VOL. XII. NO. 39. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



question, lie had expended twenty dollars per acre 

 in under draining, and now grows upon these 

 lands Indian corn, oats, wheat and clover luxuriant- 

 ly. The value of this land has been increased 

 from twenty to one hundred dollars per acre, or 

 five hundred per cent, by the operation of drain- 

 ing. I h ive had some personal experience in 

 this sort of" improvement, and have made it the 

 subject of calculation, and am induced to believe 

 that where stone is convenient, efficient and perma- 

 nent under drains may be made as lowor lower than 

 what they cost my friend. A laborer accustomed 

 to the work averaged ten rods per day upon my farm 

 for thirty days. The ground was sandy and soft. 

 Other materials were substituted for stone, which 

 would, had they been employed, have required 

 more labor, though they had been prepared to bis 

 bands. 



The benefits of under drains are not limited to 

 lands which show water upon the surface. We 

 may often notice at midsummer that some fiat 

 lands have a sterile and compact appearance, 

 whose general aspect would indicate fertility. This 

 is readily accounted for by supposing what is often 

 known to be the fact, that the soil reposes upon a 

 compact strata, which prevents the descent of wa- 

 ter, and which has not sufficient inclination to pass 

 it oft". The water chills the ground, retards the de- 

 composition of vegetable food, and causes com- 

 parative infertility. This may be effectually rem- 

 edied by parallel under drains, the space between 

 them to depend upon the compactness of the soil, 

 a drain being supposed to collect the water nine 

 or ten feet on each side in the most tenacious 

 ground. It is usual where fields are thus drained 

 to make a cross drain along the upper side, and 

 also one alonir the lower side, to receive and car- 

 ry off the water which the parallel drains collect 

 from the soil. 



Barley and hops are becoming important staples 

 of our State, particularly of the northern and west- 

 ern portions. Few persons, I presume have a 

 just conception of the quantity which we annually 

 produce, or the immense loss which we sustain 

 for want oT better knowledge and more care in 

 cultivating and preparing these crops for market. 

 Our soil and climate are found to be well adapted 

 to their growth, and we have produced as fine 

 samples of both, as are grown in any part of the 

 world. Independent of an increasing home con- 

 sumption, the hop in particular is always in de- 

 mand for exportation. If in good condition it is 

 one of the most profitable crops to the grower 

 that can be raised. If in bad condition, it is of- 

 ten a losing concern, not even affording a return 

 for the labor bestowed in its culture. 



Deeming the subject one of deep interest to the 

 community, and as coming particularly within the 

 province of this society, I have been at some pains 

 to collect data from the best sources in relation to 

 the barley and hop trade, with the view of sub- 

 mitting an abstract of the facts to your considera- 

 tion. 



Two-thirds of all the barley grown in the Tin- 

 ted States is believed to be marketed at Albany 

 and the neighboring towns upon the Hudson. The 

 amount brought to our market last year, is estima- 

 ted at 450,000 bushels. It is of two kinds — two 

 rowed and six rowed, one possessing a thin and 

 the other a thick skin, and larger berry, ill adap- 

 ted to be malted together, as one kind malts quick- 

 er than the other, and becomes sensibly deteriora- 

 ed before the saccharine matter of the other kind 



307 



is fully developed. The two varieties are often 

 mixed by the grower ; but that which passes 

 through second hands, as the merchants, boatmen 

 &c. is almost universally so, ami is besides fre- 

 quently adulterated with oats ami other foreign 

 matters, which seriously depreciate its value. It 

 is stated that the deterioration and loss consequent 

 upon the bad condition of the barley brought to 

 market the last season, was equal to ten per cent. 

 or 45,000 bushels — which express! d In money at 

 75 cents the bushel, amounts to £33,750. 



Serious as our loss seems to he from the hail 

 management id' our bailey, it will he found to he 

 no less so upon our Imp crop. About 2.300 hales 

 or 50,000 lbs., is the estimated quantity hi. tight 

 to market the last year. Of this quantity I am 

 assured by the best judges of the article there 

 were not 200 hales which ought io have been de- 

 nominated first sorts. ' Many of the bops wi re im- 

 perfectly dried, and in consequence of the moi 

 Hire in them when bagged, a fermentation was in- 

 duced highly detrimental to their quality. The 

 criterion by which hops are determined to he 

 well dried is, when the stocks become perfectly 



shrivelled and dry. This is not fi d Io I e lie 



case with those sent to this market, and the' < tl" ft is 

 that deterioration goes. on till the hops are used, 

 whereas well dried hops lose very little of theii 

 goodness by being kept over. Again, too much 

 heat, particularly in the outset, is prejudicial, as n 

 drives off with the moisture the aroma or i - en- 

 tial oil which gives value to the hop. A gnat por- 

 tion of our hops are picked t< arly, before the) 



are sufficiently matured, while other parcels are 

 scorched or otherwise injured in the process of 

 curing ; and although they might bear a supi rfi- 

 cial appearance of being prime, most of lie in 

 on critical examination were found to be extreme- 

 ly deficient in the principle which gives them val- 

 ue. \Yiiile the average price in;i\ be Stated at IS 

 cents, many of these hops are declared uot to 

 have been worth two cents the pound. 



Here then, if the data •which I have given are 

 correct, are two of the staple productions of our 

 soil, on which we lone lost, or what amounts to 

 to the same thing, have failed to realize, from 50 

 100,000 dollars in a single year, jrom careless- 

 ness or a want of knowledge in their culture an:! 

 preparation for market. To whit extent might 

 this sum be swelled were we to embrace in this 

 inquiry the other products and labors of husban- 

 dry ! A like disparity I apprehend, between 

 good and had management would be found to ex- 

 ist iu almost every department of our agriculture. 

 (To be concluded in our next.) 



From V><- Northern farmer. 

 ROLLERS SOWING GRASS SEEDS. 



Farmers, who are in the practice of using Rol- 

 lers, to level and smooth the ground, are fully con- 

 vinced of their great utility. How inconvenient 

 it is to mow, when the sun. ire is very uneven, or 

 where small rocks lie upon it. And there is a loss 

 of labor iu being obliged frequently to grind tin 

 scythe, or in case of breaking to gel a new one. 

 In laying down the soil to grass in the spring, tin 

 roller makes "smooth work," and drives down 

 the, pebble stones and small rocks beneath the sur- 

 face, ami also renders the appearance ol the f i Ids 

 more delightful. But the use of the roller is verj 

 beneficial in sowing grass seed. The harrow, un- 

 less made with very fine and very short teeth 

 ought not to be used ; because the grass seed 



which the common harrow buries one, two or 

 three inches beneath the surface, does not vege- 

 tate. In sowing grass seed, I now use only the 

 reller, and it "catches in," much better than 

 it does by harrowing it in. After a light, gravel- 

 ly s,,il has been will ploughed and harrowed, it 

 .may often do very well to sow [he grass seed upon 

 the surface, before a rain. This fact, perhaps, 

 well known to many, I learned by accident. I 

 directed my hands to lay down a field with I've 

 and grass seed. Hut they forgot to sow the grass 

 seed, as I learned after the rye had sprouted. Be- 

 lieving that the use of the barrow would then des- 

 troy the rye, I scattered the grass seed upon the 

 surface, and never had any catch in better. But 

 there were several rains soon after. This exper- 

 iment has induced me to use only the roller. 



To make a roller some take a log, others a stone 



hewed round. Either is much better than none 



inn they often drag the small stones, &c. forward, 

 instead of beating the same down perpendicular- 

 ly into the ground 



A roller made of old truck or cart wheels is 

 preferable. My men made one of a pair of old 

 truck wheels in the following manner. A two 

 inch white oak plank was cut into short pieces, 

 .mi- end of each piece resting on the hub, and the 

 other end projecting about half an inch above the 

 felloes by wooden pins. A heavy axletree was 

 then put in, about seven feet in length ; the ends 

 projecting out of tic hubs about five or six inches. 

 The wheels were next covered with narrow thick 

 pine plank, and spiked into the ends of the white 

 oak plank. But the planks must be hewed, so as to 

 form a perfect circle, previous to driv ing the spikes. 

 The, plants which cover the machine, must not 

 only be very narrow, but thick ; the edges be- 

 ing hewn obliquely, being well jointed, resting up- 

 on and supporting inch other, and therefore capa- 

 ble ol' resisting a great external pressure. Narrow 

 while oak plank, or small timbers are then to be 

 formed iu the shape of an oblong square. In the 

 centre of the sides of this frame, a square hole is 

 rill, so that the tnds of the axletree may enter, 

 and in this frame he roller revolves. To the front 

 end of this frame he tongue or spire is attached, 

 so that the uiachire may lie drawn with horses or 

 'oxen. .Many farmers now use rollers of a similar 

 construction. SJuuld it he desirable to pick rocks 

 while operating w th the machine, it would he ea- 

 sy to construct a lox to be attached to the frame. 

 The strength of the roller may be increased, by 

 nailing iron hoops round the outside. I think 

 that huge are preferable to small wheels. In or- 

 der to turn the machine with the cattle with great- 

 el ease, it may be judicious to lime the circum- 

 i i; nee in the mi(|ille, a little larger than at the 

 ends. But when the middle rests upon rising 

 ground, or a little hillock, in the act of turning, 

 there is no great difficulty. 



Many farmers suffer their cattle, in the wet sea- 

 sons of Spring and Fall, to graze iu their mowing 



his. By this practice the soil is not only beaten 

 down and rendered uneven, counteracting the good 

 ■ffects of the roller, hut the grass roots are much 

 i.ijii. d, and, by the fall feeding, arc, indeed, mow; 

 liable to be winter killed. It is a practice which 

 ought to be discontinued. The inevitable conse- 

 quence of it, is, either to reduce, or else prevent 

 the increase of the quantity of hay. 



W. Claggett. 

 Portsmouth, March 24; 1834. 



