86 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



novel mode oC (bllowing ruta baga by wheat, or 

 rather having both crops growing at once. On a 

 rich part ol ihe clover land fallowed for wheat, 

 ruta baga was platiied in rows 4 leet apart, and 

 cultivated by ploughing and weeding. In October, 

 when a fine growth of turnips was on this patch, 

 (though no manure had been applied, except the 

 green clover turned under,) wheat was sown here 

 at the same time with the adjoining pan of the 

 field, and the seed ploughed in, between the ruta 

 baga rows. The roots were afierwards taken up, 

 when grown and required for consumption. Dr. 

 Braxton left home before the wheat was reaped ; 

 but li-om its previous appearance, as well as his 

 overseer's report, he thought the product not 

 much lessened by the growth ol' turnips. 



OBSERVATIONS AND HOUGH KXPERIMENTS. 

 1841. 



For tlie Farmers' Register. 



1. Gypsum. On March 26th, 21 bushels ol 

 pulverized gypsum (French) sown at the rale ol 

 a busiicl |)er acre on clover of second year's 

 growth. Soil, originally acid and very poor; a 

 light loam on sandy subsoil, well marled in 1824, 

 since manured, and altojjeiher improved, from a 

 product of 6 bushels of corn per acre to 25 or 30. 

 The clover crop mean, and after June Ist, freely 

 grazed. No benefit whatever perceived on a 

 comparison with the adjoining clover not dressed 

 withgypsuin on a soil exactly similar. 



2. Green-sand. At the same time, in the 

 same field, on similar soil, and on clover of same 

 growth, one acre dressed with 40 bushels of 

 green-sand earth (not calcareous,) from James 

 river. Noetlect produced. 



3. In March, eight acres of good loam, marled 

 10 years ago, product in corn supposed equal to 

 30 busheU, and in wheat after clover 18 or 20 

 bushels, were dressed with green-Band earth at 

 the same rate, Two beds left out. Clover in its 

 first year. No perceptible benefit. 



4. Seed icheat. Having seen old seed wheat 

 recommended, by several contributors lo the 

 Register, of the crop of 1840, the grain of which 

 was very good, a small quantity was kept in 

 good order and careliilly guarded against all 

 danger of heating, or other injury. This fall, 

 12 bushels sown in a field of unilorm and good 

 quality, and immediately adjoining new seed ol 

 same kind (purple straw.) The sowing of both 

 kinds commenced and finished in the same day, 

 and operations in every respect conducted exactly 

 alike. Quantity to the acre the same (5^ pecks.) 

 The old seed a little weevil-eaten, notwithstand- 

 ing every care used in keeping it, but not enough 

 BO to be much objectionable. The old seed 

 longer germinating, and to this day, December 

 31st, looks decidedly inlerior to the wheat from 

 new seed. 



5. Top-dressing with farm yard manure, and 

 with unprepared leaves. Eighteen acres of light 

 sandy loam in clover of 2.1 year, very thin and 

 very unpromising, was top-dres«ed in April, 1810, 

 wiih rough and unrotted manure from the farm- 

 pen, at the rate of 800 to 1000 bushels per acre. 

 This land was marled in 1821, and (hough greatly 



improved, (for before its product was 8 to 10 

 bushels in corn, and perhaps 3 in wheat,) was 

 still but of middling product, and before this ma- 

 nuring, would not have brought more ihaci 18 

 or at most 20 bushels of corn per acre, or 6 bush- 

 els of wheat alier corn. The last crop of wheat, 

 cut in 1839, alter corn, was known to be only 42 

 bushels of wheat or 2^ bushels lo the acre. 

 That crop however was very much damaged by 

 chinch bug. The top-diessing was as coarse as 

 any trodden litter could be, many corn-stalka 

 merely mashed, but unbroken, constituted an 

 average of the manure of the farm-pen, which 

 was made ol the stalks and straw of the farm- 

 pen trampled by the cattle, and covered over with 

 the manure of the stables and hog-pens every 

 lime ihey were cleaned out throughout the winter, 

 which was about once a week. The hog-pena 

 were principally littered with leaves from the 

 woods. The effect of the top-dressing on the 

 clover was almost immediately perceptible. In 

 September the field was fallowed lor wheat, and 

 in June of this year 283 bushels ol wheat 

 were cut from it, equal to 16 bushels per acre. 

 The soil is decidedly a corn soil, and too light 

 lor wheal. But the most sinking and gratifying 

 proof of improvement is the Irequent appearance 

 of green-sward in many places, where it was not 

 at all observed prior to this manuring. This valua- 

 ble grass has generally made its appearance in 

 spots in the different fields after marling, but this 

 particular field was loo poor for its growth (so as 

 lo be noticed) even afier marling, until it received 

 this top-dressing. 



6. In January, 1840, about 15 acres of light 

 loam, with sandy subsoil, in cloverof second year's 

 growth, top-dressed with 377 very large ox-cart 

 loads of leaves, principally pine-beards raked to- 

 gether in adjoining woods. The covering was 

 so thick that at one time it was thought that the 

 clover was in great danger of being smothered. 

 It however came through and was decidedly 

 benrflied, except in spots where ihe leaves were 

 left loo thick. In the fall, the whole was fallow- 

 ed for wheat. Crop 15 bushels per acre, and con- 

 sidered a good yield for the land. Its product af- 

 ter corn has usually been about 8. Part of this 

 land was much infested with wire-grass. In get- 

 ting in the wheat no means adopted to get rid of 

 wire-grass, except to pick up and carry off the lit- 

 tle that the harrows brought to the surface. And 

 in fact this piece received one harrowing less than 

 I usually gave to such virire-grass spots, on ac- 

 count of a rain which interrupted the operations. 

 This fall, 1841, in ploughing lor corn, noticed that 

 very little wire-grass was left. Could the leaves 

 have had any agency in killing the wire-grass, by 

 shading or otherwise 1 Or did the mere exposure 

 of the roots to the sun, as some maintain, effect 

 itl Some credit is no doubt due to the latter 

 cause, but the Ibrmer has a strong, and, may be, 

 a stronger claim ; lor, in similar spots, fallowed 

 without any application of leaves, I have never 

 known a similar decrease of wire-grass. It may 

 be well to mention that the above 15 acres were 

 10 or 12 years ago well marled — the soil, originally 

 and previously to marling, acid. 



7. Leaves ploughed under.— \n January, 1841, 

 covered a stitl, intractable soil, previously and 

 some years ago well marled, with leaves, which 

 were ploughed under, and oats sown early in 



