FOREIGN NOTICES. 



571 



plant in question has been, though but recently, 

 slowly, ami hitherto only partially, introduced a- 

 jiiongst the farmers of Germany, France, and Great 

 Britain. The clover in Flanders is sown in every 

 sort of grain, in wheat, rye and Avintcr barley, in 

 the spring of the year, wlien the blades of those 

 plants have acquired a growth of three or four 

 inches; and with oats antl summer barley at the 

 same time with those seeds. It is also often sown 

 with flax ; and in general, the crops grown between 

 those plants are more luxuriant tlian when sown 

 ■with the cerealia. It frequently happens, when 

 sown with fla?<, that clover yields a heavy crop a 

 fevv months after it is sown; two still more abun- 

 tlant crops the next year, and sometimes even 

 three; and if, as it occasionally happens, it be suf- 

 fered to stand another year, it will yield oneheavj^ 

 crop, and afterwards good pasture for cattle, till it 

 is plowed up to receive the seed of wheat, which 

 usually follows it. The original strength of the 

 plants which yield such abuntlant nourishment is 

 undoubtedly (lue to the care taken in pulverizing 

 the soil by frequent plowings and harrowings, to 

 the careful extirpation of all weeds, and to the co- 

 pious stores of manure laid on the ground, and its 

 complete amalgamation with the soil ; but the suc- 

 cessive harvests which the plants yield are attribu- 

 ted, and with apparent probability, to the top- 

 dressings Avhich are bestowed upon them. The 

 lop-dressin<TS administered to the young clover 

 consist either of rotten yard-dung, lime, pigeons' 

 dung, coal, or native turf-ashes, antl are laid oii as 

 soon as the plants begin to extend themselves over 

 the ground. Sometimes the plants are refreshed 

 with a liquid manure, which will hereafter be no- 

 ticed. 



These manures, though administered to the clo- 

 vers, as far as they can be obtained, are found far 

 inferior in powers of fertility to ihat subslance 

 ■which is most generally used, and the efiects of 

 which, form the theme of the praises bestowed bj- 

 all who have witnessed the Belgian husbandry. 

 The turf ashes of Holland, are sown by the hantl 

 on the clovers, in quantities varying from eighteen 

 to twenty bushels to the English acre. 



This small quantity produces a most surprising 

 and almost magical effect. Within a few weeks 

 after it is sown, a field wliere none or but slioht 

 6ti-aggling plants were to be seen, becomes covered 

 with a most abundant herbage. The parts of a 

 field sown with these ashes, at the first mowing, 

 show their efficacy in a most striking manner; the 

 elover being frequently a foot higher on such parts, 

 than on those where its sowing has been omitteil. 

 These ashes are found sjperior in efficacy to such 

 as are made from the turf commonly used for fuel 

 in Flanders, insomuch that one-third of the quan- 

 tity is deemed sufficient to afford a great produc- 

 tiveness. We have no analysis of the turf-ashes of 

 Flanders, by which we can form a comparative es- 

 timate of the proportional substances wiiich create 

 so vast a difference between their vegetative fac- 

 ulties and those of tlic turf-ashes of Holland. The 

 latter have been carefully analyzed by Mv. Brande, 

 secretary to the Royal Society of London, who 

 found them to contain 



Siliceous earth, 

 Sulphate of lime, 

 Sulphate of muriate of soda, 

 Carbonate of lime. 

 Oxide of iron. 



Impurities and loss^ 



32 parts. 

 12 «' 



6 « 

 40 « 



3 " 



93 



7 



100 



These ashes are brought from Holland by the 

 canals to Brussels, whence they arc conveyed by land 

 carriage to the different farms where they are ap- 

 plied. Long practice has so convinced the Flemish 

 farmers of their benefit, that a common proverb in 

 the iiatois of the country, may be thus translated: 

 <' He that buys ashes for his clover pays nothing, 

 but he who does it not, pays double." They are 

 frequently fetched from the canal by persons who 

 have to carry them forty,orevenfift3' miles by land. 



The abundance of the clover produced from 

 the soil of Flanders, enables the cultivator to 

 maintain a great number of cattle, principally 

 cows, the dung of whicli is managed with an at- 

 tention and care that is highly worthy of imitation, 

 and contributes to maintain in a state of high fer- 

 tility that soil which yields the most exhausting 

 crops. " The farmers," says the Abbe Mann, 

 "supply the want of straw in the following man- 

 ner: The peat or sods which are cut from tho 

 heath, are placed in the stables and covvstalls as 

 litter for the cattle. The ground under them is 

 dug to a certain depth, so as to admit a considera- 

 ble quaiitity of these peat sods, and fresh ones are 

 added as the feet of the cattle tread them down 

 into less compass. These compose so many beds 

 of manure, thoroughly impregnated with the urine 

 and dung of the cattle. This mixture produces a 

 compost of excellent quality for fertilizing grounil 

 where corn is to be sown." Ency. Bril., seventh 

 edition. 



CHAP,-\rAN"*3 PiiixcE OF Wai.es Pi.um. Th)8 



Plum was raised at Brentford End, in 1830, and is 

 a seedling from the Orleans, but is quite distinct 

 from that variety. It is larger, of a different 

 shape, being inclined to be oval, different in color, 

 which is a briglit purplish pink, with much more 

 bloom, and the flavor is much superior. The 

 flesh is yellowish or pale amber, and parts from 

 the stone. Unlike the Orleans, it never cracks, 

 anil the shoots differ from those of that variety, in 

 being smooth, whereas in the Orleans they are 

 downy. The leaves are broad, roundish, and easily- 

 distinguishable from those of any other Plum. 

 The trees are of vigorous growth. Upon stocks 

 planted in the spring of 1844, and budded in Au- 

 gust following, are this year shoots upwards of 

 eight feet in height. The bloom is protected by 

 the foliage in a most remarkable manner, and it 

 has a peculiar habit of spurring all up the branches. 

 Trees of this variety, three years old, have been 

 covered with plums as thickly as they could be 

 placed, at three feet up the stem, j^so that it has 

 been necessary to fasten the branches up with 

 stakes to prevent them breaking down. It bears 

 well on suckers from the mother plant. London 

 Ilort. Mag. 



