THE GENESEE FARMER. 



181 



ANIltALS m THE HIGHWAY. 



The Germantoton Telegraph Bays : "We have 

 beeu long of the opiniou that that there is no power 

 possessed by any borough or township, or even tlie 

 Legislature, to authorize the highways to become 

 public pasture grounds ; that the grass, trees, fruits, 

 miuerals, &c., upon land occupied by a public 

 thoroughfare, and given up only for that purpose — 

 a mere right of way — belong to the original pro- 

 prietor and still owner in fee of the land, as much 

 as that growing upon any part of his enclosed 

 farm. 



From an article in an agricultural journal in the 

 State of New York, by a correspondent, we quote 

 the following paragraph, which completely sus- 

 • tains our views: 



" No town can legalize, by a vote or resolution, the 

 ruuniug at large of animals in highways. The highways 

 belong to the adjacent owners of lands and the grass in 

 them belongs to the owner, and to no other i)eison. Cat- 

 tle are trespassers feeding in the highways, as much as 

 inside of the fences on the farm on the owner of the soil. 

 The public have onlj' the right of way or easement in the 

 highways, and own nothing, soil or trees or grass upon 

 them. It is doubted even, that the Legislature could 

 pass a Constitutional law to allow animals to run at large 

 in the highways. TAey can not take my grass to fe6d the 

 cattle of )iiy neighbors." 



That's it, and we call the attention of all owners 

 of property to the fact. They have the power 

 clearly with them, and if they desire this intoler- 

 able annoyance removed, they have only to com- 

 bine, form township associations, and act — boldly 

 and vigorously. In such event, a single season 

 would be sufficient to ma^e road cattle as scarce as 

 elephants. 



PLOWING T7NDEE GREEN CHOPS FOB MANITEE. 



A COREESPONDENT of the Ncw York Tribune^ 

 residing in the West, relates the following interest- 

 ing experiment: 



" We have plowed under crops of clover for 

 crops of wheat at various times, and always with 

 good results ; but have received more benefit from 

 the tirst crop turned under green, than from both 

 crops turned under when dry. I prefer the green 

 crop of clover to any other dressing for wheat. 

 In tlie summer of 1849 we rolled down and plowed 

 under one acre of oats, when in the milky state, 

 for manure for wheat. On this we sowed two 

 bushels of broom-corn seed, and harrowed well. 

 When the broom-corn attained an average hight 

 of live feet, and as thick on the ground as it could 

 possibly grow to advantage — perhaps, ten tuns or 

 more to the acre — we plowed that under, too, and 

 sowed wheat. On adjoining land in the same field 

 we cut the oats when ripe, fifty busliels per acre, 

 and hauled all off except the stubble. This we 

 plowed under without manure or fertilizer of any 

 kind, and sowed with wheat at the same time as 

 the other. At harvest time, the land, without ma- 

 nure or fertilizers of any kind, had more and bet- 

 ter wheat on it, and larger straw, than the land 

 with the two green crops turned under. We have 

 tried the oat crop alone with the same result. 

 Since that time there has been no perceptible dif- 

 ference in the crops on the two pieces of land, and 

 both have been treated alike." 



This result is a remarkable confirmation of the 

 theory we have so long advocated in regard to the 

 crops we should plow under for the purpose of en- 

 riching the land. That theory is, that the cereals, 

 such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, Indian corn, 

 broom-corn, soi'ghum, timothy grass, &c., abstract 

 'from the soil more ammonia than the crop of straw 

 and grain contains after it is grown. In other 

 words, if we grow a crop of any of these cereals 

 and plow it under, the soil would contain less am- 

 monia than it would if it had been properly sum- 

 mer fallowed. On the other hand, the leguminous 

 plants, such as clover, peas and beans, do. not waste 

 ammonia during their growth. If we grow a crop 

 of clover and plow it under, the ammonia which 

 the plants have abstracted from the soil and re- 

 ceived from rains and the atmosphere, will all b« 

 retained. 



To grow a crop of any of the cereals and plow 

 it under as manure is a most wasteful practice. 



To Measure an Aoee. — We find the following 

 going the rounds. It may be useful to some of our 

 readers : 



"Land, SOJ square yards make 1 square rod; 40 

 square rods made 1 square rood ; 4 square roods, 1 

 acre; 640 acres, 1 square mile; 4,840 square yards, 

 or 160 rods, make 1 acre. In measuring an acre 

 by yards, the usual practice is to trace off 70 yards 

 in length and 70 yards in width. This, in a rough 

 way, may be considered near enough for practical 

 purposes; but as 70 yards either way make 4,900 

 square yards, it exceeds one acre by 60 yards. To 

 determine an accurate acre it may be measured 70 

 yards in length by 69 1-7 yards in width. The 

 same result may be arrived at by measuring 220 

 feet in length, and 198 feet in width, or by mea- 

 suring 73i yards in length by 66 yards in breadth." 



Feeding Grain Pats. — The Maine Farmen says : 

 " We have lately had an opportunity of observ- 

 ing the effects of feeding a small quantity of grain, 

 daily, to sheep, in addition to the best of care, in 

 contrast with poor care and no grain — the hay 

 feed, being in each case, of nearly the same quality. 

 In the former case, the sheep have wintered well, 

 are now in excellent condition, and but one out of 

 a flock of nearly thirty has died. In the latter 

 case, nearly one-fourth of a flock of forty-five 

 have died, add this from no prevailing disease, but 

 from inattention and carelessness on the part of the 

 shepherd, and by not feeding grain. To say no- 

 thing of the loss of the sheep, many of whom 

 would have brought lambs, the better condition of 

 the former flock is sufficient to pay for all the grain 

 consumed, and the extra care given them." 



Flax. — The Worcester County (Mass.) Agricnl- 

 tural Society offers a premium for the best experi- 

 ment in cultivating flax (not less than a half an 

 acre) of $30, and $20 for the second best. 



