222 '^ Deed without a Name — Preparation of Grass Seed. Vol. III.' 



seed and the time of its coming up, and note 

 all the particular circumstances relative to 

 the cultivation of the different plants, and the 

 results, together with notices of the state of 

 the weather, and every other matter that 

 might be supposed to influence the state or 

 productiveness of the crop. Such a record if 

 correctly and properly kspt, would in a few 

 years furnish a large collection of important 

 and interesting facts, which might confer great 

 benefit, and it would always be a never failing 

 source of amusement and instruction to the 

 person who made it, by promoting habits of 

 reflection and correct observation. 



Abraham. 



*^A Deed ivithout a Name." 



Ilavingderived much useful information from 

 your valuable periodical, the Farmers' Regis- 

 ter, I have thought it the duty of the whole fra- 

 ternity of agriculturists to contribute each his 

 portion of information for the benefit of the 

 rest. Indeed, my mite would have been 

 thrown into the general coffer before this, but 

 for my thorough aversion to placing my proper 

 name to any paper which possibly might get 

 me into difficulty, or which might involve any 

 sort of responsibility. Shall I tell you the 

 r reason 1 A friend of mine gave me a mortal 

 aversion to its vain glorious use. Some sixteen 

 years ago I visited Richmond, and was invited 

 by a gentleman of that city to partake of his 

 good cheer, and being somewhat fond of the 

 good things of this life, I indulged as far as a 

 reasonable man may be supposed to have done. 

 At the winding up of the feast, my friend in- 

 vited me to unite with him in a note for 

 $10,000 at one of the banks, which he would 

 at a proper time redeem. The request was rea- 

 sonable enough — the name a mere matter of 

 form. Besides, it was quite a creditable thing 

 to be the endorser — aye, theendorser of such 

 a good fellow, and one who spoke of thousands 

 as I now do of dollars. Well! sixteen years 

 have passed away — my friend is a bankrupt — 

 his property made over to a favored few : and 

 if you have any curiosity to know who the 

 author of this paper is, on the first discount 

 day in August, a small man, of a sorrowful 

 countenance, wearing a broad brimmed straw 

 Jiat, and riding a gray mare, may be seen on 

 the turnpike, vending his solitary way to Rich- 

 mond to renew this very note. True, it has 

 been clipped a little, but the sum of $;0450 

 still remains due. Can mortal man wonder 

 at my aversion, therefore, to write my name 

 in full on any paper 1 Such is my abhorrence, 

 Mr. Editor, to any unnecessary display of the 

 sort, that in addressing my own dear children, 

 I subscribe myself generally, simply "your 

 father." I know them to be wise, and rely 

 on their knowledge of the old man. 



With these preliminary remarks, I shall 

 proceed to give in my experience as a tiller 

 of the earth. / have marled, Mr. Editor, God 

 be praised, I have marled. Not to the extent 

 of thousands, but a cool hundred or two. Now 

 mark me. In one of my best fields f had a 

 gall, a washed knoll, precisely such a spot as 

 every judicious farmer most sedulously avoids 

 when showing his crop to his neighbors. — 

 Now, sir, one of my first operations with the 

 precious mineral, was to apply it to this knoil 

 or gall. And what suppose you is the conse- 

 quence ? Why, sir, when a neighbor comes 

 to see me, and a walk is proposed, I generally 

 manage to take him by a sort of circumben- 

 dibus, around to this poor despised gall, where, 

 on this 13th of July, the corn is actually tas- 

 seling, and probably will produce six or eight 

 barrels per acre. I could not have believed 

 it on the testimony of others. Mortal man 

 would scarcely believe it. And now, my good 

 sir, when my spirits are depressed, I gene- 

 rally take a walk to look at the corn on the 

 marled land. When the cashier informs me 

 that on such a day my note falls due, I walk 

 to the marled land. If any thing crosses me, 

 there I go, morning, noon, or night. Upon 

 my word, I begin to think marl will cure half 

 the ills of life. My wife says it has prevented 

 the chickens having the gapes. She declares 

 that never had she so little trouble with the 

 young turkeys : and in fact she verily believes 

 the health of the children is greatly improved. 

 All this, my dear sir, she attributes to the 

 marl. And now, sir, I am straining every 

 nerve to fertilize every arable acre of my farm, 

 by its immediate application. An ox cart is 

 generally devoted to this business: and I re- 

 gret that my means will not enable me to 

 apply double the force to this beneficial pur- 

 pose. 



I entreat you not to regard this as an exag- 

 gerated statement. I am incapable of an un- 

 I ruth, or any manner of deception. — Fann- 

 ers^ Register. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



On the Preparation of Orchard Grass Seed 



for Sowing. 



Orchard grass seed is always in the hull or 

 chaff", and is very light, not weighing more 

 than 12 or 14 lbs. per bushel, and if sown 

 without being first wetted, it is very liable to 

 fail though the seed be ever fo good. It is re- 

 commended to spread it out on a floor, and with 

 a watering pot to sprinkle it, and then mix it 

 well with a rake, and then let it lay till the next 

 day, when if necessary it may be ngnin sprin- 

 kled with wiiter, and mixed up well; and before 

 sowing it, mix plaster of Paris with it to bring 

 it to a proper state for sowing. The water 

 and plaster will increase the weight, and 



