1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



131 



efit both Ihe fctrnier and his servant, it ought to be j irrew in tufts, rather than in a thick close sward. 

 ado|)ted. Spade husbandry has been tried, and it , Tliat it can ever be profitably introduced on lands 



is asserted that by it the workiiiir of the land is 

 better pertbrnied, and is much cheaper, than when 

 done by the plou<^h : the tanner could thus give 

 employment to many deserving horieat men, and 

 afl'ord them means to rear their fiimilies in a com- 

 fortable manner. It is, therefore, desirable, that 

 every well meaning man should give his attention 

 to the subject, and endeavor to promote its exten- 

 sion, thus holding out a "helping hand" to those 

 who so much need it. T. C. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 

 ORCHARD GRASS. 



Next to the clovers, red and white, herds grass 

 and timothy, the grass that appears best to repay 

 cultivation in the northern states, is the orchard 

 grass of the north, orcocksibot grass, as it is some- 

 limes called in the middle states. lis valuable qua- 

 lities consist in its early growth, the rapidity with 

 which it ."springs up when fed or cut down, the 

 quantity it produces on light soils, and the cover- 

 ing it affords soils which are apt to suffer after 

 mowing from exposure to the sun. When al- 

 lowed to become old and dry, it does not appear to 

 make as good hay, or be as palatable to horses or 

 other stock, as the first mentioned grasses; indeed, 

 to derive the full benefit of orchard grass, fi-eqnent 

 mowinsr, or constant cropping, is requisite. For a 

 second mowing, or crop of rowen, the orchard 

 grass is unequalled. 



Orchard grass is excellent for sowing with clo- 

 ver on all soils, hut especially on dry ones, as 

 when mown with the oiher it springs up so rapidly 

 as to preserve the clover roots ti'om drying up, as 

 they frequently do, and thus prevents the retarda- 

 tion in growth, or death of the plants, that so oiten 

 ensues. Judge Peters of Pennsylvania, one of 

 the first agriculturists in this country, says, "that 

 on uplands it is preferable to timothy, and that 

 when sown with clover, it endures in uninterrupted 

 vigor and usefulness, when the latter in dry sea- 

 sons is burned or shriveled.''' W. H. Johnson, of 

 the same state, and a practical farmer, says — "^s 

 a pasture grass it is loithoiit arivaV Unlike timo- 

 thy, or herds, or clover, when cut, its growth is one 

 continued effort of vegetation. The new shoot 

 springs immediately out of the blade, and with 

 such a rapidity that I have known in a rich soil, 

 during eleven or twelve days, an average growth 

 of more than an inch per day. Of all the grasses 

 with which 1 am acquainted, it is the first to grow 

 in the sprinir, and continues to flourish the last in 

 the fall. It is soft, sweet and nutritious, and when 

 growing with other grasses, it is observed that 

 stock most generally give it a decided preference. 



We have for a number of )-ears been in the ha- 

 bit of cultivating this grass, and can cheerfully add 

 our testimony to the above statement of its good 

 qualities, and would further add, that, as its name 

 imports, it is superior to any other grass for orch- 

 ards, groves, or fields containing great numbers of 

 shade trees, as under such it flourishes nearly as 

 ^yell as in the open air. The only serious objec- 

 tions we have ever known made to its use were, 

 that by being sown with or without clover, it 

 would form an obstacle to the usual rotation of 



on which it is intended to raise a crop of wheat as 

 often as once in three years, we do not imagine; 

 in such cases, clover, and nothing but clover, should 

 be used, as on this the fertilizing powers of ma- 

 nure and plaster can be most profitably exerted. 

 But there is on almost every farm, fields that can- 

 not and ought not to be subjected to the rotation 

 system, and here the orchard grass may be inval- 

 uable. On farms, too, intended for grazing, the 

 orchard grass will ])rove a most important auxiliary 

 and one which we think will be more valued and 

 appreciated the more it is used and cultivated. 

 The rapidity with which it throws out new leaves 

 after cutting, is almost incredible, and should be 

 witnessed by all who would understand the vege- 

 tative powers of" plants. As to its growing in 

 tufts — this is true, as it is generally sown, but the 

 dillicull}', we think, lies in not having a sufficient 

 quantity of seed put on an acre. If put on thick 

 enough, it grows no more in tufts than the 

 other grasses, and spreads in the same manner. 

 When thinly sown with timothy or clover, it grows 

 so much more rapidly after cutting than the others, 

 that a field necessarily assumes a tufted appear- 

 ance; but this produces no injury whatever, and 

 is indeed beneficial to the grasses with which it is 

 associated. 



Orchard grass seed should be cut rather early, 

 and carefully dried, as otherwise it is apt to fall 

 out and be lost. Where it is intended to be mown, 

 the seed when ripe may be cut clean with a cra- 

 dle, and thus secured, and the bottom then cut 

 with a scythe, as usually performed. The seed is 

 quite light, not often weighing more than 14 or 15 

 pounds to the bushel; and should be sown in still 

 weather, that the action of the winds in unequally 

 scattering it, may be prevented. It has been as- 

 certained that for seed lots, two bushels should be 

 sowed to the acre; and for the scythe or for pasture, 

 the mixture should be one bushel of orchard grass 

 and one of timothy seed, sown either in the 

 spring or fall, and over which should be scattered 

 four quarts of^ clover seed in the month of March. 



G. 



TO PREVENT TIMBER FROM ROTTING. 



[We have published before an account of this im- 

 portant discovery of Mr. Kyan's, but this is a later 

 and, in some respects, a more explanatory statement, 

 — Ed. Far. Reg.] 



from the New Bedford Mercury. 



Mr. Lindsey: — If you think the following de- 

 scription of the method of preserving timber from 

 rot, insects and worms, now universally adopted in 

 England, is of importance to the public, you will 

 confer a favor by giving it an insertion. 



The writer of this is personally acquainted with 

 the ingenious inventor — has attended the lectures 

 in London on the subject, and is satisfied of the 

 elTlcacy of his plan. 



The material employed by the inventor is cor- 

 rosive sublimate, long known as a great preser- 

 vative of animal substances from decay. The 

 timber to be prepared must be placed in a tank or 

 vessel, from 40 to 80 feet long, 4 or 5 feet deep, 

 and about the same width. A solution of the 

 crops adopted in our wheat growing sections, and | corrosive sublimate is then thrown upon it unti! 

 that when sown on our lands) it too frequently i covered; the proportion, according to the inventor, 



