146 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



gypsum, leaving one row as before : the success 

 was the same as with the ashes. 



The same year I planted a piece of sward land, 

 loamy soil, and dressed the corn with ashes, omit- 

 ting one row, as in the other field ; began to hoe 

 the corn seven days alter the ashes was applied, 

 when the hill in the unashed row, which we cross- 

 ed in hoeing, was every where noticed from being 

 yellow, while the other was a lively green. Alter 

 the second hoeing, a second dressing of ashes was 

 applied on part of the lot, but without eileci, 

 even on part of that row, which was omitted in 

 the first dressing. About hilling lime, the unashed 

 row began to recover ; but finally yielded at har- 

 vest, little if any more than half as much as the 

 adjoining rows. 



The same year, I observed the like good etlect 

 on corn, both from ashes and Irom gypsum, on 

 tough sward, and on cloddy land, as applied by 

 n)y neighbors, in sundry instances. 



I have often found ashes, both leached and un- 

 leached, to be very beneficial to grass on dry land, 

 but nol on wet. I have never lound ihciu useful 

 on my garden. 



Frum my experience and observation, 1 con- 

 clude that ashes is best applied on dry grass land, 

 or on land newly ploughed up, or where shades have 

 lately been taken ofi, or where grass turf or other 

 vegetable substances remain undissolved : in each 

 of which oases, there is contained in the soil food 

 lor plants, unprepared for vegetation. To effect, 

 therefore, a speedy preparation, ashes is an impor- 

 tant application. 



VVhelher ashes do, in liict, prevent worms, or 

 destroy them when corn is eaten by them, I have 

 not been able to ascertain ; though they have been 

 olten supposed so to do, when no evil of the kind 

 has existed. I have ofleu, when corn has appear- 

 ed languid and yellow, as if eaten by worms, taken 

 up whole hills and carefully examined both the 

 roots and the earlh, without discovering any signs 

 of worms. In these cases, I have deemed the 

 unpreparedncss of the soil to be the only evil. 

 Ashes is then a sure remedy. i3ut if the land be 

 well tilled, the weather be warm, and there be 

 frequent showers, it will be well prepared, without 

 ashes, by hilling time or sooner ; but the corn will 

 not recover the injury it has sustained lor want ol 

 earlier preparation. Hence it Ibllows, that ashes 

 on ploughed land should be applied as soon as ve- 

 getation begins. 



It is best to apply leached ashes as soon as corn 

 is planted, while a team and cart may pass without 

 injury to the hills. But whether unleached ashes 

 can salely be applied before the corn is sprouted, 

 is a question I am unable to solve. 



The usual quantity of unleached ashes for a hill 

 of corn is about a gill : but it is worthy of being 

 observed, that where a greater or even a less 

 quantity has been applied, the effect has been 

 much the same. The eflects of ashes and gyp- 

 sum, 80 far as the application of the two has 

 fallen within my notice, appear to be much the 

 same. 



TO MARK IIUXS LAY PKU PKTU ALLY. 



From the Cultlvaior. 



I never allow cocks lo run with my hens, except 

 .when i want to raise chickens. Hens will lay 



eggs perpetually, if treated in the following man- 

 ner. Keep no roosters [cock*] ; give the hens 

 fresh meat, chopped fine like sausage-meat, once 

 a day, a very small portion, say half an ounce a 

 day to each hen, during winter, or from the time 

 insects disappear in the fall, till they appear again 

 in the spring. Never allow any eggs to remain 

 in the nest, Ibr what is called nest eggs. When 

 the roosters do not run with the hens, and no nest 

 eggs are left in the nest, the hens will not cease 

 laying after the produciion ol' twelve or fifteen 

 eggs, as I hey always do when roosters and nest 

 eggs are allowed ; but continue laying perpetu- 

 ally. My hens always lay all winter, and each 

 from seventy-five lo one hundred eggs in succes- 

 sion. There being nothing to excite the animal 

 passions, they never attempt to set. If the above 

 plan were generally followed, eggs would be just 

 as plenty in winter as in summer. The only rea- 

 son why hens do not lay in winter as freely as in 

 summer, is the want of animal food, which ihey 

 get in sumn)cr in abundance in the form of m- 

 secls. The reason tliey stop laying and go to 

 selling, alter laying a brood of eggs, is the con- 

 tinual excitement of the animal passions by the 

 males. 1 have lor several winters reduced my 

 theory to practice, and proved its entire correct- 

 ness. It must be observed, that the presence of 

 the male is not necessary Ibr the production of 

 eggs, as they are formed whether the male be 

 present or not. Of course such eggs will not 

 produce chickens. When chickens are wanted, 

 roosters must of course run with the hens. B. 



From the Maine Cultivator- 

 GRAIN— PRACTICAL HINTS, &C. 



Norridgewock, March 5, 1842. 



Messrs. Editors — I am apprehensive that my 

 communications will become tedious lo many of 

 your readers, on account of the minuteness of my 

 details ; but if those to whom they prove so, will 

 reflect a moment, they will be convinced that wri- 

 ters on agricullure are apt to go into the opposite 

 extreme, and only write on general principles or 

 siriking lacls ; taking it for granted that every one 

 is already sufficiently acquainted with the minute 

 details, which is fiir from being true. Few of your 

 readers but can recollect some simple labor-saving 

 observation, in your useful paper, which has been 

 of more value to them than one year's subscription. 

 With ihese convictions I shall continue to speak of 

 things no otherwise important, than having con- 

 venience and saving of labor to recommend 

 them. 



I object to mixing grass seed with grain, to save 

 labor in sowing, as much of it would be covered 

 too deep by the harrow and treading ol horses or 

 oxen. After sowing my wheat or other grains 

 they are harrowed twice — grass seed sowed, and 

 then roiled smooth. On sandy loam, half a peck 

 of clover and the same of timothy or herdsgrass, 

 is a good quantity. In clayey loams two quarts of 

 clover and eight of iicrdsgrass is about right — 

 varying the proportions according to the soils — in 

 very wet and bog-land soils, the clover should be 

 omitted and a hall bushel of red top and a peck of 

 herdsgrass sowed to the acre. As a general 



