1837.J 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



697 



bloom the second year, when if the crop be heavy, 

 there will be more clover than the plough can well 

 turn under. It will then not be bad management 

 to permit yours^tock to derive the benefit. Sheep 

 and hogs injure less than horses and cows. I will 

 sugixest to you that all good managers sow clover 

 to improve their Jands, and not lor the purpose of 

 grazing. 



It will readily be perceived by you all, that the 

 old three-shift (or land killing) system, must be 

 abandoned; for with less than tour shifts, the 

 clover husbandry ought not be attempted. Five 

 shiiis is much better — but with those who lack 

 surface commensurate with their operating force, 

 by forming ffrazing lots of from two to lour acres 

 each, according to circumstances, upon lands 

 adapted to grass, and sown with rrreensward, 

 orchard, and herdsirrass — as difierent grasses mix- 

 ed, succeed best in forming the strongest and 

 most diirable turf to resist hoof and tooth, under 

 annual grazing. Twelve acres in such lots, well 

 sotliled with these grasses, will keep more stock 

 than a connnon hundred acre grain field : say six 

 lots of two acres each ; three are to be under 

 grazing at the same time ; when eaten down, 

 turn in upon the other three ; when they are con- 

 sumed, the first three will again afford a (rood bite. 

 These lots can be enclosed by hurdles, sufficient for 

 three lots, by removal as you change j'our stock, 

 and may be kept up for a series of years, by cutting 

 the turf every three or four years with a coulter 

 plough, and an annual dressing of plaster, with a 

 top dressing of manure occasionally. With the aid 

 of such lots, the four-shift system can be made to 

 answer tolerably well. Five shifts, I prefer to a 

 greater number — for experience and observation 

 teach me to believe that our lands will require a 

 hoe crop to cleanse them every fifth year. If 

 permitted to lie longer, they become foul and 

 wormy, and overrun and infested with sassafi-as, 

 locust, briers, sorrel, blue thistle, and St. John's 

 wort, &c. requiring great labor in shrubbing and 

 preparing the ground to receive a crop. 



Clover hay I consider equal if not superior to 

 any other kind of hay, and readily made in fair 

 weather. A very common error in curing it, is 

 exposing it too long in the sun, which parches up 

 the leaves and makes the hay poor. It is better 

 to sun Jess, turn it every hour so as to make a 

 fresh exposure to the sun through the day — at 

 night, betbre the dew falls, cock it up in convenient 

 hand stacks, there let it remain two fair days, 

 and it will be cured b}- its own heat and the air, 

 when it ought to be hauled in, and if any part be 

 not sufficiently cured to keep, a little exposure up- 

 on the yard will make it sale to place away in the 

 hay house, or in a rick — if the latter, it should be 

 sloped off like the roof of a house, and covered with 

 straw or top fodder — otherwise, the hay will sustain 

 damage by rains. I estimate a quantity of well 

 cured clover hay equal to the like quantity of 

 sheaf oats, especially if cut, as the oats usually 

 are, and ought always to be. Hay when cut like 

 oats, is less subject to waste — the stock eat it bet- 

 ter, and derive additional nutriment, perhaps, 

 equal to 10 per cent. It is admitted by the best 

 farmers, that oats make a hasty and heavy draft 

 upon land, and that clover is an ameliorating crop, 

 drawing much less from the land, growing and 

 sustaining itself upon atmospheric air and mois- 

 ture, and known to be the greatest improver in 



Vol. IV-.88 



the whole vegetable kingdom. It would then 

 seem to be good economy to lessen the oat crop, 



and substitute clover hay. 



The manner of p-lanting and cultivating corn ia 

 believed to be well understood, consequently I 

 shall be brief upon this subject. There is no doubt 

 that one stalk of corn will grow better by itself 

 than two stalks together ; from which it may be 

 inferred that it is best to drill, upon lands of every 

 quality. 1 think otherwise; and will advise that 

 such lands as will produce 20 bushels, and up- 

 wards, to the acre, only, should be drilled, except- 

 ing hill side land, regardless of quality, should 

 always be drilled in a horizontal direction, lo pre- 

 vent washing ; and leaving your |)lants asunder 

 in the drill, according to the strength of the soil, 

 from nine inches lo two feet and a half. Upon 

 lands a grade lower in tilth, I would plant and cul- 

 tivate three feet six inches each way, which is aa 

 near as can be conveniently ploughed. And upon 

 lands a grade lower in (juality, four feet each way, 

 and in both cases, a sinule stalk. In planting 

 corn in drills, I advise that the beds be opened 

 deep, and the corn planted as deep in the bed as 

 the surface soil. A higher elevation, near the top 

 of the bed, greatly exposes it to want of moisture 

 in dry seasons, and much more liable to blow 

 down in stormy weather. To drill the whole crop 

 of corn, does not suit tobacco growers, as it re- 

 quires much more hand hoeing, and at a season 

 when you are busy putiino; up tobacco hills and 

 planting tobacco. Ashes is a most valuable ma- 

 nure for corn ; a pint of which, put underneath 

 your corn in planting, and a little earth drawn 

 over the ashes belore dropping the corn, I believe, 

 upon old exhausted land, will increase the crop 

 one-third in quantity. As to the efi'ect of common 

 manure you are all well informed. Corn land 

 should always be harrowed down before planting, 

 which working is as valuable as a [iloughing after 

 the corn is up. In the first place, it prepares your 

 laud to receive the seed corn, and in the next 

 place it destroys a young crop of grass and weeds, 

 which will permit you to delay the first ploughing, 

 and consequently the second, without injury to 

 your corn, and enable you to embrace the whole 

 grass-growing season, and make good corn with 

 fwo pioughings, which if well done, and done at 

 the right time, no more ploughing will be required; 

 the cultivator then, will destroy a young crop oi' 

 grass, and level down your land in good condition 

 for seeding vvheat. From experience I am of 

 the opinion that seed corn should be saved fi'om 

 stalks that have produced two ears. Whether it 

 be sex or not, I cannot say, but have observed it is 

 most apt to produce its like, and that likeness in- 

 creases as you continue the process. 



iVly plan to prevent crows and blackbirds from 

 pulling up the corn, is to soak the seed corn in 

 copperas u'ater, made strong — to remain in it till 

 the grain is somewhat swelled and turned black. 

 It is thus rendered obnoxious to those birds, and 

 vegetation greatly expedited. I consider this 

 method preferable to tarring corn, which, if smear- 

 ed entirely over the grain, makes it impervious to 

 moisture, which will cause it to rot, instead of 

 sprouting. 



I advise a change of grain for set\] about eve- 

 ry seven years; but an exchange vvilb neiir-hhors, 

 cultivating the same kind of land, will not Hilly 

 answer the purpose; a change of seed should be 



