198 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



nearly all summer. The leaves lasteJ till late in 

 the fall, when the crocus-like golden flowers of'the 

 Sternbergia took their place, and had a double 

 cheerlul efl'ect from all the adjacent vegetation hav- 

 ing fallen into "the sere and yellow leaf." These 

 flowers, it is true, were more transient than the 

 others, conlinuing perhaps lor eight or ten days, 

 but they were immediately followed by their 

 peculiarly rich green leaves, which preserved the 

 border fresh and perfect, till the atamasco appeared 

 again. The second year the edging was very 

 much more beautiful, li'om the flowering bulbs 

 having increased three fold. How long they can 

 be permitted to remain without being dug up and 

 reset, I know not yet, probably from three to five 

 or six years ; but if it were required to be done 

 every year, it would be well worth the trouble. 

 At any rate, ( know of no better way of obtain- 

 ing the combined grand desiderata in an edirins; 

 for flower beds, viz., humble growth, perpetual 

 greenth,* and variety in the color of a succession of 

 flowers. 1 only regret that I cannot say much 

 about their perfume. M. A. W. 



Athens, Ga., Dec. 1839. 



SOWING [Kentucky] blue grass. 



From tlie Agriculturist. 



The time for sowing this excellent (jrass, is from 

 the first of February lo the hist ofMarch; though 

 some farmers sow in autumn, but generally it 

 does not do so well as soon inlhes[)rinir. Almost any 

 soil in Tennessee would produce grass, if well man- 

 aged but the rich limestone regions are more fa- 

 vorable to its growth. Clover will grow pretty 

 well on clayey and sandy soils, but for blue grass, 

 they should receive several coats of manure first. 

 It isa subject of controversy wiih liirm.ers, to de- 

 termine whether it is best to sow on old fields 

 which are free from timber, or in fresh woodland 

 with a moderate degree of shade. In Kentucky, 

 graziers are adopting the phin of sowing on their 

 old fields in preference to woodland, and find that 

 they aflord rich pastures, furnish a greater yield 

 of seed, cattle are more fond of the grass, and the 

 butchers pronounce the beef far better than wlien 

 bullocks are fattened on grass grown in the shade. 



So liir as we have had the opportunity ofgaining 

 information in this stale, we are strongly inclined 

 to the belief that most of our old fields, which 

 are not too mucli exhausted, are better lor grass 

 than timber land. Though as most farmers wish 

 to save their timber, they would do well to keep 

 much of their woodland in grass, as it will be to- 

 lerably good and not at all deteriorate the soil. 



Land before sowing should be freed fiorn leaves 

 and trash, so that the seed may immediately 

 come in contact with the soil, and thereby he 

 sure to vegetate and get strong and deep roots 

 before the heat of summer. 



Ploughing is unnecessary and injurious in sow- 

 ing blue grass, as it renders the ground too loose 

 to insure a stand — a firm and moderately hard sur- 

 face is to be perltrred. One bushel is comntonly 

 the quantity of seed allowed to the acre ; but 

 some experienced farmers reconuTiended more, 

 others less. To obtain a arood set, it is recommcnd- 



• I use this very convenient word on tlie authority 

 of Horace Walpoie's Letters, where it occurs more 

 Ifian once. 



ed to turn in all the stock of the farm so soon 

 as the seed is sown, to tramp it well into the earth. 

 To effect this object, it would be well to scatter 

 shell corn over the field that the stock may pass 

 over all the surfiice to do their work. In England 

 and the eastern states the ground is harrowed 

 and rolled after sowing, which is quite a success- 

 ful mode. We have no reason to doubt it would 

 answer admirably in this country, and we expect 

 to try it soon. 



Blue grass cannot be pastured with safety the 

 first season ; or even the second, till it goes to seed, 

 when light stock may go upon it ; but care should 

 be taken, that it is not eaten down too close. 

 Close grazing has been the destruction of many 

 an excellent pasture. Some thirty years ago, 

 several jzenilemen left the richest portions of Ken- 

 tucky, because they said "it was not a grazing 

 country ; but the secret was, they overstocked 

 their farms, and fed their grass so close that the 

 sun had too great action on the roots, and by that 

 injudicious means destroyed it ; as subsequent ex- 

 perience has proved that one of the best grasa 

 growing regions of the world. Many have doubt- 

 ed whether or not Tennessee will produce blue 

 grass ; but from our own observations on the grasa 

 of Kentucky, Ohio, and all the northern stales, 

 we unhesitatingly assert that we have seen as 

 luxuriant growths and fine sets of grass in Ten- 

 nessee as in iiny part of the United Slates. True, 

 it has been in small lots and patches ; but it shows 

 what can be done by proper management. 



In some res|)ects blue grass pastures will be bet- 

 ter here than liiriher north. They can he pas- 

 tured later in autumn, more in the winter, and 

 earlier in the spring ; though not so much in the 

 heat of summer. If farmers would sufi'er their 

 slock lo run on iheir grass lands but little in the 

 summer, that there miiiht be a rich foliage to pro- 

 tect the roots, it would be decidedly to their ad- 

 vaniage. We may be asked by an objector, what 

 is to be done with the catile in the hot dry season, 

 if they are to be shut out of the blue grass lots ? 

 We answer, that during that time, wheat, rye, and 

 oat fields will amply supply the deficiency. All we 

 lack is a liltle more patience and scientific improve- 

 ment, to have pastures as rich as could be desired. 



From tlic (London) Library of Useful ICnowledge. 



A GLOUCESTERSHIRE HILL FARM. COMMUNI- 

 CATED BY JIR. JOHN MORTON, CHESTER- 

 HILL. 



Continued from page 15-3. 



Rotation of crops. 



The greatest part of the arable land of this farm 

 is cultiviiied accordini; to the system generally 

 adopted by the best liirmcrs on the range of the 

 Cotswold hills; — The first year, turnips; the 

 second year, barley, or oats, if the land is not so 

 well calculated lor barley; Ihe third year, clover, 

 which is mown for hay, and is a mixture of red 

 and while clover, trefoil, and rye-grass ; the fourth 

 year clover, pastured with sheep, till July, when 

 it is ploughed lor wheat ; the fifth year, wheat; 

 the sixih year barley or oats, if the land is better 

 adapted for them ; afier this last crop, some of the 

 best and cleanest of the land, being sown for winter 

 vetches, is led otT in lite epring with sheep, and 



