THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



85 



(from 90 to 100,) for the benefit of their manure, I (at pp. 678 and 637, vol. 8, Farmers' Regiaier,) 

 and their periodical grazing, more than (or any they vy ill noi be rt-peated here. And liereaPer vyill 

 thing else. Besides this temporary use of his clover 



fields, he has a large standing pasture. He does 

 much of his vvinier manuring by moveable pens, 

 changed every week. This is done throughout 

 the winter, during all weather in which the land 

 to be so manured is either dry or frozen. Corn- 

 stalks are hauled in and scattered for food and lit- 

 ter of each pen the first half of the week, and 

 straw the latter half; so that the stalks may be 

 as much trodden as possible. The size of the pen, 

 as well as iis continuance, i.s suited to the number 

 of callle and the quality of litter, so as to properly 

 manure the space inclosed. Bushes are some 



be added some additional otidervaiiims on that 

 most valuable body of manure, and iis ren)arka- 

 ble effects. Here will be given merely a lew of 

 less important matters of conveisation, and an- 

 swers to verbal inquiries, though generally on 

 subjecia then under the eyes of both parlies. 



The opinions of all three of these liirmurs con- 

 cur fu ly in the absolute necessity of sometimes 

 grazing light lands. They also agree in the cer- 

 tainty and profit ol enriching by putrescent nia- 

 nure originally rich land — or, in Dr. Braxton's 

 case, of poor sandy land after its being marled. 

 He has found, by experience, that it is best to 



times used to shelter the pen somewhat from the | graze clover pretty heavily, ttut siill leaving a 

 cold winds, but not generally. This mode of i cover of (say) ankle high, the year he lailows 

 manuring saves much hauling, and is in other re- } Tor wheat. These very light lands, so light as 

 spects deemed as profitable, as from the perma- I lo be worthless !or wheat without marl, when 

 nent farm-yard, where the cattle are kept during i marled and with clover fallow become good 

 aJi wet weather. I wheat lands — the best crops yielding 20 bushels 



Gen. Peter H. Steinbergen is a iarmer, and 'he acre. Alter corn, the wheat is very mean, 

 still more largely a grazier, in Mason rounty, and indeed scarcely worth sovvinir. The Hessian 



on ihe border of the Ohio, The great object o( 

 Ids cultivation and great means of profit ie yrass 

 to lf>ed and fatten callle for market. His enrich- 

 ing his exhausted lands by top-dressing presents 

 the most successful, as well as extensive practice, 



Hy is sure lo be very injurious lo corn-field 

 IV heat. The best safeguard agriinst this insect 

 is to enrich the land and thereby to cause the 

 wheHt to out-grow the depredations of the fly. 

 Belbre mf.rlmg, all the eHbris made to enrich by 



in that novel and as yet much doubted mode of: pubescent manures availed but liiile. Though 

 applying putrescent manures. The [)raciice of | all these light low-grounds were supposed to have 

 the graziers in that part of the country is to ma- I been oric/inally rich, larm-yard manure served to 

 nure by littering and feeding in lots, changed as ' do but little good, and the effects were very fleet- 

 often as sufBciently covered, and also on "grass \ ing- Since marling [as on all other marled lands] 



land. Of course, the manure is necessarily ap 

 plied to and remains on the surface, and its early 

 benefits are given to the grass, and not only for 

 that year but for as many after as the grass may 

 continue good, or the general plan of cultivation 

 may permit the field lo remain free from the 



precisely the reverse is the (act. 



Dr. Braxton is about to try lo have clover to 

 succeed his corn crop, instead of wheal alter corn 

 fas usual) and clover alier wheat. This would 

 doubtless be a capital improvement, provided clo- 

 ver can be produced with certainty after corn. In 



plough. But great as has been the improvement I answer lo my otjeciions sia'ed, o( the attempt be- 

 thus made on land previously reduced very low i '"g made, (or several years, in experiments at 

 by exhausting tillage, Gen. Steinbergen is fiil'y I Coggins Point, Dr. Braxton considers that ihe Pa- 

 convinced of the truth, that the ability lo enrich | munkey land becomes, by the use of ils peculiar 

 poor land by putrescent manures alone, depends marl, so lavorable to clover, that there will be no 

 on Ihe land having been originally fertile. difficulty in having it alter corn. Aliep clover 



Gen. Steinbergen, without estimating red clover being once sown, and the land full of seed, it 

 lower than its universally admitted ''degree of' takes possession of it whenever ii is without cul- 

 value, thinks still more highly of greensward, i '"vation, as if the most natural product of the soil. 

 [poa pratensis] ; and the superiority^ he claims He is opposed to liill or early winter ploughing of 



lor the latter is not only as furnishing more palata 

 ble and nutritious (bod for cattle,^but also as a 

 much richer green manure to the land producing 

 it than clover. On describing to him how the 

 sandy lands of lower Virginia, after marling, be- 

 came sprinkled with greensward, he said it was 



then in the very stale when (to nurse this grass ploughing would cause much less seed to germi 



and obtain its rich benefits) tillage should be de 

 layed as long as possible, and the land be sub- 

 jected to grazing instead. He thinks that light 

 land should be always grazed and trampled, at 

 feast one year before ti'lage— and stiff land de- 

 signed for tillage ishould never be grazed. 



Dr. Corhin Braxton cultivates the very sandy 

 low-grounds of the Pamunkey, where he has 

 made most extensive and profitable, as well as 

 very remarkable improvements of product, by 

 marling with the green-sand marl— which has 

 both the fertilizing principles of green-sand and of 

 calcareous matter combined. As his general re- 

 sults, and also a general description of the Pamun- 



ihe land, when preparing (or corn. Ploughing in 

 spring serves as well, and saves some alier-iillage, 

 which the more consolidated early ploughed land 

 would require ; and moreover, the early |)loughing 

 is thickly covered by spring with young clover, all 

 of which is killed by the first tillage. Later 



naie, and be therelore destroyed. 



The i<]a6tern Shore bean grows very kindly on 

 these lands, after marling, and instead of being 

 prized as an improver, is denounced by Dr. Brax- 

 ton as a worthless weed, obstructing the. growth 

 and lessening the product of clover, ihw great 

 green crop (or manure, which he values far beyond 

 all others as an improver. 



Dr. Braxton esteems the ruia baga turnip crop 

 very highly, and deems the sugar bcel as compa- 

 ratively worth very little. Besides the value of 

 the ruta baga crop, for stock, when secured, he 

 thinks its product almosi certain, on his land, with 

 proper management. 



key lands, have been already published at length, I When on hia farm hi November, 18 10, I saw a 



