On Grass Lai/s, Manures, ^c. 33 1 



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sown in the fall. In some climates and seasons, Fe- 

 bruary will suit better for sowing those seeds. The 

 spire grasses sown on the wheat may be mown two 

 years, if the farmer's cattle yard will admit a plentiful 

 manuring for maize ; if not, the ground should be 

 mown or pastured until this can be done, but the soon- 

 er the lay can be turned, consistent with the preserva- 

 tion and improvement of the soil, the roots of the grass- 

 es will be oftener brought into use, which hastens the 

 improvement, from the frequent decomposition, of 

 their full growth in the soil. 



A gentleman whose extensive talents should be re- 

 spected, has published, that wheat sown in England, 

 from two to three bushels per acre, yields great crops, 

 where the soil and climate are favourable to its growth 

 and perfection, but that the same quantity sown here, 

 would yield straw, without grain. This is entirely op- 

 posed to my practice and observation, and nursery men 

 who have long sown and planted there and here, agree, 

 that the same plants will double the size here, in one 

 season, which they generally attain there in the same 

 time ; and certainly our climate is much better calcu- 

 lated to ripen a heavy crop of wheat, than the climate 

 of England, where a less powerful sun, and frequent 

 cloudy, dripping, foggy weather, injures those crops 

 to an immense extent, and compels the inhabitants to 

 become tributary to us, and other nations, for bread. 

 But the real state of the question is simply this; — the 

 Hessian fly has darkened knowledge, but having com- 

 pelled us to manure our grounds, one corner of many 

 a field, now produces more, than the whole previous 

 to this visitation. And if farmers had considered ob- 



