171 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



is done, we mnj expect to see a handsome re- 

 venue collected Aoin the importation of wool, or 

 (he agriculli!rist enconrnged to supply our own 

 markets. In either event the benefit redounds 

 to ourselves. 



Yonr Commiltee are apprehensive that the 

 finest and best woolled Sheep have not been of- 

 fered for premium, owing to an erroneous idea 

 in the growers of wool, that the appearance of 

 the animal is as important in the view of the 

 judges, as the tineness of the fleece ; when the 

 fact is, the finest woolled Sheep are often the 

 most ordinary in appearance, and at the same 

 time are the best entitled to the approbation of 

 good judges. It is hoped a reformation in this 

 particular will soon be effected, and the lauda- 

 ble strife will bo who can grow the finest fleece. 

 To this period our manufacturing brethren are 

 looking, with the fond hope that they will be able 

 to vie with the most approved manufactures of 

 the old world. 



The exhibition of sheep has been so excel- 

 lenl, the Committee have found it somewhat 

 difficult to decide to whom the premiums should 

 be awarded '.^pxii, upon diligent examination 

 and comparisaa,.thi^ have come to the conclu- 

 sion, " ,, ■ ^ 



That the premium of jJtlO be avvarded fo Bez- 

 alecl Talt, jr. E;*]. of {'xbridge, for the best 

 Merino Ram ; to feepli Thayer, Esq. of Ux- 

 bridge, for the 2d best, $n; to the Hok. Aaron 

 Tufts, of Dudley, for the four best Merino l^ves, 

 $\0; to the Hon. Salem Town, jr. for the lour 

 next best, g5 ; to Bezalee! Taft, jr. Esq. of Ux- 

 bridge, for the two best Merino Weathers, gl ; 

 to Rejoice Newton, Esq. of Worcester, for the 

 six best Mixed Merino Sheep, $b; to Asa Rice, 

 of Worcester, for the four best Native Sheep, 

 §4 ; to Holland Maynard, of Northborough, for 

 the best Native Ram, ^5. 

 All which is submitted. 



NATHANIEL P. DENNY, per order. 



From the American Farmer. 



GR.\SSES. 

 {Conlinued from p. 163.) 



Long-rooted clover, is a native of Hungary, 

 and I do not think has ever found its way a- 

 cross the Atlantic. The root is biennial, and 

 if sown in the fall, lasts only during the next 

 season. It penetrates to a great depth in the 

 ground, and consequently is but little affected 

 by drought. It, therefore, requires a deep 

 dry soil. The product of this grass, when com- 

 pared to others that are allied to it in habif 

 and place of growth, proves greatly su[)eiior. 

 It affords twice the weight of grass, and more 

 than double the nutritive matter, that is given 

 by the common clover. It gives abundance of 

 seed; and, says, G. Sinclair, '• if the ground be 

 kept clean of weeds, it sows itself, vegetates, 

 and grows rapidly, without covering in, or any 

 operation whatever. Four years it has propa- 

 gated itself in this manner, on the space of 

 ground which it now occupies, and from 

 which this statement of its comparative value is 

 made." This species would, no doubt, prove 

 a valuable acquisition to our husbandry, whether 

 we consider its value for green food, hay, or as 

 a green crop to be turned in preparatory to 

 grain. 



Sai/i Foin is peculiarly adapted to a calcareous 

 ov chalky soil, it is true it is cultivated iu 



Norfolk, Eng. which is a soil of sand and loam, 

 naturally destit\ile of calcareous matter. But 

 it is common, there, to dress their lands with 

 clay marie, which abounds with carbonate of 

 lime ; without which dressing, says Young, 

 Norfolk soils will not grow Sain Foin. This 

 writer considers it " one of the most valuable 

 plants that were ever introduced into (he agri- 

 culture of Great Britain." The well known 

 Mr. Coke cultivates 100 acres of this grass, 

 and sows it without other seeds. Several at- 

 tempts have been made to cultivate sain foin 

 in this country, but hitherto, I believe, without 

 success. 



Timothy. This grass is distinguished in Great- 

 Britain by the name of meadow cuts-tail ; in 

 New England by that of herds-grass. The table 

 shows that it is one of the most valuable grass- 

 es that are cultivated. — and, what is worthy the 

 notice of every farmer, that it affords more than 

 double the nutriment when cut in the seed to what 

 it does in the flower. In tenacious, strong and 

 moist soils, it is entitled to a precedence, perhaps, 

 to any single grass for hay ; yet, for the reasons 

 does not seem to be suitable for mixing with 

 clover seeds, when intended for meadow. Ano- 

 ther consideration which renders it particularly 

 worthy of attention is the seed which it affords, 

 and which may be saved without materially 

 diminishing the ha}' crop. From ten to thirty 

 bushels of seed, may be taken from an acre of 

 timothy, which at the price it now bears, is of 

 itself, a handsome remuncralion. 



Flr.iin, — has of late years been brought into 

 notice ni Great Britain, by the experiments and 

 recommendations of Dr. Richardson; who par- 

 ticularly recommended it for the cold, bog- 

 gy soils of the mountainous districts, where or 

 dinary grasses would not thrive. The peculiar 

 value of the tiorin, and of other grasses of the 

 agrostis family, arise .rom their fitness for win- 

 ter pasture : as they lose very little of their 

 bulk or nutriment by remaining on the soil at'ler 

 they have ceased to grow. Its name [creeping 

 bent, or couch n-cos.'!)implies a difficulty in mow- 

 ing it, except on a surface perfectly sinooth. 

 We have seen it frequently recommended to 

 the notice of American farmers ; but from the 

 very limited progress which seems to have 

 been made in its cultivation, we infer that it 

 has fallen short of public expectation. 



Upright bent grass. Dr. Wuhlenburgh consid- 

 ers this the herds-grass of the southern, and the 

 foul meadow of the eastern states of which 

 Ti-hitc-top and red-top are varieties. The small 

 weight of hay, and of nutritive matter, afforded 

 by the agrostis stricta in the table before us, 

 shows that this grass is more congenial to our 

 climate than to that of England : for, in both 

 quantity and quality, our foul meadow and red- 

 top seem to approach our favorite timothy. In 

 my boggy soils, both varieties of this grass 

 have come in spontaneously, as soon as the 

 ground has been cleared and drained, have 

 soon formed a compact sod, and afl'orded gooil 

 hay and good pasture. 



Jlmerican Cocks foot, is wholly unknown to 

 tne ; and I have not been able to learn much 

 from enquiry as to its merits. M"Mahon calls 

 it the si<;ump cock's-fbot ; and says it grows well 

 in swamps and moist soils. As it is a native 

 grass, and appears to afford an abundant crop, 

 it is to be hoped that someone acquainted with 

 it will bring it into further notice. 



Flat stalked meadow grass. This, accordirt 

 to Muhlenburgh, is the blue grass which is cc* 

 sidered a pest in many of our tillage groun» 

 The small crop which it gives, and the littj 

 nutritive matter which this affords, shows tK 

 little dependence which ought to be placed ui 

 on it for grazing or hay. 



Reed meadow grass, otherwise water meadi 

 grass, is not natural to our country. As 

 affords a great burthen of hay, and is withi 

 rich in nutriment, it might be a valuable acql 

 sition to our swamp grounds, which constili] 

 its favorite soil. 



Sinooth stalked meadow grass, is a native plant 

 and is well adapted for permanent pastures 

 grows quick after being cropped, and does wol 

 upon dry grasses. 



Floating Fescue grows well in swamps 

 bog soils, where good kinds are most wanfin| 



I would suggest, with much deference, w hefli 

 er grasses may not be divided for the practice 

 benefit of farmers, into three kinds, to wit.- 

 Cultivnted grasses, meadow grasses, and pastur 

 grasses ; — and whether these may not be agai' 

 subdivided to suit different soils and localities 

 I will illustrate my project, by attempting 

 classification, of the grasses enumerated in thi 

 preceding table, from the data which it affordf 

 and the practice of judicious farmers; — and 



1st. Ctdtivated grasses. All kinds, strict!' 

 speaking, which the soil does not produce ?poB 

 tanenusly, are cultivated grasses : But tit;' it-ni) 

 as generally used, and in the sense I li.'ie om 

 ploy it, applies only to such as are sown lo of 

 fernate with grain, pulse and roots, in a si/stitnul 

 ic rotation of crops. The grasses selected ft; 

 this purpose, are generally the Red-clovers, Ij 

 cern, oain Foin, Orchard, Tall oat, Timotl^ 

 or Rye grass. Clover is the primary depp&i 

 ance on all soils which will grow it, and jiarti 

 iilarly where gypsum can exercise its magii 

 powers. As vegetables are said lo exhau«t ihi 

 soil, in proportion to the smallness of thei 

 leaves (the larger their leaves, the more nutri 

 ment they draw from the atmosphere, and Ijii 

 less from the soil) clovers are entitled to tJK 

 high commendation they have obtained amoils 

 American farmers. But as these plants m 

 liable to premature destruction by the frosts cl 

 winter, it is both prudent and wise lo intermii 

 with their seeds those of some other grass more 

 to be depended on. For this purpose, 



0;i sands, loams, and gravels, and these conlti- 

 lute the soils usually employed in convertible 

 husbandry, the orchard grass, or tall meadon 

 oat grass appear to be best calculated fo ensuK 

 profit. They grow early, delight in a clover 

 soil, and are fit for the scythe when clover ia b 

 the bloom, the time it ought to be cut. The 

 hay from Ibis mixture may be made before 

 harvest commences; and, if the soil is good,! 

 second crop may be cut almost equal to the tinl 

 If intended for i)asture the second year, either 

 of these grasses will afford more abundant food 

 than timothy. 



In clays, the meadow fox-tail, an excellent 

 grass, might be substituted, though, according 

 to Sinclair the tall oat grass will do well here 

 also. In wet soils, where clovers do not gro» 

 well, timothy and meadow reed grass would bf 

 good selection, sown either separate or together 

 Lucern and sain loin require a deep dry soil, 

 and are generally sown without other seeds 

 The first does not attain to perfection before 



