376 



The Farinerh Cabinet. 



Vol. II. 



third of the ground was covered, and the va- 

 cant spaces are beginning to produce that 

 most pernicious little plant, called Euphor- 

 bia, or Spurge, which comes up and grows 

 with the second growth of clover. On break- 

 ing off the stem of this plant, an acrid milky 

 juice exudes from it, which we think is the 

 cause of the slobbering of horses after eating 

 of the second crop of grass or hay. In this 

 we may be wrong, and, if so, should be 

 pleased if some of your correspondents would 

 set us right. I have never yet seen grass 

 seed sown too thick, neither have I ever seen 

 too many kinds of grass seed sown together 

 on the same ground. If sown thick, it pre- 

 vents the growth of weeds, and the stalks are 

 not so gross, and it makes better hay, and it 

 is easier made ; for the gross, succulent stalks 

 of clover are so long drying, that you are apt 

 to lose the heads and leaves, and then the 

 dried stalks are not much better than buck- 

 wheat straw. The pasture is also mucli im- 

 proved by the roots being thickly set. 



Some of our best farmers sow timothy, 

 clover, and orchard grass, on the same field, 

 and some have added herd grass. Frequently 

 the clover is partially killed, or thrown out 

 by the frost, and sometimes the season suits 

 the growth of one kind of grass better than 

 another, so that where several different kinds 

 are sown together, and pretty thickly, it can 

 scarcely fail of being a good crop if the soil is 

 in tolerable order. The true reason for sow- 

 ing grass seed thin is to save expense, as it 

 is generally purchased ; but some liave dis- 

 covered that this course of proceeding is a 

 penny wise and a pound foolish, and are de- 

 termined hereafter to reverse their course, and 

 act according to the dictates of common sense 

 and reason. The crops of grass have won- 

 derfully increased since we liave commenced 

 liming, and particularly so where it has been 

 put on the surface sod as a top-dressing. 

 There is one circumstance in regard to the 

 use of lime that I have not seen noticed in 

 your Cabinet, or elsewhere, in print, and that 

 is, that the color of the soil is rendered much 

 darker by its use, though the lime itself is so 



white. I can't undertake to tell what the 

 reason of this is, but some think that even the 

 change of the color of the earth, to a darker 

 hue, causes it to grow plants more luxuriously 

 by its absorbing more heat, and not reflecting 

 it so readily as a lighter colored soil does. 



The winter grain looks as fine as I have 

 ever seen it, and the sugar-beets are doing 

 well, and, if they are kept clean, will no 

 doubt make a heavy return for the attention 

 bestowed upon them. This is one of the many 

 new crops, which have been tried from time 

 to time, that I think will maintain its reputa- 

 tion among industrious, thriving farmers, who 

 know how to turn their fips into dollars; but 

 the indolent and improvident will desert and 

 decry it, as they do every thing else that 

 causes them to bend their lazy backs. 



The spring wheat has been much destroy- 

 ed by the fly, which the winter wheat has 

 escaped wonderfiilly ; this shows conclusively 

 that the wheat fly deposites its eggs in the 

 spring, as well as in the fall of the year. 



The Indian corn looks well, and has gene- 

 rally been well attended to with the cultiva- 

 tor ; and so does the potatoes, and the citron 

 pumpkins, the seed of which you were so kind 

 as to give me. Fruit is likely to be abun- 

 dant, as well as grain and grass, so that we 

 have much cause for thankfulness to the great 

 Author of all our blessings, who giveth the 

 early and the latter rain. With the best wishes 

 for the success of the Cabinet, I remain T. S. 



Bucks County, July 2d, 1838. 



2.20 

 2.19 

 3.17 

 353 

 3.57 

 6.60 



Quantity of rain which has fallen in each month 

 since January 1, 1838. 

 1st month, 

 2d month, 

 3d month, 

 4th month, 

 5tt) month, 

 6th month, - 

 Philada. July 2, 1838. 



lU'The regular monthly meeting of the Horticultu- 

 ral Society, will be held at the usual place, on Tuesday 

 evening, the 17th instant. 



The meeting of the Asricultural Society will be held 

 in tlie Philosophical Hall, in Fifth street, below Ches- 

 nut, on Wednesday morning, 18th inst., at 11 o'clock. 



THE FARMERS' CABINET, 



A monthly newspaper, is published by 



JOHN LIBBY, No. 45 NORTH SIXTH ST., PHILADELPHIA, ABOVE ARCH ST. 



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The Cabinet is published on or about the fifteenth 

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 One dollar per year, payable in advance. The Cabinet, 

 by the decision of the Post Master General, is subject 



only to newspaper postage: that is, one cent on each 

 number within the stale, and within one hundred miles 

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