.018 SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



hard, and frequently stiffen loose surfaces.* The grass seed han'owed into 

 a propeily prepared soil, at the suitable season of the year, might so root 

 itself as to witlistand the subsequent heats, while those dropped on a hard 

 or a loose surface by birds, or borne there by winds, would be exposed 

 directly to the rays of the sun, which, if it did not entirely prevent germ- 

 ination, would dry up and kill the tender roots before they could strike 

 deep enough to resist its influence. Much will depend, in this experi- 

 ment, upon a proper selection of the variety of grass sown. That vaiiety 

 should be sown which is found to flourish best on similar soils, in the same 

 climate, even though relatively it may be an inferior grass.t 



By means as cheap and attainable as these, I have not a doubt that no 

 inconsiderable portions of the nearly naked soils of the lide-wLter zone 

 might be brought into pasture sufficiently good to make their ultimate con- 

 version into prime pastures, by means of sheep husoandry, certain. 



On the worn-out granite soils of the middle region, the once fertile red 

 clay lands — now occupied only by dwarf pines, worthless broom-grass, etc. 

 — deep plowing and thorough sowing (with the aid of steeps and the cheap 

 top-dressing, before adverted to) would generally, I believe, bring these 

 lands into pretty good pasture. These soils, having been subjected only 

 to the one-horse plow, and hand tillage, are tcorn out only on the surface. 

 This is proved, in innumerable instances, in Fairfax, and other northern 

 counties of Virginia. Lands considered entirely worn out, and sold for a 

 mere tiifle, are subjected to the northern two-horse plow, and from one to 

 three inches of earth, never before disturhed, is brought to the surface, 

 which readily supports grass, and even grain crops — the latter tempora- 

 rily. Thus, most fortunately, the means are still left, with the aid of pas- 

 turage, to make many of these lands profitably productive, and to restore 

 them to much of their former fertility. 



^. We come now to another class of lands which may, in many cases, be 

 worth reclaiming, but which will not, by merely being plowed and sown, 

 produce suflicient gi-ass to make their fertilization by sheep husbandry at- 

 tainable — or attainable within a moderate period of time. These are the 

 inferior (but not the worst) sands of the tide-water zone. Here green 

 manuring must be resorted to, by means of ])lants which will better with- 

 stand the climatic and other difficulties in the way of their getting well- 

 rooted, and which will flourish in poorer soils than the grasses. Both of 

 these conditions are answered by various plants. Spurry ( Spcrgnla arvcn- 

 sisj and white Lupins (Lnpinus aJhus) will flourish on dry, baiTcn, and 

 even shifting sands, and are extensively used as green manuring crops on 

 such soils, on the Continent of Europe. From their rapid growth and ex- 

 traordinary productiveness, they are admirably adapted to this end. The 

 introduction of these plants would probsibly su])]-)ly an important desidera- 

 tum in Southern Agriculture, unless, as I have already expressed the opin- 

 ion,| the pea leaves little to wish for, as a green manuring crop on every 

 class of southern soils. Soaked in a solution of nitre — rolled in lime — top- 

 dressed, after sprouting, with a slight sprinkling of ashes and gypsum|| — 



* The sands of the tidc-watpr zonp are overyvvhon?, nt grrator or less depths, underlaid hj- clay. These 

 might in some cases be reached by the plow, and portions of them incorjiorated with the superincumbent 

 6oil. 



t See Letter III. J In Letter III. 



II Sprcngel's analysis, in Letter III., pIiow.s the laice amount of potash required for Ihe seed, and of lime 

 for tlic straw of the pea. The favoralile otfect of )>lai;ler on this, as on most other leiiuminosie, is well 

 known. Ashes, plaster and lime can he purchasid lion' at an average of less than ten cents n bushel. A 

 bushel of gypsum, mixed with say two biislieU of a^lu•.•i, makes a top-drossinjr which will pay for itself a 

 number of limes over, on any land to which I have ever ^een it applied. In nddilion to rolling the seed in 

 lime, a few bushels of it, or of nuul, would make a good, and, where accessible and cheap, an economical 

 top-dressine;. When I speak of ibe price of lime lure, 1 do not refer to marl. The latter, in its natural 

 State, could he purchased at the beds fur probably a shilling a load. 

 (1038) 



