216 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



or sickle, and if so ripe as to shell, laid into a wagon box 

 with tight canvass over the bottom and sides, so as to pre- 

 vent waste. As soon as it is perfectly dry, it may be threshed 

 and cleaned when it is ready for market. 



The mustard is a valuable crop for green food for cattle 

 or, sheep, or for plowing in as a fertilizer. The following 

 experiment was made by Mr. Gray in England in 1844, an 

 account of which appears in the Journal of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society. He says : " The land on which it is 

 growing is a thin stone-brash, and very poor. It had been 

 manured, for turneps and rape, at the rate of 80 loads an 

 acre, with compost, consisting of two-thirds lime and one- 

 third road-earth; and, on the 10th of July, the tui-nep and 

 rape-seed were drilled in with 80 bushels of ashes an acre, 

 It came up slowly ; and, with very few exceptions, was 

 taken off by the fly. On the 2*th of August I sowed 12 Ibs. 

 of white mustard-seed an acre, harrowing in the same. It 

 was slow in coming up, from the dryness of the land; indeed, 

 atone time I despaired of a crop, but when the rain fell it 

 grew prodigiously ; and on the llth day of October I com- 

 menced feeding it. On an average it was then two feet 

 high, and very thick in the ground ; you will judge, from 

 the specimen sent, of its present height above 30 inches. I 

 consider it a valuable artificial in sheep husbandry, and par- 

 ticularly so when turneps or rape fail ; and, from its rapid 

 growth, two, or even three crops may be taken and fed off 

 in the season. From its great succulency, some care is 

 required in feeding it off. Our sheep are doing well upon 

 it ; but I find they make better work, having an outlet every 

 day on their walk, than when they were wholly confined 

 upon it. Four hundred consume about a quarter of an acre 

 f\ day, or thereabouts. One grew a most excellent piece of 

 mustard last autumn, on some very heavy clay land, and 

 without manure. His sheep being badly managed when feed- 

 ing it off, he plowed in a considerable quantity for his wheat, 

 of which he had a splendid crop, and certainly the best he 

 grew last season. 1 mention this circumstance, believing it 

 may be grown with success on either heavy or light soils. F 

 was led to suppose it might be greatly affected by frosts, but 

 we have experienced sufficient to destroy the potato-haulm 

 and the dahlias, yet it has not in the slightest degree affected 

 the mustard ; I therefore conclude it must be severe to des- 



