234 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



been used lor mnnure than in all the other stat^, 

 a much smaller quantity has been found sufh- 

 cient than is frequently applied in England 

 and Scotland, probably owing to Hie greater 

 porti'm of calcareous matter contained in the 

 limestone used in this country. Thus though 

 lime might he dearer here, in proportion to its 

 bulk than in Great-Britain, it might be cheaper 

 as a manure on account of its superior strength, 

 or in other words, the greater portion of pure 

 lime in our limestones. If twenty, thirty or 

 forty bushels of lime applied to an acre will pro- 

 duce a great and permanent improvement in 

 the constitution of the soil, and contribute by 

 its solvent powers to render animal and vegeta- 

 ble manures more efficacious, then lime may 

 prove one of the most effectual modes of 

 enriching our lands. 



Gypsum or Plaster of Paris. This mineral 

 has in many parts of our country produced a 

 wonderful effect, and contributed perhaps niore 

 than any other cause to the improvement of ag- 

 riculture in those places. It is supposed that 

 near the sea coast it has little or no effect, and 

 has in some instances been tried without success. 

 It appears to me that further trials are desirable. 

 It is a manure so cheap, so small a quantity as 

 one or two bushels being sufficient for an acre, 

 has produced such great crops elsewhere, that 

 it seems expedient to make additional experi- 

 ments to ascertain whether it may not be bene- 

 ficial for some kinds of soil in our county, or 

 perhaps for some particular crops. The rea- 

 son assigned by that eminent chemist, Sir Hum- 

 phrey Davy, why gypsum produces little or no 

 effect on some soils, that those soils probably 

 contain it already in sufficient quantities, docs not 

 appear satisfactory. The mode in which it op- 

 erates is not well understood, but if our soils al- 

 ready contain gypsum enough, why does it not 

 display its powers in the production oi' g:ood 

 crops here as well as in the lands in Pennsylva- 

 nia and on Connecticut River; The experi- 

 ment should be made on light sandy soils, or on 

 a dry loam. On clay or on wet soils, gypsum 

 itis^aid does not succeed. 



fiand and clay operate as manures for each 

 other. Where there is an excess of sand in the 

 soil, clay is one of the most beneficial manures, 

 and on the other hand, where there is an excess 

 of clay, it is remedied by the application of 

 sand. The improvement of the soil in these 

 cases is lasting, and not like that produced by 

 vegetable and animal manures exhausted after 

 a few crops. A permanent change is produced 

 in the texture and constitution of the soil, it be- 

 comes better adapted for the reception of ma- 

 nures of a different kind, and will render them 

 much more efficacious. 



In this county, from the dryness of the atmos- 

 phere, and the nature of our soil, we suffer 

 more from dry seasons than wet ones. But a 

 small proportion of our lands require draining 

 for tillage, and especially tor grass. There are 

 however some tracts of land in various parts of 

 the county, which must be drained to be pro- 

 ductive. These are often composed of rich 

 earth, washed in a long course of years from 

 the higher lands adjacent, and of vegetable 

 matter the accumulated product of centuries 

 and if rendered sufficiently dry, would probably 

 produce large crops. It is well known to every 

 practical farmer, that the tirst requisite to the 

 successful cultivation of such lands, is to lay 



them dry, that till this is done labor, tillage,! 

 manures, aud all efforts to render suth land pro- 

 ductive, will be in a great measure fruitless. 

 The tacilly of draining here is generally much 

 greater than in England, and it will seldom be 

 necessary to resort to the covered drains so 

 common in that country, and so expensive. 



An essential requisite of good husbandry is, 

 that the soil should be kept free from weeds. 

 In this particular there are among us great de- 

 ficiencies. We are the less excusable in not 

 keeping our lands free from weeds as we have 

 one crop which is peculiarly favorable to that 

 object, I mean Indian corn or maize. This a- 

 lone gives us a great advantage over those 

 countries where it is not cultivated, that is over 

 almost all Europe. Perhaps we are not fully 

 aware of the value of this noble plant. The 

 celebrated Arthur Young considers it as the 

 test of a good climate for agriculture. Id 

 Great-Britain and the larger part of France, 

 it will not come to maturity, the climate is too 

 cold. In the south of France and in some part?, 

 of Italy it is cultivated to a considerable extenl. 

 Mr. Young says, the only good husbandry he 

 found in France was in those districts wheiie 

 maize was produced. Wherever this plant 

 was cultivated, there was an abundant supply 

 of food for man and for domestic animals. 



Our soil and climate are well adapted to thp 

 growth of maize. It produces a much larger 

 quantity of food on the same space, than an^- 

 other kind ot grain ; forty, fifty, sixty bushels 

 an acre, are not an uncommon crop, and several 

 experiments shew, that one hundred bushels miy 

 be obtained in ordinary seasons, from a single 

 acre. The stalks and husks afford a nutritive 

 food for cattle equal on an acre to half a ton of 

 hay, when the corn is good. 



It affords an excellent opportunity for enriching 

 land, so that no manure may be lost by evapora- 

 tion. All kinds of manure, animal, vegetable, or 

 mineral, and in any condition if turned under the 

 soil are benficial, snd may be applied without 

 danger. I mentioned it in the first instance as a 

 clean crop, that is a crop that enables the farmer 

 to keep his land free from weeds, and prepare it 

 for another. In England where turnips and beans 

 are used as crops for cleaning land, the value 

 of the crop is much less than that of Indian corn, 

 and the expense of cultivaton much greater. 

 In order to obtain the full benefit from the 

 cultivation of this crop, the land should not only 

 be rich, but kept entirely free from weeds. 

 The propriety of doing this is so obvious ttiat, 

 the remark may seem unnecessary, yet if we 

 take a survey of the cornfields in this county, I 

 apprehend we shall find frequent violations ot 

 this rule. In many instances, after waging a 

 warfare during tlie season, the weeds have final- 

 ly obtained the ascendency, their seeds have 

 been allowed to come to maturity, and prepare 

 the soil for a still more abundant crop of weeds 

 the ensuing year. From the appearance of 

 some fields in tillage, it might be imagined, 

 that the object of the farmer was to bestow 

 just so much cultivation as should produce a 

 plentiful crop of weeds, who, as if they had a 

 right as being the original occupants of the soil, 

 are allowed to retain possession and repel any in- 

 truders. By allowing weeds to remain till 

 their innumerable seeds ripen, we not onlj in- 

 jure ourselves but our neighbors. The heavier 

 seeds intrude upon their frontiers, and the wing- 



ed kinds matured in our neglected grounds 

 the air like the noxious locusts of other reg 

 an<l either choke the crops of our neighl 

 or make work ior their hoes. 



Our soil is well adapled to grass, both 

 pasturage and mowing land, and the clima 

 generally very favorable for making hay. 

 the vicinity of large towns, few crops are r 

 profitable than grass, and few are obtained 

 so much ease. So long as lands thus situ 

 will produce a good crop of grass, perhaps 

 general rule it is not expedient to apply 

 to any other use. But most of our mc 

 lands fiiil in a few years, and becomes necessa 

 break them up for tillage, and on almost e 

 farm of any magnitude it is necessary to com 

 tillage and grass husbandry, in order to keep 

 land in good condition. The laying of l.^n 

 grass is an important part of the farmer's I 

 ness. Tlie two grasses, whose seed is comi 

 ly sown, clover and herds grass, are both g 

 but it might be expedient to try other k 

 especially in laying down pasture lands 

 pasture as well as mowing lands were all 

 laid to grass in a rich condition, with plent_ 

 the kinds of seed adapled to the soil many 

 tures would produce double the quantity 

 do at present, and be also if) a belter state 

 tillage when broken up. But no farmer sh 

 put his plough into grass land unless alte 

 course of crops in tillage he c«n lay it to g 

 in a condition at least as good as it was bel 



In ploughing hilly land it is very imperial 

 prevent the soil from being washed away 

 rains. Much injury has been done to lan( 

 this description, by the wasting effect of r; 

 the land gullied the vegetable mould and i 

 est earth washed away, and the soil either i 

 trievably injured, or to such a degree, tha 

 fertility could be restored only at a great 

 pense. The method of horizontal plotlg 

 praclised in some parts of Virginia, seems 

 most effectual security against this evil. 



As an instance of what may he done by at 

 live, and skilful farmer, I will mention the 

 of that celebra»ed English farmer, Robert B; 

 well. Mr. Baki;well was a tenant occupyii 

 farm of four hutdred and forty acres, about 

 fourth arable, and the rest grass. On thisf; 

 and from the pioduce of it, he kept one I 

 dred and fifty homed cattle, four hundred shi 

 and sixty horses. These animals were all \ 

 fed, in an excellent condition, and mani 

 them the best animsls of the kind in the k 

 dom. Mr. Young, who visited this farm, 

 who gives this account of it, says, " the co 

 were all as fat as bears." If the live stock t 

 farm of one hundred acres were in the s< 

 proportion, there would 'ge thirty four neat 

 tie, ninety sheep, and fourteen horses. 1 

 was undoubtedly an extraor-linary instance, 

 it proves how productive the soil may be i 

 dered by judicious cultivation. 



I am of opinion that by skilfu\ managemi 

 it is practicable to keep a farm in a condilioi 

 constant improvement for an indefinite time 

 render it from year to year, the season be 

 equally good, more productive ; — and that i 

 may he done from the resources of the fa' 

 without any great expense in the purchase 

 materials to enrich it from abroad. Among' 

 means necessary tor this purpose, would be 1 

 prebend, a due proportion of grass, and tilli 

 husbandry, making as much manure as possi 



