1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



251 



small armslull, raise up the bunch, placing it as 

 upright as it can be made to stand, ibr the more free 

 admittance of sun and air. If planted among corn, 

 this last has been sometimes removed from the field, 

 by being cut at the ground, saving in this Avay, 

 stalks, blades, tops and corn. After one day's sun, 

 I turn and raise up the bunches of vine and peas, 

 and if any assurance of the continuance of good 

 weather can be seen, T give them another day. 

 The following I haul in, on a long coupled low- 

 wheel wagon, fixed for the purpose with racks. 

 Satisfied from reason and experience, that open 

 pens are better calculated for the preservation of 

 every kind of straw and vines in our climate, than 

 close buildings, I have pens built of chestnut rails, 

 about twelve feet in length, which pens can be re- 

 moved at pleasure: in them I placed a tight floor 

 of jointed plank, moveable if required, and raised 

 about two feet from the ground. On this floor 1 

 lay a little well cured and dry wheat, rye, oats, or 

 rice-straw, and on this, pea vines are put, until 

 the layer, after being pressed down by the weight 

 of a child, will be about twelve inches thick; on 

 this layer salt is scattered — there is no loss by scat- 

 tering the salt freely, the floor ultimately arresting 

 what passes through in handling and feeding; what 

 goes off with the pea vines being necessary for the 

 thriving and health of the animals fed — the first 

 going to salt my hogs the next year. The scatter- 

 ing of the salt is followed by straw, peas as before, 

 and salt, until the pen is filled, when the roof o) 

 broad and sound clapboards is laid on, and secured 

 by cross-rails, which interlock with the last put 

 on. 



In this mode of housing my pea crop, I consult 

 saving time, convenience and economy. In place 

 of a door, I have three of the rails so fixed on the 

 front side, (or whatever one is most convenient to 

 take out) that they can be moved as bars. The 

 leaves and vines are generally taken out as green 

 and sweet as when housed, and if possible, sub- 

 mitted to the cutting box, and which is found an 

 excellent preparation for the use of the animal 

 feeding on them. This last enables them to fill 

 themselves much sooner. The vines are cut about 

 an inch, and if not steamed, (which is a superior 

 preparation for milch cows) are put into the feed- 

 ing trough, and sprinkled with a liquid preparation 

 of water, with as much corn or rye-meal in it as 

 will produce the vinous fermentation, and used just 

 as the dcelus has commenced. 



By pursuing this mode of saving, and using this 

 plant, it will readily occur that an acre gives, when 

 either planted among corn, or sown after grain, a 

 fine quantity of dry winter food, and of a most nutri- 

 tious character. 



The period at which the vines are taken up, 

 makes the pod hold the pea much more tenacious- 

 ly than if suffered to get perfectly ripe; consequent- 

 ly there is less waste in feeding. A tew pigs suf- 

 fered to run in the cattle or sheep pens, accounts 

 honestly for every pea. If fed in racks, the peas 

 may be fairly credited with the maintainance of 

 one pig lor every sheep, and four for each cow, 

 during the time of feeding. 



The straw is given out with the vines and eaten 

 with avidity, evidently imbibing so much of the 

 quality of the pea as to become very agreeable to 

 the taste of animals, particularly oxen, to whom I 

 give it frequently. In filling the pen, I place a 

 large keg in the centre, drawing it up as I progress. 



This leaves an opening for the escape of any pro- 

 duct of fermentation that may arise, as also, for 

 the entrance of atmosperic air. 



For a stock of that valuable animal, the sheep, 

 there cannot be a superior winter provision, espe- 

 cially if a few turnips are added, or an hour in the 

 day in a rye-field, with pointed attention to salt- 

 ing. 



From a fair trial, I know this mode of feeding 

 that animal, preserves a fine state of flesh, fleece 

 and health, during our short winters. With some, 

 kid is a delicacy, kept on this food along with the 

 sheep, the real "savory meat" may be had. 



CINCINNATI'S. 



KILNS FOR DRYING CORN — MODEOF INVESTI- 

 GATION IN THE CHEAT CONTROVERSY. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Granville, Jf. C. July 14, 183S. 



I am desirous of erecting a kiln for the purpose 

 of drying Indian corn to be ground into meal in the 

 spring, and kept for use duringthe summer months. 

 Will you be so good as to furnish through your 

 Register, the most approved plan of building them? 

 The size, the mode, and material of construction, 

 &c % 



The cheat controversy has escaped unsettled 

 from your paper. If wheat is changed to cheat 

 the fact may be demonstratively shown by care- 

 fully taking up by the roots the bunches of cheat, 

 and washing the earth from the roots. If the hull 

 of the parent grain of wheat can be found attach- 

 ed to the cheat, no one can longer doubt that the 

 change does take place. I have in this way wash- 

 ed and examined often the roots of wheat and of 

 cheat: the hull of the grain of wheat I generally 

 found adhering to the roots of the wheat, but ne- 

 ver to the cheat. 



W. O. GREGORY. 



ril 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 LUCERNE — MANURE ON BARREN SOILS. 



Lynchburg, July 9th, 1835. 



This valuable grass is not sufficiently known 

 among our farmers. I have had a lot of it for 

 several years, and am much pleased with it. Al- 

 though it is not calculated to supercede clover on 

 a large scale, and one cutting does not produce 

 quite as much, yet it has several advantages. It 

 is fit for use twelve or fifteen days earlier — can be 

 cut from four to six times a year — never salivates, 

 but is good throughout the season, and does not 

 require renewing for many years. Every farmer 

 should have, at, least, a sufficient Jot of it, but as 

 it requires free manuring, it will, as a crop suit 

 only those who have much manure and little land. 

 And here permit me to make a few suggestions 

 respecting manure. Every well directed move- 

 ment that is made in relation to this article gives 

 the most ample returns, but like all other opera- 

 tions, it requires judgement. Rich stable manure 

 ought to remain under a shelter till carried to the 

 field. Only observe the large quantity of highly 

 colored water it gives out after a heavy rain. 

 When there is plenty of straw, corn stalks and 

 other litter, the case is different, as these absorb 

 what would otherwise run off. Indeed it is prob- 

 able that a large portion of the value of the corn 

 stalk as a manure, is owing to its capacity for ab- 



