SEASON AND CROPS.

Essex county, July 5th, 1834.

To the Editor of the Farmers' Register.

The crop of wheat was very unpromising in the spring; we had about three weeks of dry weather in May, which is generally as destructive to the wheat crop, as three weeks of dry weather is to the corn crop in August; it enables the fly to destroy the growing branches, while the growth remains almost stationary, after which the crop is mostly dependent upon the latter branches, which never produce an abundant one, and but seldom an average one, unless the weather is peculiarly favorable, which was the case this year: for the dry weather was succeeded by frequent rains, which gave the wheat a rapid growth, and though the rains partially washed the bloom off and made the head in some degree defective, this was more than counterbalanced by an additional increase of product. The weather also became dry and fine a few days before it ripened, which saved it from the rust, which otherwise it would probably have had, as it was filled with sap--in consequence of which, it is probable the crop will be an average one, both in quantity and quality. After a warm dry spring we may anticipate a small harvest; after a cold and wet one an abundant harvest; the cold and wet keep the fly in check, and the wet causes the wheat to branch freely.

The corn crop at this time exhibits the most luxuriant growth, but this is by no means a proof that we shall realise an abundant crop, but rather to the contrary. A growth of corn uncommonly large for the quality of the land, requires a continuation of moisture to bring it to perfection, which is seldom the case in our climate, or else the moisture goes to support the life of the stalk, not to form the ear. Big stalks and little ears are not uncommon., A stalk of ordinary size for the quality of the land, early in the summer, is greatly to be preferred; though I have seen very small stalks produce abundant crops. One of the best crops of corn I have ever made, was remarkably unpromising in the spring and the early part of the summer, owing to the extreme dryness of the weather. An acquaintance who saw my crop, said he did not think I would make enough for seed, and said that he would furnish me; but about the right time the weather became very seasonable, and the little stalks began to tassel and silk, and by the time the ears had completed their growth, their ends hung down nearly to the ground, and proved a most abundant crop.

FEEDING STOCK.

Mr. Howden, in the Transactions of the Highland Society, says, "as a summary of lengthened detail, it seems to me that the food for cattle, whether raised from the land in the shape of Swedish turnips, potatoes, or mangel wurzel, is not materially different, provided the crops are alike good of their kind. A less quantity, and inferior quality, of manure, will produce the potatoes even on land where the soil and climate are not so favorable; but I have ever seen, at the end of a rotation, the land upon which potatoes had been grown in the worst condition; and to obviate this, it is of use, I think, to cultivate a variety which covers well in

the drill.

IMPROVEMENT OF WORN LANDS.

Brookfield, 12th July, 1834.

To the Editor of the Farmers' Register..

wealth think on the numbers of their forefathers who died under the tomahawk and scalpingknife of the savage and unreclaimed Indian, in obtaining for them their now peaceful possessions, and on the thousands of patriots who died in the defence of their dearest rights, and in securing for their descendants a glorious liberty and independence. And was all this blood spilt to obtain a country so unproductive as not to supply her children with bread? Certainly not. Citizens of this happy and free country, providence has cast your lot in a land capable, under judicious management, producing every comfort, necessary, and luxury of life even to overflowing, and will you not avail yourselves of these important blessings? If means are amply in your own hands, it only wants example, energy and enterprise to secure to you and your children their full enjoyment. Your patriotic forefathers nobly withstood the efforts of a proud ambitious and invading foe, and victory and independence was their rich reward.

ture of the soil, is the unavoidable result of an injudicious, improvident, and ruinous system (if it can be so called) of agriculture; but the fact that they carry with them the same injudicious system, I observe in your Register for June, some re- is a matter of deeper and more serious regret, than marks by S. B. from Powhatan, on "Exhausting the bare fact of their emigration. For, after they and improving cultivation." In addition to his have labored hard for a few years to clear a few modes of improving exhausted or naturally poor acres of land of its timber, they, by following land, I would beg to lay before your readers, a their old system, must unavoidably after a few mode of improvement adopted in many parts of years have the same difficulties to encounter, and Europe, and particularly in England and Scotland. another removal farther into the interior be the Many of your readers must be acquainted with it result, until the whole face of the country, natufrom theory, but I am not aware of its ever having rally rich and productive, become a comparative been put properly into practice in this country. barren waste These emigrants are termed the The mode to which I allude is, the fallowing of pioneers of the forests, and have to encounter land with a crop of turnips and eating them off many a hardship, and sacrifice many an endearing the ground with sheep, either the whole of the tie. But those men who become the owners of crop, or two-thirds of it, as it may be abundant or the lands which they have left, have a task no less deficient. The mode as adopted in Scotland, where difficult and arduous, and certainly much more deliI have had it in extensive practice, is, and which cate to perform than clearing land from wood. is wished to be laid down in grass and in good They, in order to obtain a subsistence, must recondition, is well prepared in the early part of claim land which has been exhausted by an imthe season by repeated ploughing, as the nature poverishing mode of farming, an object which can or condition of the soil may require, until proper-only be obtained after a lapse of time and much ly pulverized: the ground generally receives a par- perseverance. Let the citizens of this commontial manuring. Bone manure is generally used for that crop, and is sown in the drills with the machine at the same time the turnips are. In the absence of a supply of bone manure,stable-yard manure is used. The turnips are regularly ploughed, hoed, and thinned out to a given space, plant from plant, as the kind of root may require. Early in winter a moveable fence is used to inclose a space of the field proportioned to the number of sheep. In addition to the turnips, the sheep have oat straw or hay given to them in severe weather, which is placed for them in a moveable and covered rack, and this moveable fence is extended or removed from time to time as the whole are eaten off. The ground is then ploughed up for the reception of the grain meant to be sown in it. This mode of improving worn out or poor soils in Scotland, has been attended with the most beneficial results. Land which to my own knowledge a few years ago was scarce worth the fencing in, is now, from this mode of manuring, producing from thirty to forty bushels of wheat an acre. It is to be observed, You have now a foe within yourselves in the inthat it does not generally succeed well in wet ternal management of your dearly purchased posor low lands. From the difference of climate sessions, which strikes as deeply (and much more I am not from experience prepared to say that the insiduously) at the root of your dearest interests, same mode would be attended in this country with and which, if not speedily met and combatted with, the same amount of beneficial result; but as so must ere long present you with the appalling specmuch is wanted here to improve worn out land, 1 tacle of your lands reduced to barrenness, and . should think the matter worthy a patient trial; if your children without bread. Come forward then, it failed, it could be no great loss-and if it suc- and let every energy be aroused, and every prejuceeded it would be of incalculable benefit. The dice manfully combatted with, and you will have spirit of agricultural improvement in this country the pleasing reward of seeing yourselves and your is now evidently beginning to expand itself, It is children enjoying those blessings.so hardly purdoubtless the duty and interest of every one to chased, not only in peace, but in comfort, plenty, aid the good work so far as in their power. The and happiness. This great, and rapidly increasnumber of emigrations from this part of the county ing republic, already stands second to none in comis a source of general remark and regret; and it mercial importance and in the trading enterprise is doubtless a matter of deep regret, that so many of her citizens. Why should she not also rank of the industrious citizens of the Atlantic States high amongst the first of nations for her agriculshould be compelled to remove to the far-off tural enterprise and prosperity? Her ships, or western country. And the general reason as-rather her floating palaces are held up as models signed for such emigration. is, that the land here of naval architecture to the world: why should will not now, as formerly, repay the labors be- not her agricultural implements rank on the same stowed on it, or, in many instances, afford even a scale? Surely they are of as much importance. scanty subsistence to its owners. This failure, Her mariners and machinists are considered equal which is unjustly attributed to the ungrateful naif not superior to any in the civilized world: why

PLANARIE.

should not her agriculturists rank equally high? These defects in the general agricultural management of this country can only be ascribed to the On January the 27th, at the Royal Institution, not duly considering the paramount importance of Mr. Faraday proceeded to lay before the literati a good system of agriculture to any country; and assembled, an account of Dr. R. Johnson's investo this country in particular, with its rapidly in-tigations into the restorative, productive, and reprocreasing population, it is of vital importance. The good work requires only to be begun: Let but a few of its wealthy, enterprizing, and influential farmers, adopt the proper measures for renovating their wasted lands, and the proofs of their unavoidable success will soon induce one and all of the cultivators of the soil to adopt similar measures. Then will there be fewer painful emigrations, greater comfort, and more contentment amongst the citizens of this highly favored land.

A. N.

ductive powers of the Planariæ, a genus of small animals allied to the leech, and of which there are several known species, viz. P. torva, lactea, hastata, arethusa, felina, &c., the three first of which are to be found abundantly in a pond near the Red-Ilouse, Battersea-fields.

From Dr. Johnson's experiments it appears, that if an incision be made longitudinally into the head of the animal, so as to separate its eyes from each other, if the cut has not been carried very far down, it will heal in the ordinary manner; but if the head be absolutely cleft in twain, then according to the extent of the fissure, there will be a mass of new matter formed by each half of the head, which will either join the two halves together, forming a head of extraordinary size, and bearing in it one or two additional eyes; or each old hall, thus cleft, will form the new matter into another half, with an eye, and so the mimal have If the fissure be two complete and entire heads. carried farther down through the body of the animal, then not only will there be two heads, but two and when this is the case, so little unanimity does bodies also formed, joined together only by the tail; there exist between these siamoid twin-planariæ, that they never pull or swim the same way; and

SO

in the course of two or three days, tear the only violent are their efforts, that they frequently, remaining bond of union, their tail, in sunder, and then two distinct and perfect animals result.

P. S. The hint given by your corresponden S. B. as to the propriety and necessity "of your agricultural friends in different parts of the country, to give you a monthly report of the growing crops" is, I think, of essential importance to every farmer. My own observations are extremely limited, scarcely extending beyond the bounds of the farm I immediately superintend, and on which, I have only resided for a short time back. I will however, give you them as they occcurred to me. The wheat on this farm (Brookfield Henrico,) may be considered a deficient crop. It appears in the low lands to have suffered much during the winter, and it has also suffered much from a discase called in this neighborhood stunt; the term is new to me, as are also the general features of the disease, the most prominent of which, are, If in a common planaria the head be cut enthat from one-fourth to one-half of a great part of tirely off, a new head will be formed; and if its the ears from the top of the ears downwards are lower extremity be removed, it will produce a new destitute of grain. From the partial examination tail. In a planaria, which, by the operation above. which I was enabled to give to the matter, I found described, had been invested with two heads, these generally the tap-root of each diseased head to be "nova capita" were successively severed for three in a decayed state, and embedded in the chaff; several generations, and were immediately and when the grain was wanting, I could easily detect the presence of a very minute worm, or fly in that perfectly renewed, and subsequently the animal stage of existence-I think, deposited there before was cut through just below the artificial bifurcathe flowering of the wheat. On this farm I think tion, and then only a single head was produced, so the high lands have suffered more from this dis-gle headed animal became a biceps, and, after that in this more simple "capital" operation, a sinease than the low. The generality of farmers in this neighborhood complain much of the ravages of this disease; some of them calculating that their crops are deficient by one-third. When one of these animals' is cut in half, the Our corn on this farm suffered much from the head, or anterior extremity, swims away as if nofrosts of the 15th 16th and 17th of May-having thing had happened, and speedily re-tails itself; almost the appearance of being entirely cut down. but the tail swims to the bottom, and remains torIt however, on the return of mild weather, speedi-pid for two or three days, by which time it has ly recovered; and those parts of our crops which formed for itself a head. If a planaria be cut into appeared to suffer most at that time, are now the

having had the use of six heads in succession, was subsequently reduced to the possession of a single

one..

most vigorous, and from eight to ten days in ad-three pieces, the head will form a new body and vance of those parts which suffered to appearance tail, the tail a new body and head, and the middle comparatively little injury.

TO RESTORE FROSTED POTATOES.

A. N.

section, or body, will produce both head and tail. If a quarter be removed by making a longitudinal incision through the head, and half down the body, Fand then a semi-transverse cut to remove the upper quarter, not only will the three remaining quarA most effectual method has been discovered by ters speedily reproduce a new fourth, but also the a Cumberland gentleman. It is simply to allow separated fourth will form to itself three new quarthe potatoes to remain in the pits, after a severe ters. Indeed, a planaria has been cut into as many frost, till the mild weather. is set in for some weeks, as ten pieces, and each piece has become an entire and allowing them to recover gradually. If once and perfect animal. In fact, this mode of propaexposed to the atmospheric air, no art will recover gation, which physiologists artificially institute, frosted potatoes.-Repertory of Inventions. seems to be frequently resorted to by the animal

itself. The planaria felina has been seen to throw off pieces of its body, to form new animals, and these are not diseased but healthy parts, and not only parts of its tail, but often offsets from its sides, &c. Indeed, the planaria felina, and P. arethusa, have been never known to lay eggs, whilst the torva, lactea, &c. lay them in abundance, both the original animals, and those artificially produced. It would seem that those species which inhabit springs and running waters, propagate only by division; but those which dwell in ponds and ditches, where the water is occasionally exhausted, are oviparous, as well as viviparous.

The above facts are physiologically curious, as they show a still closer affinity than had been previously supposed to exist between the propagation of plants and animals by cuttings, as well as seeds; for they have shown that this mode of propagation can be carried to an almost equal extent in the one as in the other-an extent to which the experiments of Trembley, and others, on polypi, star fish, &c. did not reach.-Medical and Surgical

Journal.

DISCONTINUANCES OF SUBSCRIPTIONS.

ined for want of careful wrapping, and always burdened with postage for the editor to pay.

The receiving and paying for our publication is a mere business transaction between the subscriber and

editor-and no one should hesitate to stop his subscription, who does not receive for it compensation in the value of the work. We consider that no apology is required for any discontinuance, and certainly shall never complain of them. But on the other hand, it is due to our interest and our just rights, and indeed to the very existence of our publication, that our terms, and the demands of common justice should be attended to in this respect: and therefore no request for discontinuance will be now allowed to those few who received one sixth part of our present volume, before sending the notice-nor to those who have not paid for the first volume.

be strictly enforced

After this time, our terms as to discontinuances will Orders to discontinue the next volume may be made, and will be properly entered on the list as soon as subscribers may please to send them --but not after the commencement of the volume desired to be discontinued.

The close of the volume of a periodical published like this, is the time when all the discontinuances of Extract from the terms published in the 12th (or May)

subscribers are (or ought to be) sent in. The notices of this kind which we have received are fewer than

were expected, and have been more than equalled by new subscriptions sent in during the same time. But though we have no reason to complain of the number of discontinuances, there is much ground for objection to the time and manner of a large portion of them. It is not probable that any reader of the Register could fail to know when the first volume closed-and then (according to usage and equity, and also according to our terms particularly stated in the May No.) was the time for all to discontinue who wished it, and who had not given earlier notice to that end. Instead of this, more than half the orders for discontinuances were

sent in after the 1st No. of Vol. II, was mailed-some after the 2nd No.-and some from persons who had not, and have not yet, paid any thing, and therefore had no right to discontinue, even at a proper time. Still however, nearly all these requests have been promptly complied with, as we do not wish to retain any subscriber against his will. But, in our own defence, there must be some limit to such exactions, and a few of the latest and most inexcusable of these requests have been refused. The following letter relates to one of them, and may serve as an example of the hardship to which we are subjected in this respect.

No. of Vol. I.

The next No. will contain an article on the various breeds of cattle, extracted from the latest edition of the most approved English work on this subject. The value of such descriptions greatly depend on the correctness and fidelity with which the plates or figures of the animals are copied-and we have taken much pains, Post Office, July 17th, 1834. and incurred a heavy expense, to attain that end. The wood engravings which we have procured for this purSIR-Enclosed is $5, which scriber to the Farmers' Register at this office requests pose, will well bear comparison with the beautiful you to place to his credit, and discontinue his subscrip-originals in the English work, and will do credit to the tion. He has received two numbers of the Register American artist (Horton of Baltimore,) whose talent for the present year, which he says, he will return if is thus exercised for the Farmers' Register. you wish it.

Yours, very respectfully,

a sub

P. M.

All scruples as to a failure in good faith, we suppose, are quieted by sending back the copies of Vol. II. and when this has been done, they generally are nearly ru

ERRATUM.

For Robert Batts, page 162, read Robert Batte.

PRINTED BY ROBERT RICKETTS.

Shellbanks, Va.

VOL. II.

SEPTEMBER, 1834.

EDMUND RUFFIN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.

No. 4.

ON THE BREEDING, REARING, FATTENING, into motion a greater quantity of productive labor AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF NEAT CAT-han any equal capital employed in manufactures,

TLE.

Extracts from the last edition (1833) of the "Complete Grazier."

Introductory view of the different breeds of neat cattle in Great Britain.

but, also in proportion to the quantity of productive labor which it employs, it adds a much greater value to the annual produce of the land and labor. of the country, while it increases the real wealth and revenue of its inhabitants."*

Many circumstances have long occurred to render live stock an object of the utmost importance Of the various sources which compose the to the farmer; and notwithstanding the great adwealth of nations, there are few, perhaps, of vances made in other branches of husbandry, none greater moment, or which have a superior claim has undergone a greater change of system, or has to attention, than that branch of rural economy received more manifest improvement, than the which is the subject of the following pages. In breeding, rearing, and management of cattle. Infact, when it is considered, that not only the ser- dependently of the stimulus afforded, during the vants of a farmer, but also his cattle, are produc- late war, to the exertions of the mere grazier by tive laborers; when we recollect the stimulus to in- the rapid increase in the price of all the necessaries dustry, as well as the rapid circulation of capital of life, the influence of many societies established which the farmer occasions, by furnishing constant of late years for the encouragement of agriculture employment to the numerous artificers who are has powerfully tended to promote inquiry, and to occupied in manufacturing implements which are disseminate information on this interesting subject; indispensably necessary to him; when we call to while the patronage and example of several public mind the immense mass of materials which his spirited noblemen, and gentlemen of high rank, productive labor supplies for the purposes of com- have diffused a taste for the pursuits of rural economercial intercourse, and especially the influence my, that has had a most beneficial effect on the produced by that labor on the comfort and appear-general prosperity of the country. Among these, ance of towns, whose inhabitants must otherwise none have attracted more attention than those be destitute of the necessaries of life; when all which are discussed in the following pages; and, these diversified circumstances are taken into con- although the main object is to convey instruction sideration, every reflecting inquirer must acknowl- on the points more immediately applicable to the edge, that of all the ways in which a capital can be employed, this is by far the most advantageous to society.

Justly, therefore, has it been remarked, "that the capital employed in agriculture not only puts

business of the grazier, it is yet presumed that a concise outline of the principal breeds, and varieties of breeds of cattle found in this highly cultivated island, cannot but prove acceptable to every class of farmer.

whose steward, Mr. Bailey, thus describes them:f "Their color is invariably white; muzzle black; the whole of the inside of the ear, and about one

1. The Wild Cattle-Of a bull of which race, the above is a portrait,-were the original stock of the kingdom, before enclosures were known. They are said to be still found at Chartley Park, in Derbyshire, and, perhaps, in one or two more; but it is believed, that the only pure breed is that preserved, in a wild state, at Chillingham Castle, in Northumberland, the seat of the Earl of Tankerville, edition p. 141. VOL. II.-17.

*Smith's Wealth of Nations, Vol. II. p. 53, Fourth edition.

Agricultural Survey of Northumberland, Third