1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



463 



no disappointment found in the effects produced. 

 The general results of the last applicationR have, 

 eo tar, been highly gratilying. Particular etl'ecls, 

 which were more carel'ully observed and noted, 

 will be stated in the report of my manager below. 

 The early benefit which he reports ou the wheat, 

 and strikinsT later benefit to clover and Aveeds, the 



er growth of the clover and cover of weeds, make 



these spots even now, more obvious than at any period 

 during the growth of the wheat. 



"There is one circumstance connected with the 

 above, that I consider worthy of notice. The leaves 

 (altogether of pine) covering the wheat in one place, 

 were extended over a portion of ground much infest- 

 ed with wire-grass. At this time, the ground thus 



apparent destruction of wire-grass, covered by the covered with leaves presents a very scanty growth of 

 top-dressing of leaves, laid on as brought from this pest, while on the adjoining ground there is a very 

 the woods,! observed myself, at different times of close cover of it. This difference is so evident as to 

 hasty and widely separated visits to the farm, be distinguishable from a considerable distance; and, 

 But as there was much that is more of general when closely examined, is found to follow all the lil- 

 etatement, which I did not myself see, in the pro- ! t'e departures from a straight line made m scattering 

 grass of the experiments, and there is much more 

 ihat can neither be properly appreciated or de- 

 scribed except by the person who has observed 

 them throughout, it was deemed preferable that 

 the report should be made by the manager him- 

 self, and upon his own responsibility. I therefore 

 requested a particular and accurate report of the 

 facts observed, and which had been mostly noted 

 before, for publication, and which is as follows. 



" Coggin's Point, 1th Sept., 1838. 



" In obedience to your instructions, I hereby for- 

 ward to you a statement of the results of the experi- 

 ments made, agreeably to your directions, of pine and 

 other leaves, applied as top-dressing to young wheat 

 and clover. 



" The leaves were collected into heaps as early as pos- 

 sible after falhng from the trees. The pine leaves 



the leaves. 



" For a top-dressing to young clover, leaves of every 

 description, convenient to the field, were collected and 

 also apphed'in the months o( January and February, 

 when the ground was suitable for hauling on, at the 

 rate of 32 loads to the acre, (in carts of the same ca- 

 pacity as stated above;) but as it was difficult to have 

 all of the loads equally large, occasional additional 

 loads were necessary, and probably 35 loads were 

 given to the acre. The benefits resulting from this 

 application, were soon very apparent in the earlier 

 and better growth of the clover, though I now consi- 

 der the covering as having been rather heavy. Ad- 

 joining to this was a portion of clover covered in the 

 preceding September with straw. That covered with 

 leaves made an earlier start, and maintained a better 

 appearance than that covered with straw, until after 

 the beginning of May, when the latter evidently gain- 

 ed the superiority, which it maintained throughout the 

 season. The benefits, however, resulting from the ap- 



were hauled and put on the nearest portions of our plication of the leaves, are up to the present time 

 young wheat, in the months of January and February, very apparent; both the clover and growth of weeds 



when the ground was sufficiently frozen to admit of 

 the teams travelling on the wheat without injury, and 

 applied at the rate of from twenty to twenty-three 

 loads per acre, (in carts of 118 cubic feet, and that 

 would contain nearly one hundred bushels,) and were 

 scattered over the wheat as evenly as possible. The 

 benefits resulting to the wheat from this top-dress- 

 ing, were very apparent soon after the application, 

 and by the 18th of March were strikingly obvious ; 

 and from then being some inches taller, and of a deep- 

 er green color, than the general crop not so top-dress- 

 ed, the ground could be easily discerned at a con- 

 siderable distance. A person standing on one side of 

 a piece of ground so top-dressed, could'distinctly trace 

 the exact outlines to where the leaves were applied. 

 The wheat so top-dressed maintained this decided su- 

 periority throughout the whole of its growth, and con- 

 tinued very obvious at a distance until the wheat came 

 into ear; but notwithstanding its superiority in every 

 other respect, it was about eight days later in flower- 

 ing than the adjoining wheat not so "top-dressed. The 

 difference in ripening however was not more than four 

 days. On reaping the wheat, the straw was evidently 

 much taller and stronger, than that of the adjoining 

 wheat, the heads appeared to me as being larger, and 

 the grains of a larger and plumper appearance. In 

 this latter respect, it is, however, difficult to form a 

 correct estimate, though as far as I could judge, I am 

 warranted in saying, that the grain did not derive less 

 benefit than did the bulk of straw. The leaves were 

 not applied on one continued portion of the field, but 

 on four different and detached places, and on each 

 with the same very obvious benefits; consequently 

 these benefits are wholly attributable to the covering 

 of leaves, and not to any difference in soil or situa''- 

 tion. Nor did these very apparent benefits terminate 

 with the wheat crop; for in this unprecedentedly dry 

 season, when a very large proportion of our clover, 

 sown amongst wheat last spring, is destroyed by the 

 excessive and long-continued drought, the clover on 

 those places top-dressed with leaves looks well, is ap- 

 parently little injured, and the difference in the great- 



being better than on adjoining ground which had a 

 liberal top-dressing of farm-pen manure (but of course 

 very light compared to the bulk of leaves) in April 

 and beginning of May. 



" In connexion with the above experiments, permit 

 me also to state what has been the result of applying 

 unrotted straw as a top-dressing to young clover early 

 in the fall. In the months of August and September, 

 1837, all of our wheat straw with the exception of a 

 limited supply left for littering stables, &c., was haul- 

 ed out and spread on young clover. The clover evident- 

 ly derived much and early benefit from this covering 

 of straw; and, with a small exception, was the only 

 clover on the farm this season (1838) really worth 

 mowing, which was done for green feeding; and this 

 was the only portion of our clover from which a se- 

 cond cutting could have been obtained, it having long- 

 est withstood the effects of the drought. This season 

 I had 126 loads of straw hauled out, as return loads, 

 when hauhng in wheat to the thrashing machine, be- 

 tween the 12th and ISth of July, and spread the loads 

 as soon after as an opportunity offered, on young clo- 

 ver. This early, though small application, has proved 

 very beneficial to the clover during the scorching 

 weather that has since occurred. After finishing 

 wheat-thrashing, all our straw (with the exception of 

 a small portion for litter) was hauled out together with 

 the chaff', summer-made manure, he, and also spread 

 on the young clover; and though only finished so late- 

 ly as the end of August, there is already a very per- 

 ceptible improvement in the growth of clover, grass 

 and weeds, compared to that which has not had the 

 benefit of a top-dressing. 



"Having simply stated the results, so far as my obser- 

 vation has led me, I leave you to draw the evident 

 inferences, merely remarking that I consider from the 

 result of these experiments, tliat pine leaves, when 

 they can be got conveniently, as being even a prefera- 

 ble top-dressing, for wheat, to rotted farm-pen ma- 

 nure. What they may want in fertilizing matter, they 

 more than compensate by the warmth and shelter they 

 afford to the young plants both of wheat and clover; 



