1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



47 



gaining at once a constitution suited to our climate. 

 This was done some years since, on the introduc- 

 tion of the Merinos into England, and was at- 

 tended by the most flattering success, the flock 

 beating every other for the combined excellence of 

 wool and carcass. Both these breeds being fine, 

 close wooled sheep, there is no extravagant dis- 

 similarity, no wide contrasts to be amalgamated, 

 and a more uniform character is easily obtained in 

 the progeny, from which it will do to breed again. 

 This is not the case with a cross between the 

 long and short wooled varieties; the first cross will 

 sometimes make a good animal, but when bred 

 from again, the produce is uncertain, sometimes 

 "taking back" on the long wooled parent, and 

 sometimes on the opposite side; and when appa- 

 rently combining in the fleece a united influence 

 of the two breeds, a closer examination will show 

 an unevenness of length and filament that ill suits 

 the manufacturer. 



K. 



Maple, Grove, Otsego, March 26, 1835. 



For the Fanners' Register. 

 THE POLICY OF THE LAW OF ENCLOSURES 

 DEFENDED. 



Those who advocate the repeal of this law have 

 fallen into an evident mistake, in supposing that 

 the expense of fencing would be diminished by 

 the proposed measure. A simple reference to the 

 most approved method of stock management in 

 some sections of our own, as well as in foreign 

 countries, will be sufficient to satisfy any one that 

 the successful prosecution of this branch of hus- 

 bandry requires infinitely more fencing than is at 

 present found in the greater part of eastern Virgi- 

 nia. The northern farmers, for instance, have, 

 with a view to this subject, found it to their in- 

 terest to divide their arable lands into a great num- 

 ber of small fields, comprising from ten to twenty 

 acres each, separated from each other by perma- 

 nent division fences. This arrangement is adopt- 

 ed in order to introduce the artificial grasses, by 

 which their arable lands are made to answer the 

 double purpose of grazing and tillage. (See 

 Far. Reg. vol. I. p. 542.) 



We find also that some of the most successful 

 agriculturists in eastern Virginia have adopted a 

 similar system. In answer to certain queries pro- 

 posed by the committee of the Agricultural Socie- 

 ty of Albemarle, Mr. John H. Craven states that 

 he has five hundred acres under cultivation which 

 are divided into ten fields of unequal sizes. This 

 gentleman appears to be a successful raiser of 

 stock of every description. His method of ma- 

 nagement as well as that of Messrs. Rogers and 

 Meriwether may be seen by referring to the re- 

 port of the committee. (See Far. Reg. vol. II. 

 p. 226.) 



The same system prevails in western Virginia, 

 where it has been evidently copied from the 

 northern practice. Even in those regions where 

 live stock is the staple commodity, a similar prac- 

 tice obtains. We understand that hoe's are raised 

 in the western country by turning them upon clo- 

 ver lots and grain fields alternately. And even a 

 portion of their corn crop in its succulent state is 

 used in the same 'way. It is apparent that the 

 use of division fences are absolutely necessary 

 under such a system. 



As it is the avowed object of the enemies of the 

 fence law to contract the present amount of fenc- 

 ing (Far. Rep;, vol. I. p. 396) it must of course be 

 done by confining stock within as limited enclo- 

 sures as possible. Take, for instance, an estate 400 

 acres of arable land, and let 100 be enclosed as a 

 standing pasture. Upon this field all the stock 

 necessary for the support of the estate are turned, 

 hogs, horses, cattle and sheep. It is impossible 

 to conceive the complicated disasters of such a 

 scheme. In short, these standing pastures have 

 been tried over and again, and as often abandon- 

 ed, at least, as far as concerns the indiscriminate 

 introduction of every sort of stock upon the same 

 field. Those who use them at all, are compelled 

 occasionally to turn a portion of their stock upon 

 other fields, or upon the woods range — a re- 

 source of which they would of course be deprived 

 upon the principles of the proposed plan. 



It is true that great advantages would be ob- 

 tained by making more enclosures; but it must be 

 recollected that every additional pannel of fence is 

 obviating the objection to the present law, in a 

 geometrical ratio. For the sake of illustration, we 

 will suppose that these 400 acres are in the shape 

 of a square, or a parallelogram. The enclosure 

 of 100 acres allotted to stock can be divided into 

 three equal fields by running two division fences. 

 It is easy to be perceived that by removing these 

 and joining them again to the outside fence they 

 can be made to enclose 100 acres more. Two 

 additional fields of the same size will afford a suf- 

 ficient number of rails to enclose 300 acres. And 

 with seven, there will be enough to comprehend 

 the whole 400 under one fence. And with this 

 the objection would end. We have no doubt that 

 such an arrangement of lots would be of vast im- 

 portance in stock management. It would afford 

 the means of introducing the culture of the artifi- 

 cial grasses, by which this branch of husbandry 

 has been rendered infinitely more profitable than 

 under the old standing pasture system. And we 

 would remark that this is the plan recommended 

 by the author of Arator, to whom the agriculture 

 of Virginia is so much indebted. 



The" method of management is simply this: 

 some of these fields will be sowed in small grain 

 to be consumed by turning the stock upon it after 

 it has ripened; or they may be harvested, and sub- 

 sequently gleaned, as the individual thinks best. 

 A similar system would be adopted with regard to 

 the grass lots. Some will be mowed for winter 

 consumption, others will be appropriated to gra- 

 zing. And as these artificial grasses require two 

 or three years to arrive at perfection, prudence will 

 dictate the propriety not only of enlarging these 

 lots, but of increasing their number as far as prac- 

 ticable. 



We admit that where lands are devoted almost 

 exclusively to the purposes of tillage (as they are 

 undoubtedly with us) that fencing becomes a very 

 heavy and unprofitable tax. But if it be the ob- 

 ject of the agriculturist to make stock manage- 

 ment a subject of profit, he becomes amply remu- 

 nerated for any amount of fencing which may be 

 thought necessary to promote this object. And 

 here in fact is the secret of those rock fences 

 which we hear of in some parts of the state — one 

 mile of which would absolutely ruin a tobacco 

 planter to build. 



The idea that a portion of our arable lands were 



