70 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



whiol) till,- plant can fix itself; but it doubtless con- 

 taiii3 many things wliicli water serves to dissolve, 

 and bold in solution, that they may be taken up by 

 the plants. He expressed his belief that in most of 

 the soils in New England and in Massachu: etts, the 

 principal element wanting is lime. This ^.bounds 

 in the western districts of New York, and renders 

 those lands, as in Geneseo for example, on the 

 magnificent farm of Mr. Wndsworth, e?;traordina- 

 rily productive in wheat. 



The addition of lime to our own soils, he consid- 

 ered of great importance. Our sea-shores abound 

 in sliells, whose base is lime, and whicii arc capa- 

 ble, by being burnt, of being convertedinto the 

 best of lime.° New Haven, the town of his own 

 residence, abounds in oysters, both natives and 

 those that in great numbers are colonized tliere 

 from Virginia. The shells are burnt for manure and 

 applied to the land. The soil of New Haven and its 

 vicinity is derived from a species of red sandstone; 

 but this was composed of the elements of granite, 

 quartz, mica and feldspar, the ruins of granitic and 

 and otlier primary rocks. 



An interest in agriculture is now awakened in 

 Connecticut, whicli promises the most valuable re- 

 sults ; and improvements in cultivation are rapid- 

 ly advancing. He agreed in the estimation of the 

 Commlssion°er, of the great value of Indian corn. 

 One hundred bushels had been repeatedly produc- 

 ed in New Hnvon upon an acre. A cattle show 

 and agricultural and horticultural fair have, been 

 holden in New Haven annually for several years — 

 the last autumn in particular, with a spirit which 

 evinced the lively interest taken in tlie subject ; 

 and he had the pleasure on that occasion of seeing 

 one hundred yoke of very fine oxen from East Ha- 

 ven, attached to a plough, and the plough holden 

 by a venerable man of ninety-six years of age, who 

 laid a furrow along tlie public square. 



In his own opinion, tliere was no occasion, in an 

 agricultural point of view, to despair of Massa- 

 chusetts or any part of New England. Tliere were 

 no evils or disadvantages connected with the cli- 

 mate or soil, which could not be met and overcome. 

 It was a great and lamentable error that so many 

 of our young men deserted the pursuits of agricul- 

 ture to'crowd into the trades of cities. 



He reverted again to the value and importance 

 of chemical knowledge to agriculture. The anal- 

 ysis of manures was a subject of great and indis- 

 pensable importance. The knowledge obtained 

 from geological and agricultural surveys and chem- 

 ical investigations, could not be too highly estiina- 

 ted ; and the State could expend rib money to more 

 advantage than in procuring and encouraging them. 

 This patronage should not be withdrawn or with- 

 held ; and the withholding of it could arise only 

 from a want of a just appreciation of the value of 

 these branches of science. He alluded with much 

 respect to the late lamented Judge Bucl, whose 

 skill in the science and application of manures was 

 a just subject of eulogy, and whose success, in con- 

 verting a portion of the barren and unpromising 

 soil in°flie vicinity of Albany into fertile and pro- 

 divctive fields, was well known and honored. 



He pressed the importance of a Board of Agricul- 

 ture, and congratulated ]\I:issachusetts upon the 

 spirit and liberality with which she had regarded 

 the improvement of her husbandry. The subject 

 could not receive too much of her concern. It 

 stood second to no interest but those of a moral and 

 reliirious character, and indeed it might be said to 

 be nearly allied to them also, since habits of rural 

 industry are the most favor.tble to good morals. — 

 The value of science, in this case, could not be too 

 highly estimated. Here science might be regard- 

 ed as the eye, and practical skill the hand, by which 

 this great art was to be carried forward to perfec- 

 tion. 



The Tare. 



TheTahe or Vetch (ricia satica) spoken of by 

 Mr. Webster, is a plant which we have sometlnies 

 seen growing, but rarely cultivated among ns.— 

 There is no hindrance in our climate to its cultiva- 

 tion ; and perhaps the great reason why the culti- 

 vation of the tare or field bean has been neglected 

 or not introduced, has arisen from our capacity to 

 produce Indian corn ; and our high estimation, 

 which can hardly be extravagant, of its value as 

 food for the brute and the Iiuman animal. As green 

 feed especially, and for the purposes of soiling, 

 undoubtedly the tares might be introduced to great 

 aidvantage. 



"The Tare," says Low, "is one of the most es- 

 teemed of the leguminous plants of this country, 

 (England.) When used as green forage, they are 

 cilt after the pods are formed, but long before the 

 seeds are ripe. Being in the class of crops not al- 

 lowed to mature Iheir seeds, they are not exhaust- 

 ing to the soil. They arc considered as restorative 



crops, from tlie quantity of manure which the con- 

 fiuinption of them affords. They are exceedingly 

 nutritious, and supply a larger quantity of food for 

 a limited period, than almost any other forage crop. 

 All the animals of the farm arc ibnd of this legume, 

 and all thrive upon it in an eminent degree. Hogs 

 may be fattened entirely upon it. It causes milch 

 cows to give more butter than any other species of 

 food, and it is employed extensively in the feeding 

 of horses. All the English agriculturists are im- 

 pressed with a high opinion of the value of tares." 



Young observes, "tare crops are of such use and 

 importance that not one tenth of the stock could 

 be sustained without them; horses, cows, sheep 

 and hogs a-e all fattened upon them ; hogs are soil- 

 ed upon them without any other food. This plant 

 maintains more stock than any other plant what- 

 ever. Upon one acre Davis maintained four hors- 

 es in a much better condition than upon five acres 

 of grass, Upon eight acres he has kept twelve 

 horses and five cows for three months without 

 any other food. No artificial food whatever is e- 

 qual to this excellent plant." 



" Tares cut green," Professor Thaer observes, 

 "draw no nourishment from the soil, whatever ; 

 while made into hay they afford a fodder preferred 

 by cattle to pea straw, and more nutritious than 

 liav or any other herbage." 



These high encomiums on this plant will, we 

 hope, invite the attention of our farmers strongly to 

 the subject, that experiments may be made among 

 ourselves of their adaptation to our climate and soil; 

 and of the expediency of introducing them among-^ 

 a rotation of crops in our system of husbandry, if 

 wo are so fortunate presently to as to have a sys- 

 tem. — Tares are of two kinds, Winter, and Spring, 

 but not distinguishable from the appearance of the 

 seed. The winter tares are sowed in England in 

 September and October, and where they are de- 

 signed for soiling the sowing is continued at suc- 

 cessive times till May. The spring tares are ad- 

 vised to be sowed as early in the spring as they can 

 be (rot in. A clay soil is most congenial to their 

 growth ; and any rich soil will do, provided it is 

 not too dry. The quantity of seed to an acre is 

 from two and a half to three and a half bushels ; 

 the latter quantity where they are to be cut for 

 green fodder; the former where they are cultivat- 

 ed for their seed. It is advised to sow some grain 

 with them, such as rye with winter tares and oats 

 with spring tares, which serve to support them. 



It is doubtful whether tares sowed in the fail 

 would survive our severe winters. This, howev- 

 er, can only be determined by some actual experi- 

 ment. We hope they will have a fair trial. For 

 soiling they must be an excellent article ; and I 

 cannot but hope that the practice of soiling will 

 prevail much more among us; especially for the 

 quantity of most valuable manure, which under 

 proper "management may be made in this way. 



RkV. H. CoI.jlAM. 



The minute attention paid to agricultural opera- 

 tions of the most ordinary kind. In G. Britain as ex- 

 hibited in the Marklane Express, is worthy of our 

 attention. In this country we would bo surprised 

 to sec even our agricultural papers filled with state- 

 ments reporting the agricultural progress in our 

 different counties and towns. There is little that our 

 farmers can be supposed to do in the inclement sea- 

 son of winter that we would think to bs interesting 

 as a'matter for publication. So important is all ag- 

 ricultural informatinn considered, that reports are 

 published raontjily from the several counties. As 

 a specimen of what the farmers in several counties 

 in England were doing in February last, we make 

 a few 'random extracts from the Marklane Express; 

 YoKKSiiiKE. — "The dry weather which has oc- 

 curred, and indeed pervaded the month, soon set 

 the plough in operation ; the frost corrected the wet 

 ploughed land, and completely pulverized the sur- 

 face "so as to gire a friable soil to cover the grain 

 sown, and all hands were immediately set to work 

 to sow as much wheat as could be got in. The 

 br*adth sown is beyond all calculation. It is very 

 doubtful to us if the whole breadth sown in this 

 county now does not exceed an average. 

 The wheats sown in the autumn, we are sorry to 

 say, look rather indlflerent. Upon the cold, wet 

 land they have nearly perished, while upon the 

 licjhter and drier soils the dry frosts do considera- 

 ble injury, the verdant green is disappearing and 

 givinglway to a dingy grey, wl-.ile the soil Is growing 

 looser and looser, by the action of the frosts. Spring 

 corn is not yet sown at all that we have heard of, 

 but the tempting season will set the farmers to 

 work probably by next week." 



Berks. "The ewes have a great part of them 



now brought forth, and we think that altogether 

 the increase has been as great as usual. It is cer- 



tain that a vast number of ewes have brought forth 

 dead lambs, and the cold weather has in some pla- 

 ces killed many weak lambs; but there has been 

 more than usual that have brought two lambs, and 

 there are hut few barren ewes. « * * There is 

 no want of work in this part of the country, and 

 every good laborer finds plenty of employment at 

 fair wages, for the improvements going on in plant- 

 ing, chalking, draining, ditching, paring and burn- 

 insT, building, &c., are immense, and much money 

 is ~ expended and circulated to the good of all 

 around." 



West Cuiibep.i.and. — "The present fine moder- 

 ate frosty weather will decidedly improve both the 

 ploughed and unploughcd lands for oats. The sown 

 seeds presented, before the commencement of the 

 present frost, a very promising appearance — an a- 

 bundance of clover seemed very general. Our 

 trrain markets are by no means lively. The past 

 winter has been very favorable for draining, and 

 we observe that ithas been pursued to a considera- 

 ble extent when we consider the limited means 

 which many farmers have at their disposal. A- 

 bout twenty years ago, an opinion prevailed that 

 if land were only drained it could not be further 

 improved. But draining was then in its infancy ; 

 it has since, however, been carried to a great ex- 

 tent, and the farmer may now push his inquiries as 

 to what further improvement his soil is capable of 

 by subsoil ploughing and other peculiar modes of 

 management. We rejoice to state that many able 

 and spirited farmers are still progressing in improv- 

 ing their lands, whilst others are encouraged to do 

 so through the bounty of their Landlords ; and we 

 believe that time and perseverance are only wanting 

 to carry many of the improvements now in pro- 

 gress to the highest possible state of perfection." 



Nop.roLK. — "The planting of leguminous crops, 

 such as peas, beans, and vetches, has not only com- 

 menced, but as regards the former, is nearly brought 

 to a conclusion. The land cannot be in a better 

 condition for the reception of seeds and pulse than 

 it now is; and as the setting in of easterly winds 

 seems to forbode a succession of dry weather and 

 plenty of March dust, we are led to believe that 

 the sowing of spring corn will have an early com- 

 mencement and a profitable issue. ■* * * We 

 mentioned in our last that an epidemic was then 

 prevalent among the horned cattle: it seems to 

 have gone its round through the kingdom; but 

 neither here nor elsewhere does it appear to have 

 been attended with any more fatal consequences 

 than that one in 500 may have died from it, and 

 that in some cases cows in calf have lost their pro- 

 geny. Keeping is plentiful, although the late frosts 

 and cold winds have impartefi a seasonable check 

 to the progress of vegetation. The supply of beef 

 in Smithfield market now begins to partake of a 

 large proportion of that which is fiiftened in Nor- 

 folk, nor has the grazier any reason to complain of 

 the returns which have been made from that quar- 

 ter, although the lean cattle were bought in at a 

 figure too high to admit of much profit." 



Kest. — "The number of acres sown is nearly on 

 an average with former years. Numbers of us at 

 the prese°it moment are very busy in getting in 

 beans, peas, tares, and oats, and some have com- 

 menced getting in their barley. The land, ov.-ing 

 to the late frosts, does not require much dressing, 

 which is of much consequence at this late season." 



RoxBCKY.siiiRE ANU Behkshiue. — "Tlic month 

 just ended may be said to have been a dry one, 

 forming an Instance of the very striking contrasts 

 of climate to which we are subject. In the lower 

 parts of tlie country, the plough has never been re- 

 tarded, while, in the higher parts, it has been inter- 

 rupted bjf tlie constant frost in the latter part of the 

 month, which, however, must be highly beneficial 

 to the pulverizing of the soil. Although we do not 

 pretend to great knowledge of the natural history 

 of inset ts, we would doubt the common opinion of 

 sprins frost killing the animalculo! of insects; one 

 tiling^ however, is certain, should we get- fresh 

 weafher the land is now in a dry state, and in the 

 vei-y best order for receiving the spring crops. Ve- 

 getation has got a severe check by the frosts, but 

 fhis is of little importance, for our country is nev- 

 er benefitted by grass before jXprll. * * Wo 

 observed, last week, an experiment on kiln-drying 

 seed wheat, which is no new thing, being practised 

 in the Lothians and elsewhere to a great extent- 

 being there dried by staain ; but, we would say to 

 those wishing to try it, to go about it with the great- 

 est caution. Our common corn-kiln being a very 

 uncertain mode of doing so, from the unequal tem- 

 perature, and also the want of data of knowing 

 where to stop, it being a well known fact, that a 

 high temperature not only destroys the vegetative, 

 bu°t as every baker almost knows, the fermenting 



