THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



481 



EFFECT OF^THE GRAZING OF CLOVER ON ITS 

 MANURING ACTION. 



To the Editor of ilie Farmers ' Register. 



Agreeably to my promise, I send you !he result 

 of an experimeiii, which was commenced with a 

 view lo determine the value ot clover as I'ood 

 for hogs, when cut and led to them. 



For this purpose eight pigd, of weights varying 

 from filty to seventy, were put in an enclosure, 

 and one acre of clover accurately measured oil, 

 Irom a field containing about filty. 



This quantity of .and was lound more than 

 equal to the supply of as much grass as they 

 would consume; tjut their improvement v/hile 

 confined to clover alone, was not such as to juslily 

 the commendations which have been bestowed 

 upon it. 



The experiment, however, disclosed another 

 result, as unlooked for as it was interesting. At 

 the usual season the whole of the field was lal- 

 iowed, and seeded in wheat. But a short time 

 had elapsed before the boundaries ol the acre 

 which had been used lor soiling were distinctly 

 defined by the stronger and healthier appearance 

 of the plant, compared with the growth on any 

 other part of the field. The contrast indeed 

 was so striking, that the fact excited a great deal 

 of interest at the time, and various views were 

 suggested to account lor it. It was supposed by 

 one, that ihis lot must have occupied the side oi 

 an old garden ; and on inquiry, it was ascertained 

 that the tbrmer garden did extend over a part, 

 but a very inconsiderable portion of it. 



A second ascribed the difference lo the great 

 benefit arising from keeping land clean. This 

 circumstance no doubt exerted considerable in- 

 fluence, but did not account for an equal difference 

 in the succeeding crop ot' clover. 



A third suggested it might be owing to the 

 circumstance, that the clover in the one case had 

 been cut at or be;ore the period of flowering, 

 while in the other it had been allowed to arrive 

 at maturity and ripen its seed. 



The following extract, from Chaptal's Agricul- 

 tural Chemistry, would seem to confirm the latter 

 view. He observes that "all farmers know that 

 wlien they subject to tillage a piece oi artificial 

 grass land, which has for several years been con- 

 stantly mowed at the time ol flowering, it will 

 yield several harvests without any dressing ; but 

 if the grass has been left to go to seed, it will be 

 necessary to supply the earth with manure, before 

 it will yield a good return." 



Thus it appears that clover and the other arti- 

 ficial grasses are eminently fertilizing, if cut at 

 or belore the period of flowering, but if allowed 

 to mature their seed, an opposite character must 

 be bestowed, even should the whole of their pro- 

 ducts be returned to the soil. Plants, it should be 

 borne in mind, are limited to the exercise of two 

 functions, those of nutrition and reproduction, 

 the first being subservient to the second. Here 

 it would seem to be a fair inference, that unless 

 we interpose and avail ourselves of the results of 

 the first, or nutritive stage, the plants will soon 

 enter upon a new series ol actions, and appropriate 

 all that is valuable, not to provide for those of a 

 difl'erent family, but to perpetuate the species. 



VViLLiA]\i L. Wight. 

 Goochland, October 13th, 1842. 



THE FLOATING ISLAND IN DERWENT LAKE, 

 NEAR KESWICK, (eNG.) 



From tlie Philadelpliia Ledger. 



This most extraordinary phenomenon, which 

 has given rise to a multiplicity of opinions as to ita 

 cause and properties among geologists and others, 

 including Prolessor Sedgwick, having again made 

 its appearance, it is apprehended that a short ac- 

 count of it will not only prove amusing to the 

 readers of this paper, but also be interesting to 

 the scientific world generally. 



It is situated not far from Lowdore, at the south- 

 east extremity of the lake, and a little more than 

 150 yards from the land, where the depth of the 

 water does not exceed six leet in a mean state of 

 the lake. 



During the last 40 years it has appeared 13 

 times. In the year 1808, from July 20 to the be- 

 ginning of October in the same year; in 1813, 

 Irom the 7th ot September to the end of October 

 lollowing; in 1815, li-ora August 6 to the end of 

 the month; in 1819, fiom August 14 to the end 

 of the same month ; in 1824, from June 21 to the 

 end of September; in 1625, it was above the 

 water from the 9rh to the 23d of September ; and 

 from the 11th July to the end of September in 

 1826. " The circumstance of its appearing in 

 three successive years," says JMr. Oiley, " may 

 be attributed to the extraordinary warmth of the 

 season," It made its appearance again on the 

 10th of June, 1831, and remained uncovered until 

 the 25th of September, In 1834 and 1835 it was 

 visible lor a lew weeks in August and September. 

 !n 1837 it appeared in July and August. It ap- 

 peared again on the 19th July, 1841, and remain- 

 ed till the end of August, And it made its ap- 

 pearance in the latter end of last or the beginning 

 of the present month (September,) but it is not 

 yet quite so large as on some of tfie former occa- 

 sions of its appearance. 



We will not undertake to investigate the great 

 number of hypotheses which have been advanced 

 relative to the cause of this singular pheno- 

 menon, nor examine into any of the arguments 

 which have been adduced, but will merely give 

 the opinion of Mr. Otley, who is well versed in 

 the geological and meteorological properties of 

 the lake district, who is resident at Keswick, and 

 who for the last 30 years has watched with 

 much attention the operations of it, Mr, Otley 

 says — 



" That it generally rises after an interval of a 

 lew days, and after a continuance of fine wea- 

 ther. Its figure and dimensions are variable ; it 

 has sometimes contained about half an acre of 

 ground, at other times only a few perches ; but 

 extending in a gradual slope under water, a much 

 greater portion is raised from the bottom than 

 reaches the surface of the lake. Several large 

 rents or cracks may be seen in the earth about the 

 place, which appear to have been occasioned by 

 its stretching to reach the surface. 



" It never rises far above the level of the lake, 

 but having once attained the surface, it for a 

 time fluctuates with the rise and fall of the water, 

 after which it sinks gradually. When at rest in 

 the bottom of the lake it has the same appearance 

 as the neighboring parts, being covered with 

 the same vegetation, consistii^g principally of 

 litterclla lacustris and lobelia dorimanno, inter- 



