1335.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



393 



bial, and consequently, merits a full share of at- 

 tention to its support, as well as propagation. 



I have tried some ten or twelve different modes 

 of supporting this animal, in a climate, peculiarly 

 inviting the rearing of sheep. Where it can pos- 

 sibly be had, green rye ought to be secured, to al- 

 low them, if but a tew mouthful* per day, particu- 

 larly at lambing time; but at all times, it appears 

 to be singularly effectual, in preserving a high 

 state of animal health. A tew turnips thrown to 

 them every day is essential to produce the same 

 effect. To these oats may be added, cut just be- 

 fore they are perfectly ripe, and housed, without 

 getting wet. 13ut sir, in the south a much more 

 economical preparation can be readily had — su- 

 perior in quantity and quality, per acre, to the 

 best clover field. Afier the oats is taken from the 

 field, turn over the stubble on the cow or tory peas, 

 sow about half a bushel to the acre. In a com- 

 mon season, about the time the peas are. ready for 

 curing, by pulling up the vines, and thus saving 

 peas and vines together, it wiil be found that 

 the crap grass will be, not only high enough 

 to cut, but so far in seed, as to furnish a rich 

 hay. Cut then the whole with scythes, and 

 cure as hay, salting well while stacking. Sub- 

 mit this lbod to the cutting box, feed in tfoughs, 

 and mix it, half and half, with the oats cut off 

 the ground, the same season, cut up also. Add to 

 this, five turnips per day for each sheep, if the tur- 

 nips are small, and three if large, or Ruta Baga. 

 The fondness of the sheep for the pea, is well 

 known. The strength or nutritive quality of the 

 vine and leaf, when properly saved as fodder, is 

 equally known to southern planters. Salt well, 

 of course, and let tar be in the bottom of the salt 

 trough: — a little pulverized tobacco once a week 

 with the salt, permitting the sheep to ramble 

 through an adjacent woodland, particularly, ii 

 hilly, about half the day, in good weather. Sheds 

 for them of course in bad. On trial of this plan 

 it will be acknowledged that the number one acre 

 will support, in high health and fleece, will meet 

 the expectations of the most perfect economist. 

 Like all other animals a slate of" costiveness is in- 

 imical to animal health, but in the sheep, this is 

 readily prevented, by either rye or turnip. The 

 pea" agrees well, in every particular with that, an- 

 imal. Rye-straw saved well, and cut before ripe. 

 is superior to oats straw. Barley straw is excel- 

 lent, and rice straw superior: — and will be found a 

 substitute for the oats, if the turnip is added. A 

 small barley or rye lot, will give the requisite 

 quantity to secure the highest health, of one hun- 

 dred sheep. Thirty minutes per day, if the tur- 

 nips are added, will be sufficient. The quantity of 

 green vegetable food, taken in during this short 

 period, with the above quantity of turnips, will se- 

 cure a healthy fermentation in the stomach of the 

 dry food, secure a high degree of health in the an- 

 imal, and of course, flesh and fleece. By a little 

 attention to littering with dry litter, on dry ground, 

 a quantity of superior manure, ma) 7 be secured. 

 To save the urine the pen ought to be laid with 

 dry earth, previous to penning, removing it at pro- 

 per intervals. 



AGRICOLA. 



Woodlands, Alabama, July 22d, 1835. 



Vol. Ill— aO 



From the Farmer and Gardener. 

 DESTRUCTION OF GARLIC. 



Sir — Some time ago, I promised to give you a 

 history of my experience and progress in the ex- 

 tirpation of garlic, which promise I shall now at- 

 tempt to perform. 



The first appearance of garlic on my farm, I 

 think, was between 50 and 60 years ago. My 

 father, who was then living, used every means in 

 his power to eject the unwelcome tenant from the 

 premises, but every effort appeared fruitless; as 

 we occasionally tended the field, it spread still wi- 

 der and wider. Giving up all hope of subduing 

 ii, after taking out a great deal every year, and 

 finding it still continued to enlarge its bounds, we, 

 in order to prevent its taking possession of the 

 whole field, laid off a cut of about six or seven 

 acres in the corner of the field which it occupied, 

 and let it run, as well as I remember, for seve- 

 ral years unmolested — stacking the grain — tread- 

 ing it out, and feeding the straw on the foul pre- 

 mises. 



Alter the death of my father, (in 1801,) 1 

 adopted the mode of fall ploughing for my spring 

 crops, and without anticipating any beneficial re- 

 sults, farther than that of loosening and pulveriz- 

 ing the ground, I flushed up this foul spot of oats 

 in the spring, rather shallow, (as old fashioned 

 ploughing.) When the oats, were, I think, about 

 knee high, a friend walked out with me, to look at 

 them, and to my pleasing astonishment, there 

 were but very few heads of garlic to be seen. I 

 then began to reflect what could be the. cause, and 

 remembered that, the ground was ploughed up ve- 

 ry late in the fall, or early in the winter, and con- 

 sequent!}', all the germinating power of the ex- 

 nosed garlic, was killed by the frost, before it had 

 time to dry by the sun or air. I am of opinion that 

 a bunch of garlic might be pulled up in the month 

 of June or July, and laid upon a stump to dry un- 

 til November, and if then planted, that it would 

 grow again; but let it lreeze while the pulp is in it, 

 and its vegetating property will be completely de- 

 stroyed. 



Having thus by mere accident, so nearly gain- 

 ed a victory over my invading enemy, I again 

 commenced the attack by carefully taking it up 

 every spring, and so far succeeded, that about ten 

 or twelve years ago, I had lour cradles running 

 in the whole field, including that foul cut, and 

 offered a fippenny-bit for every head' that the 

 reaper should find, and my leader alone found 

 one. 



However, we still continue to look out for it eve- 

 ry spring, and sometimes find a few heads, which I 

 think are probably dropt by our horses after being 

 fed abroad with foul oats. 



At a farm I lately purchased there was a field 

 very full of garlic; I conceived an additional 

 plan of teazing and making a "demonstration" on 

 the enemy, to wit: — I broke it up of moderate 

 depth about the first of December, and was de- 

 termined as soon as there came one freezing night 

 upon it, after ploughing and a thaw, to run a sharp 

 toothed harrow over it again, and so alternately 

 after every freezing and thawing spell during the 

 winter, in order to turn it up, and expose it to the 

 frost as often as I could, but the winter was very 

 unfavorable to such an enterprise, being in the 

 forepart covered with snow, and in the latter part, 



