THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



323 



at the expiration oftwo years go to the aid of their 

 parents, or as hired stewards. 



They are taught by M. JBodin, or an assistant, 

 the ordinary subjects suited to their employment, 

 and have no cliarge except (or books, which they 

 must supply /or themselves. 



M. Bodin has a factory for implements, and dis- 

 poses of many o( them to ftrmers, even in very dis- 

 tant localities ; he is altogether well qualified (or 

 his important office, and has obtained a prize for a 

 Treatise on Aijriculiure, which is now about to be 

 enlarged in a second edition. And when practical 

 men are induced, with moderate assistance, to take 

 the responsibilities of a model farm upon them- 

 selves, and to receive pupils for three or more 

 years at a reasonable rate of payment, they are 

 the most eligible class of instructers. 



INDIAN on FIELD PEAS. 



From tlie Soutli-Western Farmer. 



In a wet season, one of the greatest difficulties 

 the cotton grower has to contend with in old and 

 rich soils, is the spontaneous and rapid growth of 

 crab grass. This is not only a serious evil to the 

 growing crop, but it extends its malign presence 

 and influence to, and during the picking season ; 

 rendering it infinitely more unpleasant and un- j 

 healthy to the hands, by the heavy dews it re- 

 tains, until a late hour of the day. "An ounce: 

 of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Now, i 

 although I do not know how this mathematical \ 

 axiom was first introduced, or on what data the 

 calculation was made, to arrive at such a rational 

 conclusion, I have as much faith in the assump- 

 tion, as that " a stitch in time will save nine ;" 

 \vhich 1 know to be demonstrable according to 

 " Pike," " Gough," and others of ancient rever- 

 ence, and if it cannot be proved by those of the 

 present degenerate age, whj', f would not give a 

 fig for the whole of them. Now, Messrs., for 

 fear you will be getting tired by such irrelevant 

 matter, F will endeavor to approximate as near 

 as f can to what I da want to say. 



You must know then that I have great faith 

 in a pea crop, and in my limited experience, I 

 have, I think, arrived at one fact, which by being 

 pursued in the way of rotation, as it should be, I 

 have no doubt wdl lessen the cotton planter's 

 labor in working his crop at least fifty per cent. 

 Now, it is not ray intention to inflict on you and 

 your readers a long article, but if this is well 

 received, no one may know, for the future, what 

 you may have to suffer. I write this article now, 

 that all may have time to profit by it for the 

 cotton crop of next year. 



Do not sow your peas in your corn field — it is 

 a bad plan. Sow them in your rye or oat stubble 

 as soon afier you get your crop off the ground as 

 possible— tct7i^ at least three pecks to an acre of 

 the greatest running peas, or one bushel or more 

 if 0/ the black or others that run but little. I 

 prefer sowing them in drills about 2 to 2^ feet 

 apart, dropping two or three peas in a place, 

 when the vines are to be gathered ; which should 

 be done before the frost catches them. Sown 

 broadcast when to be fed on the ground, is fully 

 as good a plan. The best method of curing 



them is to let them get somevvhat wilted, not 

 particular how much, so that the leaves are not 

 dried enough to drop off; then tlirow them into 

 moderate sized cocks in the field, and let them 

 stand until sufHcientiy cured, which will require 

 several days — even it the weather should be fine 

 — but be not alarmed at rain falling on them. 

 There can be no superior (bod for stock in any 

 country, and is withal a cheap one. When to 

 be stacked away, the most approved method is 

 to mix alternate layers of dry straw of some de- 

 scription, and a liberal use of salt will not be amiss. 

 This renders the otherwise useless straw, nearly 

 as valuable as the pea fodder, and ensures the 

 keeping of the latter. 



But this is all digression, I only wanted to say, 

 that I sowed last year in a very grassy piece of 

 ground about three pecks of the " Crowder" peas 

 to the acre, and ihat this year there is not a spear 

 of crab grass to be seen. They completely mat- 

 led the ground, and have smothered out every 

 vestige of the grass. No land could have been 

 in finer condition for a cotton crop this spring in 

 consequence. The pea crop was worth to me 

 at the rate of at least ^20 per acre, estimating 

 corn to be worth 50 cents per bushel. I do not 

 think that the pea is proportionate to the increas- 

 ed quantity of vine, bat the hay that can be made 

 from them vastly counterbalances any deficiency 

 in that respect. The objection may be made 

 that no one would want 10 sow as many peas as 

 would prepare his entire cotton ground ; if so, 

 sow all you can. But I wonder if it would not 

 be better to plant less cotton and more peas, and 

 feed and keep well more good cows, horses, 

 mules and oxen. # # # # 



MINERAL BONE EARTH. 



From tlie Britisli American Farmer. 



Mr. Pusey, M. P., reported to the Council of 

 the Royal English Agricultural Society, as chair- 

 man o( the geological committee, the result of 

 Professor Phillips' examination of the specimens 

 of native phosphate of lime from Esiramadura, 

 in Spain, presented to the society by Mr. Kem- 

 berley at a former meeting ol' the council, and re- 

 lerred to the geological committee for iheir opinion 

 of its value in an agricultural point ol' view, as a 

 substitute to a certain extent, and as far as the 

 phosphate of lime was concerned, for bone-dust 

 as a manure, 



Mr. Phillips found that this specimen contained 

 no less than 90 per cent, of the phosphate, and he 

 was therefore of opinion that it would be a most 

 important manuring application, provided its me- 

 chanical texture could be modified in such man- 

 ner as to assimilate it to that of the phosphate ex- 

 isting in bone-dust. Mr. Pusey reported that 

 Professor Phillips' investigation on this point had 

 led to a successful result, and that he had dis- 

 covered a mode by which this valuable mineral 

 substance could be brought into a fit state (or ap- 

 plication as a manure; but he considered that it 

 would be important that a full examination of this 

 substance should be instituted, previous to any 

 steps being taken to import it as an article of com- 

 merce. 



Dr. Daubeny is about to undertake a journey 



