252 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



MAKING HAY. 



From the New Genesee fanner. 



The old proverb says, " Make hay when the 

 eun shines;" but there is soraeihing else besides 

 eunsiune necessary to make good hay. The 

 grass niLisi be cut wlien it is maiure, or the ani- 

 Tiiais that have to eat it will have a hard bargain. 



Many people, including some good larmers, 

 judire ot ttie(iuulity of common hay by its green- 

 ness and bri^liiness. it is a lallacious test. We 

 have been leeding out, (or a week or two, (3 mo. 

 8,) hay iliat was as bright as any body could 

 desire, well made without rain, and kept in the 

 barn. It was a niixiure of red-top and timothy, 

 cut about midsummer on account of clearing the 

 enclosure for the catile; and which, had it been 

 leli to stand one montli longer, would have made 

 excellent hay. As it was, the cattle ate reluctantly, 

 and evidently with some loss of flesh. It is now 

 a pleasure to see with what eagerness they take 

 hold of hay that was cut a/ierwards. 



There is a great ditierence between the natural 

 and artificial grasses. The lormer, including red- 

 top and timoiliy, yield their nutriment principally 

 from the stem ; and like the sugar cane and other 

 plants ol" the same natural order, should be suffer- 

 ed to stand till the stems are mature. On the con- 

 trary, ilie leaves of the artificial grasses, including 

 the clovers and lucerne, are the most valuable 

 parts; and lor this reason, these kinds should be 

 ^:,ut when the leaves are in tlie most perlect stale. 



VALUE OF THE ROHAN POTATO. 



For tlie Farmers' Register. 



After a trial of several years, the value of the 

 "Jlohan potato is lully established. And judging 

 from the statements that have been published in 

 the northern papers, it appears lo be equally as 

 productive in Virginia, as elsewhere. A neigh- 

 bor of mine last year raised a bushel and a half 

 from one tuber ; and quite a large crop from a 

 small quantity of seed. My own crop exceeded 

 by far any thing that I have ever obtained from 

 other varieties of the potato. From less than 

 hall' a bushel of seed, and I'rom a very inconside- 

 rable portion of my garden, I made potatoes 

 enough lor almost daily use in my liimily, during 

 the tall, v.finter and early part of spring, besides 

 reserving an ample supply lor planting. And 

 this was done without any extra care or cultiva- 

 tion. 



My object in adverting to the Rohan potato 

 now, is to express the belief that it is much bet- 

 ter adapted than any other kind, for culture in 

 this climate. In eastern Virginia, the Irish po- 

 tato has never been cultivated with success, far- 

 ther than as a vegetable tor early use. A square 

 in the garden is perhaps as much ground as is 

 usually occupied by it. We buy our potatoes for 

 winter use, and even for seed, from the northern 

 supply which is brought into our markets. With 

 the aid of the Rohan, it is in the power of every 

 farmer to fully supply his own table, and lo raise 

 extensively for his stock, or for market. The 

 (juantity of potatoes annually brought into this 

 and Other southern slates from the north is im- 

 mense; and the prices for a series of years would 

 probably average at least 60 or 70 cents per bush- 

 el. Now, when ilicre is a growing disposition 

 to cultivate root crops, itjs respectfully suggcsled 



that the Rohan has claims which should not be 

 overlooked. It may be made the means of ren- 

 dering us less dependent on others lor so valuable 

 a vegetable ; and by the abundance which it will 

 supply, of contributing materially lo ihe wants 

 of the li^rmer — who should be no more under the 

 necessity of buying potatoes than meat or corn. 



In respect to quality, the Rohan is inlerior to 

 no potato that is cultivated. If it has less deh- 

 cacy of flavor than the " Mercer," it is equally 

 farinaceous, and has more of richness, 



T. S. Pleasants. 



sjim:m.B,B.Y op i^u'ws. 



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Reprinted from the Weekly Farmers'' Register. 

 Saturday, Jprit 3, 1841. 

 The new actinjj governor of Virginia, Mr. Patton, 

 ordered to be delivered to the governor of New York, 

 the counterfeiter Curry, who had tied from New York 

 to Virginia, and had been demanded by the governor 

 of New York. Thus Virginia fully performs to New 

 York tliat constitutional leciprocal duty which New 

 York retused to Virginia. The latter occurrences 

 exhibit still more strongly the wrong of the earlier, 

 in the slave-stealing case ; and also the firm resolve 

 of Virginia lo do right, as well as to suffer no wrong. 

 Even the ditierences of opinion as to the propriety 

 of delivering up Curry, and the results, set lorth and 

 strengthen tiie cause of Virginia; and they are in no 

 respect to be regretted, except as being the cause of 

 Gov. Gilmer's resignation, which is a matter of 

 great and almost universal regret. The rights, inter- 

 ests, and even political existence of Virginia and the 

 other southern stales, are at stake in ttie main con- 

 troversy with New York — and if not now maintained, 

 will be now, and for ever, left undefended and de- 

 fenceless. 



A new military projectile (the " Death dealer") 

 of tremendously destructive power, has been discover- 

 ed, and recently tried satisfactorily in England. 



Accounts continue to be received of great destruc- 

 tion by the floods in the South. The Savannah Geor- 

 gian says, '* that the flood did immense damage to 

 the planters in the vicinity of the Oconee, Ocmulgee 

 and Ogechee rivers. On Commissioners' creek, ten 

 mills have been carrietl away. Many other mills ou 

 other streams have been swept ofl. Numbers of cattle 

 have been drowned. On one island in the Oconee 700 

 head of cattle w'ere destroyed, and several persons 

 have lost 100 head. Valuable lands on the rivers 

 have been much impaired in value, if not totally de- 

 stroyed, by the washing of sand over the surface." 



Sixty-five Ivansas took advantage recently of the ab- 

 sence of the Pawnee warriors, entered the encamp- 

 ment and massacred all but 11 ol the women and 

 children found in it. This massacre will be a signal 

 for a fierce war between the Pawnees and Kansas. — 

 St. Louis Rep. 



"The government of Bolivia has received intelli- 

 gence that Mr. Willipm Wheelwright, of the United 

 States, has arrived in the Pacific with a certain num- 

 ber of steamboats to establish a more certain and ra- 

 pid communication between the ports of Chile, Boli- 

 via, Peru, Ecuador, and New G^ranada, and with 

 Europe, by the isthmus of Panama, and that an ex- 

 clusive privilege has been granted to him for this 

 purpose by the government of Peru. 



Dr. Dyott, who is confined in the penitentiaryat Phila- 

 delphia, for his fraudulent banking operations, is re- 

 presented as being in a remarkable state of content- 

 ment and cheerfulness — congratulating himself that 

 " in this season of pecuniary distress, he has no notes 

 to meet,* and none of that sleepless solicitude he once 

 had Miout pay-day." It is a great pity that all the 

 other unfortunate wholesale swindlers, through banks 

 and paper money, were not put in the same place (en- 



