo imitated by our planters.
Vours, respectfully,
JAMES A. XISBET.
EXTRACT.
During the last year, 1 learnt some valuable new lessons:
One was the training of hands to do double the amount
of work, with more case and less waste of sweat and
muscle. My former hands being better trained than oth
ers, had better oilers than 1 could give, and nine tenths
ol them left me. 1 then employed hands from ns many
as forty plantations’, and got none that knew how to work
to any advantage, i had hands before the war that could
pick GOO pounds of cotton in a day, all by day-light, and
all bands that went to the field averaged 300 pounds per
day, without a lick or any white man in the field. All of
my trained hands have now applied to come back, prefer
ring om.-third of the crop gathered on my place, to onc
lmit on the places woiked last year. Whilst I owned
them they told me to plant 33 acres iu corn and cotton,
and 17 acres in wheat and oats, and they would cultivate
it with my aid, in preference to 20 acres under an over
seer, and could do it with more ease. My crops before
the war averaged me £I,OOO per hand. I divided thus:
£2OO for manure; £2OO for horse power, tools, Ac.; S3OO
for land and £3OO for labor. Aly estimate is now, when
hands work well, to divide as follows:
First, take pay for all purchased manure—the balance
to go one-third lor land-rent —one-third for horse-power
and all tools, including Gin, wagons, carts, wheat-thrasher,
Ac., hoes and axes excepted, which each hand should fur-
101