448 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



land is then ploughed, and whatever scurf, sand, 

 grass, rushes, mosses, puseeys and briers there 

 may be on the land are turned under, and such 

 is the digestibility* of the soil all these raw ma- 

 terial are at once converted into humus or geine 

 as food for the required plants. This sandy soil 

 has the stomach of an oslrich, and if it cannot, as 

 that voracious biped has the credit of doing, di- 

 gest old shoes, iron spikes, and junk bottles, it 

 can dissolve and convert into vegetable chyle, 

 whatever organized matter is given lo it. The 

 effect of this comparatively slight dressing yielded 

 a first crop ol some thirty bushels of corn to the 

 acre, enough to pay for the first cost oi the land 

 and the whole expense of producing it. But 

 while the corn was growing, say fi-om the 20ih 

 July to the lOih August, rye with red and white 

 clover seed was sown, and the corn being so 

 planted as to admit of harrowing two ways, or 

 even four if necessary, it was well got in with the 

 harrow, and the ground being amply protected 

 by the corn durini; the sultry weather of this 

 season, the new seed took a vigorous start, and as 

 soon as the corn was somewhat matured, ii was 

 cut and carried off the ground, and the new 

 growth then had the entire possession. The rol- 

 ler was then thoroughly applied, as also in the 

 following spring. The early sowing gives 

 strength to the roots of both rye and clover, and 

 renders hazard of winter killing either, especially 

 the clover, much less. When from any cause 

 he is prevented from sowing the clover early, it is 

 omitted till early in the following spring ; a post- 

 ponenient that should be avoided when possible, 

 as it thus loses a year's time, requiring another 

 season to mature. The rye is cut the following 

 summer, when the clover is suffered to remain, 

 shedding its seed upon the ground for a succes- 

 sive crop. The following season, if in proper 

 condition, it is again put into corn or rye according 

 to its fertility, and the course is again renewed. 

 The land however usually requires an additional 

 season in clover, and sometimes more, to give the 

 requisite fertility. Mr. C. showed us a field, 

 which from the originally poor condition de- 

 scribed, without the addition of any manure or 

 peat or muck, has produced him five crops in 

 seven years, the last, which had been just taken 

 off", yielding seventeen bushels to the acre. This 

 it will be readily admitted is a large crop for 

 poor land, and much beyond the average yield 

 in New England. The growth of the clover on 

 this field, of this spring's sowing, was promising 

 in the highest degree, and as evenly set as in the 

 best land, giving every promise of a large crop 

 the next season, which of course is designed to 

 be added to the soil for its future improvement. 

 When the land is first put into use, (for Mr. C. 

 has several other similar fields which have been 

 variously treated, though always on the same 

 principles,) and it is too poor to produce a paying 

 crop of corn, and he has not time to add the muck, 

 he turns under the surface vegetation, and puts 

 on a crop of rye, always accompanying this with 

 the clover, and after one year's crop from this last, 

 he never fails in a fair yield of corn. On a field 

 thus treated, without any dressing of muck he 

 got 27 bushels of corn per acre for the first crop, 

 and after an interval of another season, obtained 



* Digesting power. — Ed. Gaz. 



thirty-three bushels on the same land, showing a 

 decided increase in the productiveness of the soil. 

 A slight dressing of plaster is generally, though 

 not always used, and never exceeds half a bushel 

 to the acre. Mr. C. admits that more plaster 

 might be useful ; we think one lo two bushels per 

 acre would be applied with decided advantage, 

 but it is purchased at a high price, about ,^10 per 

 ton, and as economy and a self sustaining policy, 

 has been a proininent principle in this system, 

 this is all that has thus far been afforded. The 

 muck would in all cases be a valuable remune- 

 rating addition, but this he has not always the 

 time to give, and at the prices he has paid for his 

 land, he can afford lo leave it once in two or three 

 years in clover, by which it is renovated, and for 

 the present perhaps this may be the most judicious 

 plan. As lands become dearer, however, which 

 they are rapidly doing under this management, 

 they being now worth ,'^20 to ^30 per acre, of no 

 better quality than such as he bought a few years 

 since at $S to ^12, the policy of manuring will 

 become more expedient, though the rapidly im- 

 proving nature of this system will give greater 

 efficacy to the clover crop as a (ertilizer. 



It is surprising to see the elevated knolls and 

 barren plains, that so lately exhibited nothing but 

 a crawling sand, by the operations of the clover 

 roots, in this otherwise impracticable material, 

 gradually changing its inadhesive character to a 

 firmly connected mass, showing a furrow slice 

 that would gratify the most practised eye. Mr. 

 Clark acknowledges his surprise at the facility 

 with which the clover takes, and attributes it 

 mainly to the use of the roller. We are inclined 

 to concede much to that instrument, but think for 

 his white and other clover he is greatly indebted 

 to the plaster. Of this we have more lo say 

 herealter. 



We observed the wood-chucks, who are arrant 

 epicures and gourmands in their selection of es- 

 culents, and especially of sweet and abundant 

 clover fields, are thoroughly colonized over all the 

 fields of Mr. C. They follow him, as our politi- 

 cians do the successful candidate of executive dis- 

 pensations, for John Randolph's seven principles, 

 the five loaves and two fishes. They snuff' his 

 green patches of trefoils, and instanier abandon 

 the poverty stricken fields of his unihrifty neigh- 

 bors. His crop of wood-chucks, though not as 

 important as the shoe crop at Lynn, may soon be 

 well worth the harvesting. 



Mr. C. has nnt pursued this cultivation suffi- 

 ciently long to have matured a system of rotation, 

 which, however, he virtually practises with some 

 variations from his own judgment. A little more- 

 experience will enable him to determine, whether 

 a crop can be taken more advantageously every 

 second or every third year, but we are satisfied, 

 with a moderate dressing for the corn, the rolation 

 might be of ihree years' duration, affording alter- 

 nately corn, rye, and clover, the last to be added 

 entire lohen dry to the soil, (or its improvement. 

 Green crops are never used as improvers, they 

 always being allowed lo mature before turning 

 under. Plaster should always be added, unless 

 ashes or lime can be more economially applied ; 

 but the former is limited in supply, and the latter 

 is to be had only at a price which will effectually 

 prevent its use in this region. 



Here, then, we have a system for reclaiming 



