440 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



of majTneeian limestone, compared wilh the pure 

 carbonate of lime, exists in tlie counties of Lin- 

 cast^r, Chester and Montgomery:" and then 

 add?, " indeed, if I were to confine mysell to 

 the great valley oC Montgomery and Chester 

 counties, I might say that limestone, free (rom 

 magnesia, is of rather rare occurrence; the quan- 

 tity of magnesia, varying in difi'erent layers ol 

 rock, (rom 5 or 10 to 40 p'^r cent. The propor- 

 tion ol nvsgnesian limestone, in the secondary 

 blue limestone of the Kiiiatiny valley, and the 

 Pequea valley, &c., of Lancaster county, is not 

 so great, yet it is dilTiculi to find a quarry in which 

 it does not abound." He further adds that many 

 of" the limestones long in use by the farmers of 

 Europe, are as magnesian as our own. 



Your correspondent, C. Taylor, thinks I use 

 an expression two strong entirely, when I say, 

 that whalevfT part of the improvement in south- 

 eastern Pennsylvania is owing to lime, is owing 

 to magnesian lime, and none other; but is it 

 stronger than the above authorities will warrant 

 in the (absence of all evidence to the contrary"? It 

 was only of its general character I spoke, [t can- 

 not be expected that we should analyse every 

 stone or layer of rock that has been used, but 

 only enough to show that magnesia does generally 

 and largely abound. 



With respect to the effect produced by any 

 particular lot of lime, we are always willing to 

 take the opinion of intelligent farmers, because 

 such things must always be a matter of judg- 

 ment ; but for the composition of the lime used, 

 we are not to be satisfied with any thing short of 

 a rigid analysis. 



II those residing in or near the limestone dis- 

 tricts above mentioned, and diflerinir in opinion 

 wilh me as respects their magnesian nature, wish 

 to bring this controversy to a close, they may 

 readily do so, and at the same time add to our 

 stock of useful knowledge. Let them make a 

 tour through the districts, visiting all the quarries 

 from which lime has been obtained in any con- 

 siderable quantities for agricultural purposes, and 

 select specimens from each, particularly of those 

 strata which produce a lime held in the best 

 estimation, and let the specimens thus obtained 

 be submitted to a careful analysis by some com- 

 petent chemists. The results of such an investi- 

 gation, when made public, ought to, and will, in 

 the minds of all reasonable people, settle the 

 principal point in dispute. S. Lewis. 



Pottsville, July 20lh, 1842. 



SEEDING ON GREEN-SWARD FURROWS. 



Form tlie New England Farmer. 



Mr. Butnian. — In your puper ofthe Slst of Au- 

 gust, there is an inquiry, in whit part ofthe state 

 theexperimen' has been made of seeding on green- 

 sward furrows, and how the farmers liked the 

 practice. We are disposed to give " Essex" in- 

 formation concerning our experience and practice, 

 without participating at all in the dispute whether 

 this be old or new husbandry. 



Some twenty or iwenty-five years since, the 

 writer was told tiiatMr. Z. Estis, of Hanover, prac- 

 tised ploughing sward- bound fields, manuring and 

 seeding with grass, without any intervening crop. 



The first suggestion of such a course was suffi- 

 cient inducement to make an experiment, as much 

 fruitless labor and expense had been given in at- 

 tempts to raise grain crops on cold and clayey soils. 

 Every experiment made has been attended with 

 very satis'ijclory results. There is no loss of crop 

 in the course, and yet most of the purposes of 

 naked ("allow are /Lilly accomplished. The gradual 

 dissolving ofthe sod prevents the soil from falling 

 into too compact a state, (a common evil on low 

 lands,) and imparts nourishment lor many years 

 to I he new ijrrass. We have a fi>^ld which was 

 ploughed and seeded in August, 1S25 : it has not 

 been very (Vequenlly or copiously dressed with 

 manure, and is still in bei'er condition than mow- 

 ing fields irenerally. Another field, seeded twelve 

 years ago, and dressed once in two years, produced 

 this year a very large first crop and a second is 

 now ready for mowing. This practice is worthy 

 of all commendation on land not suited to grain 

 crops. Where Indian corn would be likely to 

 grow well, we should think it a more economical 

 and better course to plough in the spring, apply 

 manure, plant with corn, cultivate with a level 

 surface, and sow grass seed at the last hoeing. 



" Essex" seems disposed to blame farmers fop 

 neglect in communicating to the public, if the sys- 

 tem concerning which he inquires has been pur- 

 sued " for a Ions course of years." Remissness in 

 communication is no doubt an easily besetting sin, 

 and the writer will not deny that it sometimes lies 

 at hi^ door ; but on this subject there is no con- 

 sciousness of any improper reserve on his part ; — 

 all suitable occasions have been embraced to di- 

 rect the attention of farmers to a prac'ice so inti- 

 nntely connected with their interest and prosperi- 

 ty. All practicable publicity has been given to 

 views entertained on the subject. In an account 

 of the cultivation of the writer's ("arm, which was 

 published in the N. E. Farmer, vol. x., page 360. 

 this practice was mentioned as part of the system 

 pursued. In the county of Plymouth, the prac- 

 tice has not been extended proportionate to its 

 utility ; but we have the satisliiction o( seeing a 

 good number of farmers every year adopting it, 

 and where one experiment has been fairly made 

 on a farm, an intelligent owner will he very cer- 

 tain to repeat it. M. Ai^len. 



Pembroke, Sept. 2d., 1842. 



This communication induced us to lurn to the 

 back volume where Mr Allen detailed his modes 

 of farmingr, and we f()und a part of hi-; account so 

 full of instruction that mny be valuible to many 

 of our readers, that we make no apology for re- 

 publishing it. — En. N. E. F. 



To the trustees of the Mass. Jfgr {cultural 

 Society .-—Situated at a distance from any consi- 

 derable market town, ii would be absurd in me 

 tothiidfol entering into competition in the ag- '\ 

 gregate amount of crops, with farmers in the vici- '] 

 niiy ofthe ciiy, where raanuie is attainable to any i ( 

 desired extent. On the supposition, that the man- ' 

 agemeni ol larms is judged in reference to local 

 advantages and inconveniences, my hope is found- 

 ed of sustaining a claim to a premium. There 

 have never been any very great improvements 

 made on my farm in any one year. The object 

 has been yearly lo add something more in earthy 

 and vegetable substances to the fields, than was 



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