396 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 7 



mounlain sironff-holJ; and they had killed, in all, 

 more than 1000 sheep in this county. As soon, 

 however, as the nature and the abode ol" the ene- 

 my were known, laroje hunting parties of hundreds 

 of the neighbors, with iruns and witli all their 

 doers, scoured the mounlain and its places of con- 

 cealment. They Ibrmed a circle around the moun- 

 tain, as practised in Europe in ancient times, for 

 the sport of royal huntsmen ; and gradually closed 

 their ranks, and lessened the surrounded space, by 

 advancing slowly and regularly up toward the 

 central point of "the mountain, and driving the 

 roused and encircled wolves before them. Be- 

 eides the rocks, and the usual difficult ground of 

 eteep and rocky mountain sides, there is much of 

 the mountain covered with that strong and large 

 evergreen shrub, or small tree, the laurel, impro- 

 perly called the ivy-bush, which spreads in many 

 cases over acres of the land together, and forming, 

 as it always does, the most dense and impenetra- 

 ble thicket. The stoutest dogs, and in numbers, 

 were scarcely able to cope with their new and 

 fierce enemies ; and many, in attacking them, pe- 

 rished by the long and sharp fangs of the wolves, 

 when driven to desperate bay. When the wolves 

 could be seen and reached, these conflicts were 

 usually speedily ended, bv the rifles of the hunters. 

 In different hunts of this kind, 24 wolves were 

 killed, without all being destroyed, or the diminish- 

 ed remnant being induced to abandon their chosen 

 place of refuge. However, being intimidated by 

 the attacks on them, and their heavy losses, they 

 have made no incursions into the neighboring 

 farms, and committed no known depredations on 

 the flocks, for the last tvvo years. Rut some still 

 retain their position, in spite of all the force and 

 crall of the hunters, as resolutely and as obstinate- 

 ly as the Seminole Indians have done against the 

 arms and diplomacy of General Jesup. A suffi- 

 cient evidence of the still-contmued presence of 

 the wolves in these mountains, is, that a man has 

 during this year found and killed, in their dens, 

 eight wolf-whelps. E. R. 



From th(^ Quarterly Journal of Agriculture. 

 PRACTICAL EFFECTS OF DRAINING. 



The system of draining introduced into Scot- 

 land some years ago, and proceeding so rapidly, 

 must be regarded as the greatest improvement ot 

 modern times. The landlord and farmer do it 

 jointly. Here is a safe investment for money — the 

 expense repaid in twenty years, regular interest, 

 and the land improved in value above one-third. 

 Green crops are grown in great abundance after 

 draining, where no attempt could be made before, 

 and the farmers allow they have (bur crops in 

 three years, and the draining pays on an average 

 eight per cent, I know an instance of a wet clay 

 soil, almost covered with rushes, being drained 

 and improved at an expense of £15 an acre, 

 (^65) ; the green crops were so productive as to 

 repay the expense in one year, and after deduct- 

 ing the old rent, the improvement pays fourteen 

 per cent, upon the outlay. The drains are from 20 

 to 30 inches deep, and at the distance of from 12 

 to 20 feet, sometimes in the furrows of the field, 

 or across, or obliquely, as the descent may suit, 

 and sometimes the land is laid flat. Draining, to 



be remunerative, must be done effectually. A 

 field cannot be drained by putting a drain in a cor- 

 ner, one here and another there ; by running one 

 across the field, and another diagonally to that. It 

 must be done completely, or not at all, for half 

 measures are useless. 



From the Franklin Farmer. 

 SELECTION OF SEED WHEAT. 



Richmo-nd, /{y., Aug. 6, 1838. 



Many years ago, a farmer in this quarter, vvho 

 cultivated the same variety of wheat and in the 

 same manner as did his neighbors, was known to 

 have a yield of a third more to the acre. Upon 

 inquiry as to the cause, the unsatisfactory answer 

 was given — " I sow barrel seed." The neighbors 

 purchased of him their seed wheat, and the first 

 year had a yield equal to his ; but selecting their 

 seed as formerly, the second and third crops 

 were but little, if any better, than was raised by 

 them previous to their purchase of seed. They 

 again purchased, and their fourth crop was equal 

 to the first, but their fifth and sixth crops were like 

 their second and third. How to solve this appa- 

 rent mystery, caused many a neighborhood con- 

 sultation and discussion. The vender of the seed 

 saw too inviting a prospect to make money from 

 the sale of seed wheat to induce him to disclose 

 the manner of its preparation, and he struggled to 

 keep it concealed. It was ultimately discovered, 

 however, and was as follows : 



When you are ready to get out your wheat, 

 place a barrel or box in j'our stack-yard, open at 

 one end ; before you pass the bundle to the tread- 

 ing floor, give it one or two strokes across the open 

 end of the barrel or box, by which the best ma- 

 tured grains will shatter off j then winnow and use 

 for seed. 



Thus selected, it will be far superior to the seed 

 prepared by running it through a coarse sieve ; 

 for it is known to every observant farmer, that 

 many of the largest grains of both wheat and rye 

 are unripe or diseased, and yet they do not shatter 

 out as easily as those which are perfectly ripe. 



W. C. G. 



From the New England Farmer. 

 CURING CLOVER HAY. 



There prevails with many farmers a strong pre- 

 judice against clover hay ; and indeed in the con- 

 dition in which it usually is Ibund it is a very 

 coarse miserable fodder, and hardly better than so 

 much brush. Our northern clover sown on rich- 

 ly-manured land, and with the small quant-ty of 

 seed commonly applied, makes a rough product ; 

 and, as the flowers and seeds are generally shaken 

 off in the making, it contains little nutriment, and 

 is scarcely fit for other purposes than litter. The 

 southern clover is of a smaller growth ; and on 

 that account makes a much belter forage. Indeed, 

 clover hay, when well cured, is very much liked 

 by cattle, whom we must allow to be pretty fair 

 judges in the case of what is good for them ; and 

 "no long feed, that can be given to cows, will make 

 more or better milk. One of the best milk-men 

 in the neighborhood of Boston speaks of it in the 

 highest terms ; and, in his mode of curing prefers 



