NEW ENGLAND FARMER^ 



[July 29, 



the plough's clogging. But the work may be 

 facilitated by passing a heavy roller over the 

 field the same way which the plough is to go. 

 Or if the rolling be neglected, a small roller an- 

 Siesed to the fore end of the plough beam, in 

 the place of a foot, or even a foot itself, will 

 help to clear the way for the coulter. The most 

 effectual mode, however, for preventing a 

 plough from clogging is what is called a " Plough 

 Cleaner,''^ invented by Mr Joseph Kersey, of 

 Pennsylvania, of which we gave a drawing and 

 description in the New England Farmer, vol. I. 

 page 107. Il consisls of a piece of timber, pin- 

 ned to the plough-beam, just before the coulter, 

 with a staff or handle attached to its upper end, 

 so placed as to come within reach of the plough- 

 man, who by pulling the handle, turns the piece 

 of timber on Ihe pin, and causes the lower end 

 to scrape the groundjust before the coulter, and 

 thus remove stubble, weed^, and other obstacles 

 to smooth ploughing. But if the soil is stiff, 

 Stony, or presents other obstacles lo turning the 

 furrow slice lairly and completely over, it is not 

 accounted good husbandry to plough in the stub- 

 ble. In such soils it is almost impossible to cov- 

 er the stubble willi the plough so completely 

 as to cause it to rot. It will often lie a long 

 time iu an unaltered stale, and if cross plough- 

 ing is necessary, (as il genenilly will be in land 

 of Ibis description,) Ihe stubble tvill ba in such 

 a state that no plough cleaner, nor other imple- 

 ment will enable the ploughman to make good 

 work ; and' weeds will be apt lo monopolize the 

 soil, in spile of every effort of the cultivator. 



The fourth moile of disposing of slubble afler 

 harvesi, is burning it on Ihe land. This has been 

 often jiraclised, and is highly recommended by 

 English cullivators. In our first volume, page 

 413, we gave an article on this subjecl, which il 

 mny not be amiss to repeat fnr ihe benpfit of re- 

 cent subscribers. " Mr W. Curtis of Lynn, Nor- 

 folk, found very beneficial effpcis from burning 

 the slubble of oals, which was iri't eighteen 

 inches high for that purpose. On a field brok- 

 en up from old paslure Ihe same year, he after- 

 wards sowed wheat and oals in succession on Ihe 

 same ground, Ihe slubble of bolh which was 

 burned in ihe same manner. The ashes, in every 

 case were ploughed in, to a small depth, and the 

 verges of the field mowed to prevent accidents. 

 Afler Ihe third crop of corn [grain] nil ofwhich 

 vvn-; abundant and remarkidily free from weeds, 

 the field was laid down wilh clover and the en- 

 suing crops proved infinitely finer than those be- 

 lora the ground was broken u|). 



Another piece of groimd was cropped for 

 ibree successive years in ihe same manner as Ihe 

 firsl, lo which it was similar in every rer.pect of 

 soil, aspect, and previous management, but in 

 which Ihe slubble was ploughed in, inslead of 

 being burned ; the produce of each crop on it, 

 was much inferior lo that of the first experi- 

 ment, and the weeds increased so greatly, that 

 in laying jl down to grass, they (piile overpow- 

 ered llie grass-seeds, so much so, Ihal it was ne- 

 cessary lo re-sow it; and ever alter, while Mr 

 Curtis held it, Ihe grass and hay produced were 

 coarse and full of weeds ; and consequently in- 

 ferior bolh in value and quanlily lo those of ihe 

 other field, on which the stubble had been 

 burned. 



It may, perliaps, be well, in bufning stubble 

 field- not only to mow the verges or horders of 

 Ih^ Ijeld^, und rake the proceeds inward lovvards 



the centre of the fields, but to trace a furrow 

 round the whole, and set the fire inside of the 

 furrow. A calm afternoon towards sunset should 

 be preferred, when the wind will not be apt to 

 rise and cause damage by the fire. 



In the rJd'volume of Alemnirs of the Philadel- 

 phia SotieUj for premoting Agriculture, page 214 

 is a paper by Judge Peters, on the '■'■Salutary 

 Effects of Fire on Soi/.?," from which, as il goes 

 to confirm the above theory of Mr Curtis we 

 shall make some extracts. 



" 1 have oi"len experienced the great utility 

 of FIRE in ferlilizing land. I could give many 

 instances, which have passed under my own ob- 

 servations ; bolh recent and of a very old dale. 

 I can shew numerous spots in fields, on which 

 large colleclions of weeds were burnt twenty 

 years ago; which now exhibit, and have so done 

 ever since the operation, a most extraordinary 

 comparative fertility, in ground, the whole 

 whereof has been well limed, and otherwise 

 manured. Burning heaps of straw I have found 

 efficient. Leaves, and other trash, from hedge 

 rows, chips and brush have given ferldily lo bar- 

 ren spols ; mosl evideullv and durably. Allho' 

 1 have long been in the practice of devoling 

 some of such materials lo llie compost heap ; 

 yet I am convinced that burning most of ihem 

 on the ground, would produce equally g'ood ef- 

 fects ; and mosl probably, extend Ihejr influ- 

 ence longer and farlher, than if rolled down. — 

 If this idea should, even be theught winmsical, 

 it is, nl least, worlhy of consideration anrl pxpe 

 riment. Having frequenllv lurned the subject 

 in my mind, I have not been able to accouni 

 for il in a manner salisfactorv lo myself. The 

 ashes of such light subslanres, soon spend their 

 lorce. No ashes will so durably evidence fer- 

 tilizing effecis : be Ihcy even of ivood, coal, or 

 olher solid malerial. Il musi, therefore, be 

 some uiiaccounlrtble resull ; produced on the 

 j soil, by the agency, of fire. And of this opin- 

 ion I have long been." 



Mr Peters quotes several British writers on 

 j agriculture to show ihe beneficial effects of fire 

 ufion lands; for which we have not room at 

 present. He then proceeds as follows; " I have 

 very oilen burnt brush, on patches intended for 

 melons, under the idea that il would deMroy 

 the eggs or larvae of insects, wMch would other- 

 wise infest the vines. Il always had the effect 

 I wished. But I have observed a fertility 

 in such spots, for years beyond ihose in their 

 vicinity. I have burnt the stubble (loo thick tu 

 plough in) on a wheal field generally ; bul have 

 loll some spots nubiirnl and (douajhed in. The 

 buck-wheal sown on the burnt stubble was strik- 

 ingly superior. Clover, sown with the buck 

 wheal was by far the best, the next season on 

 the burnt parts. 



" Il is in Ihe power of every farmer, to turn 

 lo his advantage, the nuisances and pe»t3 on his 

 farm. Very probably some lands will be more 

 benefited Ihan others by this 0[)eralion. Every 

 kind of manure does not operate alike in every 

 soil. The experiment will cost lilllo ; and the 

 materials for trying and extending il are every 

 where to be foiitid. A neat and managing suc- 

 cessor to one slovenly and negligent, will be re 

 warded for his exertions, by burning on his 

 fields the incumbrances left by his careless pre- 

 decessor. 



" I do not mean to say, that burning of land 

 may not be carried too far. Extreme cases 



prote nothing. Like wagers, Uiey are often the 

 nc yj/Hj H/(ra of controversy, when argument is 

 deficient. A certain quanlily of lime is saluta- 

 ry ; but an over-charge is destructive. Some 

 soils will bear, and require heavier liming than 

 others. Soils differ in their capacities, textures 

 and qualities, so as to be injured or ameliorated 

 as much when fire is a|)plied, as when any 

 olher manure or auxiliary is used. The use or 

 sbuse of FrRE must be discovered by experi- 

 ment ; as must any olher operation in husband- 

 ry. And, certainly, the safest mode is lo begia 

 moderately, and increase or diminish, as expe- 

 rience dictates. I add, however, that I never 

 yet saw an instance, the one hereafter mention- 

 ed excepted, where injury had been done in 

 this way ; although I have myself cleared much 

 land, originally ; and burned vast heaps of tim- 

 ber and brush bolh on new and worn Innds. — 

 Yet I have one decisive [iroof of the injury oc- 

 casioned by overburning land, which may be 

 deemed an extreme case. More than 60 years 

 ago, Ihe bricks whereof the walls of my house 

 are rom(iosed, were burned in a kiln, the site 

 of which is now in my garden. I have, in vain, 

 (endeavoured, at different periods, to recover 

 I the fertility of this small spot."' 

 j We hsve known beneficial effects produced 

 I by burning the wiUi^red gra.ss (nr fo^^s" as it is 

 I called) on mowing land early in the spring; and 

 in all cases ivlien the preceding crop has beerK 

 ! grass of a rank and coarse kind, burning is lo be 

 j recommeniled, as it not only rau^es the next 

 i crop to be finer and more abundant, but des- 

 ; troys the stubhs or bottoms of ihe grass, which 

 I are oden very much in Ihe way of ihc scythe. 

 I It IS a general opinion, however, among Ihose 

 of our acquainlanre who have cleared lands frchi 

 heavy limber, ihat what is called a ^nnd burn, 

 I may prove bad for the farmer, by burning his 

 land (00 jKKc/i. This never happens, however, 

 , unless the land is naturally dry a« well as heavy 

 ; limbpred. But we believe, thai the slight 

 heal communicated by burning slubble cannot 

 mjure any soil. Bul if there is clover or other 

 grass, or a green crnj) of weed? growing with 

 Ihe slubble. Hie cultivator, perhaps, cannot burn 

 over his field if he would, and perhaps he should 

 nol burn it if he could. If ihe weeds are rank, 

 and have gone lo seed, it may be well to mow 

 them together wilh the slubble, spread Ihem, 

 ' evenly, over the whole field, and when thor- 

 oughly dry set fire to them — taking care not to 

 include barn«, fences. Sic. in Ihe contlagrniion. 

 j Then he will destroy the seeds of the weeds, 

 1 which may not be the case if ihey are carted lo 

 the barn-yard or compost bed. Some English 

 culiivalois spread straw over their field >, at Ihe 

 rale of about live Ions lo an acre, and then burn 

 il ; and think thai in this way, Ihev raise crops 

 superior to those afforded by the usual quantity 

 of about 25 Ions of dting- lo an acre. And ihey 

 altribute this effect to the warmth of the fire, 

 and not to Ihe ashes. They particularly rec- 

 ommend buri:ing straw, in this manner, on laud 

 prepared for turnips. Bul it is l» be recollect- 

 ed Ihat our soil is ilryer, and our summer's sun 

 is holler than in England : and whether Ihe 

 straw burning husbandry can be profitably adopt- 

 ed in Ibis country can only be decided by accu- 

 rale and repealed experiments, upon different 

 soils, and uriiler different circumstances. We 

 Ihiiik it mi^lii he well In iry the experiment of 

 burning slubble, when turnips or rula baga arc 



