1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



687 



of sugar - - - IS parts. 



of mucilage - - - 67 



of coloretl extract, and saline 



matters with some matter ren- 

 dered insoluble by evaporation 15 

 100 parts of the soluble matter from the seed 

 crop afforded — 



of sugar .... 9 parts, 



of mucilage - - - 85 



of extract, insoluble and saline 



matter ... 6 



100 parts of the soluble matter from the afler- 

 math crop give — 



of sugar - - - 11 parts. 



of mucilage - - 59 



of extract, insoluble and saline 



matters - - - 30 



The greater proportion of leaves in the spring, 

 and particularly in the late autumnal crop, accounts 

 lor the difference in the quantity of extract ; and 

 the inferiority of the comparative quantity of su- 

 gar in the summer crop probably depends upon the 

 agency of light, which tends always in plants to 

 convert saccharine matter into mucilage or starch. 

 Amongst the soluble matters afforded by the dif- 

 ferent grasses, that of the Elymus arenarius was 

 remarlcable for the quantity of saccharine matter 

 it contained, amounting to more than one-third of 

 its weight. The soluble matters from the differ- 

 ent species of Festuca, in general, afforded more 

 bitter extractive matter than those from the dif- 

 ferent species of Poa. The nutritive matter from 

 the seed crop of the Poa compressa was almost 

 pure mucilage. The soluble matter of the seed 

 crop of Phleum pratense, or meadow cat's-tail, 



afforded more sugar than any of the Poa or Fes- 

 tuca species. 



The soluble parts of the seed crop of the IIol- 

 cus mollis and Holcus lanatus contained no bitter 

 extract, and consisted entirely of mucilage and su- 

 gar. Those of the Holcus odoratus afforded bit- 

 ter extract and a peculiar substance having an 

 acrid taste more soluble in alcohol than in water. 

 All the soluble extracts of those grasses that are 

 most liked by cattle have either a saline or sub- 

 acid taste; that of the Holcus lanatus is similar in 

 taste to gum arable. Probably the Holcus lanatus^ 

 which is so common a grass in meadows, might 

 be made palatable to cattle by being sprinkled over 

 with salt. 



I have found no differences in the nutritive pro- 

 duce of the crops of the different grasses cut at the 

 same season, which would render it possible to 

 establish a scale of their nutritive powers; but 

 probably the soluble matters of the after-math crop 

 are always from one-sixth to one-third less nutri- 

 tive than those from the flower or seed crop. lr» 

 the after-math the extractive and saline matters 

 are certainly usually in excess ; but the after-math 

 hay mixed with summer hay, particularly that 

 in which the fox-tail and soft grasses are abundant, 

 would produce an excellent food. 



Of the clovers, the soluble matter from the Dutch 

 clover contains most mucilage, and most matter 

 analogous to albumen: all the clovers contain more 

 bitter extract and saline matter than the common 

 proper grasses. When pure clover is to be mixed 

 as fodder, it should be with summer hay, rathec" 

 than after-math hay. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 

 REMARKS ON THE CULTURE OF PEAS. 



Crops of secondary importance are of course de- 

 serving of less attention than those which are pri- 

 mary; such as, in consequence of a limited mar- 

 ket, do not readily command cash, are not so valu- 

 able to the farmer as those at all times in exten- 

 sive demand. Thus, for instance, the culture of 

 buckwheat and rye are not worthy of so much at- 

 tention as that of wheat. But when a crop of se- 

 condary importance in itself, becomes a very use- 

 ful auxiliary in the cultivation of the most impor- 

 tant, it immediately assumes a rank of the first 

 consequence. It is this which renders the cultiva- 

 tion of peas highly deserving the attention of 

 farmers. 



It has been long since satisfactorily determined 

 that attemps to make money rapidly from land by 

 close cropping, is the worst economy; and that on 

 the contrary a proper system of rotation, calcu- 

 lated to effect a constant improvement in the soil, 

 is, in consequence of the full and regular crops 

 thus obtained, the best policy even for the time 

 being. Thus an abundant crop of peas followed 

 by one of wheat, would be more advantageous 

 than two succe.ssive and inferior crops of vvheat, 

 independently of the efl^ect on the land. 



The peculiar excellence of peas as a prepara- 

 tion for vvheat, is becoming well known. Their 

 additional value as food for fattening domestic ani- 

 mals, especially hogs, renders the knowledge of 

 their proper culture of much importance, and any 

 suggestions therefore upon this subject it is pre- 

 Eumed may not be wholly useless. 



With regard to the proper soil for peas, it is 

 commonly believed that a poor, or but moderately- 

 fertile one, is best; and that the great growth of 

 stalk produced by very rich land, is adverse to the 

 copious production of seed. This is doubtless ge- 

 nerally the case, when the larger and taller varie- 

 ties are sown; in these there is already a strong 

 tendency to the growth of leaf and stalk, which is 

 increased by a fertile soil. But this may doubt- 

 less be in a great degree if not entirely remedied, 

 by the substitution for the taller kind, of the early 

 and dwarf varieties, such as Bishop's dwarf pro- 

 lific and the early Washington. Indeed it is not 

 improbable that much larger crops than have been 

 hitherto obtained, may be raised by dwarf peas 

 thickly sown on fertile ground. Analogous proof 

 is furnished by the fact that much larger crops of 

 Indian corn have been raised in the northern 

 states from the small-stalked varieties, than in the 

 fertile land of the south and west where this plant 

 grows of gigantic size. 



An additional advantage from the use of dwarf 

 kinds is early maturity, which is always a very de- 

 sirable quality in all ftirm crops, if not at the ex- 

 pense of quantity. 



What further experiments are needed and fur- 

 ther discoveries are yet to be made in the cultiva- 

 tion of peas on fertile and even on highly manured 

 soils by the use of lime, will be evident from the 

 following extract fr-om Dickson's Farmers' Com- 

 panion : 



" It is observed, that the common pea, whether 

 white or gray, cannot be reared to perfection in 

 any field which has not been either naturally or 

 artificially impregnated with some calcareous mat- 



