THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



679 



aficr a time, and the growth of the latter, c?p(>- | will bcnr cuttinii 3 or 4 times, during the anason, 

 rinlly, appenred only a little checked liy iheui. I at an average heiyht of at least 3 leet, which no 

 Thee iH-stiferous insects appear penodic:dly, lor ' uther grass will do, of which 1 have any l(now- 

 1 have not known them, (as well as I recollect,) ' ledge. Alter the Krsi year, during whah it rc- 

 to do any material injury more than (bur times I quires some cultivation, the iirowlh soon lliicUens 

 durini' the course ol' my lile ; alihough 1 have ' so as to smother all oilier plains that may spring 

 not ascertained the intervals of time between ' up amongst ii ; and it is now so acclimated as to 

 those periods. They are. however, certainly very s|'read, not only Irom its roots, but its seeds, a 

 U'efullor one purpose, and that is to blister the large proportion ol which now ripen with us, 

 skin, which they will do (juiie as eirecually as ; alihough it is still safest to propagate it Irom ihe 

 Spanish flies. JNlore than 30 years ago, I have ; roots. These will bear transportaiion lor several 

 known them to be used in lieu lliereol, by two ; weeks, without losing their vitality, il wrapi up 

 eminent physicians ol my acquaintance. Belore , eiiher in cotton, tow, moss, or solt puper. l hey 

 I quit this subject permit me to recommend an '"-" "'"" ^'^ ^^"'•'^''^ '" 'h« ''"''i''- """' ''^« 



improvement of which 1 have lately heard, in the 

 garden-culture of potatoes, by which we can ob- 

 tain them earlier, and by much less labor thrin in 

 any other way. First plant them, either whole 

 or cut, in well prepared earth, about 15 inches 



y 



may then be buried in the earih, until the 

 season Ibr planting, which is as early as the 

 earth ceases to li'etze hard. The roots should 

 be cut into pieces an inch or two long, then 

 buried about 3 inches deep, 5 or 6 inches apart 

 one way, and 12 inches apart the other. Two or 



or CUl, in wen iJie|)tiicu euiui, ciuuui lu mi.iico , ^"^ "'v' - — — ' , , , , . , 



each way, and 3 in hes deep. Then cover ihemibree workings with the hand-hoe, during the 



8 or 10 inches deep, with pine leaves — if you 

 can get them — if not, wiih straw or refuse hay. 

 AVhen fit for use, take them (rom under cover 

 without disturbing it any more than can be avoid- 

 ed. This practice is followed by nrany ; but the 

 improvement consists in leaving enough potatoes 



lust year, will am|)ly suffice to insure their thriv- 

 ing, after which they require no more labor but to 

 cut the growlii for use. 



And now, my Ii lends, having finished my 

 usual detail of experiments, which 1 fear haa 

 proved to many of my hearers more wearisome 



llliprovcilieill cuDsisis iii icitviuu cmjuf^u jiuiaiucc i i" " •^" •- j -- --., -- i r i 



under the same cover, in the fall, to pru.luce a than instructive, I will orice rnor.', perhaps tor the 



second crop the next year, which they will do, 

 much earlier than you can procure them by any 

 other process. 



AJy experiment wiih turnips waa somewhat 

 more successful — for the 4 varieties so-wn on the 



1 ■.u.l ...v..,. u^i. . ^ , , I - - , 



last time, veniure to offer you a few remarks 

 upon some of the topics which I have so often 

 and earnestly been pressing upon your attention, 

 fiom our first meeting, twenty odd years ago, to the 

 present moment. J3ut I confess that were I to 



more successful — lor tne 4 varieties so-wn on tne | pit^em uiumcuu ^.ut i vv.„,vco ,..u. ,.^.^ . 

 7th of Aut^ust, came up well enough, and grew Ijudge by the apparent condition ol our society at 

 off- sufficiently to enable me to determine which ihi^ time, or to be influenced in renewing my ex- 

 produced the greatest quantity of roots, the most I hortations by the effects ot my previous eftorts 

 top, and most saccharine mailer, so far as the I 'o promote its utility, 1 should have but poor en- 

 concurrent tastes of 3 or 4 persons could decide a [ couragement to proceed. II I have yet done any 

 thinff so questionable. The lour kinds were:jt^iore good than barely to keep our association 

 SincTair's white flat, the Aberdeen yellow, the 1 alive— although in a stats generally but, httle re- 

 purple top tankard, and Dayle'e yellow hybrid j moved from absolute lethargy, 1 am still ignorant 

 turnip. Sinclair's white flat turnip produced the ol it. For I am not aware that any ol the meana 

 most roots, and the least tops; the Scoich-Aber- ! have yet been adopted, which I have rarely ever 

 deen proved the next best ; the purple top lank- i '"^'iied to recommend as indispensable to such im- 

 ard ranked third in the quantity of roois, but had I provement in the various branches of husbandry 

 more tops than either of the other, and Dayle's I as every agricultural society would surely make, 

 hybrid was inferior to all, except in tops, which i 'I' t-nly a small majority ol its members vyouia 

 were the next largest to those of the tankards. 1 constantly do their duty. Such, lor example, as 

 In regard to sweetness, several who tasted them i i>" annual fair, to which all our niembers, as well 

 concurred in pronouncing the Scotch-Aberdeen I "s any others of our agricultural brethren, wlio 

 best, Sinclair's white flat next, Dayle's hybrid I wished either to sell or to buy something in their 

 third, and the tankards last. The oilier varieties particular line, might report with some certainty 



^j — _ -— - - 



were sown on the 17ih of August, and have not 

 yet attained their full growth, consequently they 

 are still in the ground, 



of attaining their "object. Such lairs lorm almost 

 a necessary part of every similar society— not 

 only in all the countries of Europe, but in every 



-e still in tne grouna. "'"> ■" "" >"<- v^u""-^- "■ 1-: 



Belore I quit the subject of experiments, I will norihern and eastern state ol our own coumry- 

 once more offer you a brief notice of the Guinea- nny, there is scarcely a town ol any note on the 

 grass. The experience of the past season has continent, or in England, Scotland, or IrelanU, 

 confirmed me in the belief, that it is probably the ( without them Can you believe it possible that 

 very best grass we can cultivate in our high, dry i that they would be kept up, and more anc. more 

 soils, especially such as are rather sandy than ' encouraged in all these countries, il they did no 

 Ellff. Indeed, I believe, that from latitude 39, as prove highly beneficial ? Or ,s it credible hat 

 far south as our government extends, it would 1 'hey can be wsc/u/ //(ere and wse/essAere. »u re- 

 prove our surest reliance as green Ibod lor horses i ly not, my good Iriends ; and yet riot a ^''^''l;^'y^^- 

 and cattle-particularly during seasons of great ! tempt have you ev^r made to hold one ; ai' o"g'^ 

 drought. My reason lor thinking so ia, Uiat ! in this very town, .50 or 60 years ago, a I. ir was 

 mine has been twice subjected, since I first plant- annually held in the month ol J'^''^';;'''^'Y:;.' ' 

 ed the roots, to this severe test, and on both occa- liave heard,) usually lasted lor <^J^'"'^' ''";; J^/J 

 Biona has remained green, while all the other enormously attended by the planters and farmers 

 plants on the farm were suffering extremely. It of all the surrounding countiee 

 SaTboth a fibrous and tuberous rl>ot, it will :grow Another ol ^ T^/^Xr^orrice "oward. 

 in ordinary land, lo the height of 5 or 6 feet, and ' that I deemed ol still moie importance .owards 



