,82 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



SEPT. 14, 1848. 



# 



For llie N. E. Fanner. 



SEEDING ON GREKN-SWARD FURROWS. 



Mr Pctptam — In yoTir paper of the 31st of Au- 

 gust, there is an inquiry, in what part of the State 

 the experiment lias been maje of eeedinrr on green- 

 sward furrows, and how the farmers liked the prac- 

 tice. We are disposed to give " Esse.v" informa- 

 tion concerning our experience and practice, with- 

 out participating at all in the dispute wliether this 

 be old or new husbandry. 



Some twenty or twentyfive years since, the wri- 

 ter was told that Mr Z. Estis, of Hanover, practiced 

 plowing sward-bound fields, manuring and seed- 

 ing with grass, without any intervening crop. The 

 first suggestion of such a course was sufficient in- 

 ducement to make an experiment, as much fruitless 

 labor and expense had been given in attempts to 

 raise gram crops on cold and clayey soils. Every 

 experiment made has been attended with very sat- 

 isfactory results. There is no loss of crop in the 

 course, and yet most of the purposes of naked fal- 

 low are fiilly accomplished. The gradual dissolv-. 

 ing of the sod prevents the soil from tailing into 

 too compact a state, (a common evil on low lands,) 

 and imparts nourishment for many years to the new 

 grass. We have a field which was plowed and 

 seeded irt August, 1825: it has not been very fre- 

 quently or copiously dressed with manure, and is 

 still in better condition than mowing fields gener- 

 ally. Another field, seeded twelve years ago, and 

 dressed once in two years, produced this year a 

 very large first crop and a second is now ready for 

 mowing. This practice is worthy of all commen- 

 dation on land not suited to grain crops. Where 

 Indian corn would be likely to grow well, we 

 should think it a more economical and better course 

 to plow in the spring, apply manure, plant with 

 corn, cultivate with a level surface, and sow grass 

 seed at the last hoeing. 



" Essex" seems disposed to l)]aiiie farmers for 

 neglect in communicating to the public, if the sys- 

 tem concerning which he inquires, has been pur- 

 sued " fur a long course of years." Remissness in 

 communication is no doubt an easily besetting sin, 

 Rnd the writer will not deny that it sometimes lies 

 at his door; but on this subject there is no con- 

 sciousness of any improper reserve on his part; — 

 all suitable occasions have been -embraced to di- 

 rect the attention of fanners to a practice so inti- 

 mately connected with their interest and prosperi- 

 ty. All practicable publieity has been given to 

 views entertained on the subject. In an account 

 of the cultivation of the writer's farm, which was 

 published in the N. E. Farmer, vol. x., page 300, 

 this practice was mentioned as part of the system 

 pursued. In the county of Plymouth, the practice 

 has not been extended proportionate to its utility ; 

 but we have the satisfaction of seeing a good num- 

 ber of farmers every year adopting it, and where 

 one experiment has been fairly made on a farm, an 

 intelligent owner will be very certain to repeat it. 



Pemb,oke,Sept. 2d., 1842. JM. ALLEN. 



This communication induced us to turn to the 

 back volume where Mr Allen detailed his modes 

 of farming, and we found a part of his account so 

 full of instruction that may be valuable to many 

 of our readers, that we make no apology for repub- 

 lishing it. — Ed. 

 To the Trustees of the Mass. AgricuUural Society : 



" Gentlemen — Situated at a distance from any 

 considerable market town, it would be absurd in 



me to think of entering into competition in the ag- 

 gregate amount of crops, with farmers in the vici- 

 nity of the city, where manure is attainable to any 

 desired extent. On the supposition, that the man- 

 agement of farms is judged in reference to local 

 advantages and inconveniences, my hope is found- 

 ed of sustaining a claim to a premium. There 

 have never been any very great improvements made 

 on my farm in any one year. The object has been 

 yearly to add something more in earthly and vege- 

 table substances to the fields, than was taken from 

 them in the removal of crops. To give a just idea 

 of improvements made, a brief history of the opera- 

 tions may be necessary. 



My first purchase of land was in 1802 — fifteen 

 acres; the greater part of which was in a very 

 rough state, and, as much of it had been tilled, re- 

 duced by severe cropping. The rocks were remov- 

 ed to enclose the lots, and the bushes subdued with 

 the plow, as fast as necessary means could be ob- 

 tained for accomplishing those objects; the pro- 

 gress was not rapid in the beginning, because, be- 

 ing entirely destitute of capital, I was obliged, in 

 seaman's phrase, to ' work my passage.' 



" When the fields were enclosed with walls and 

 the bushes subdued, attention was directed to the 

 pints which had been tilled almost to exhaustion. 

 And the principal means of renewing them within 

 my power, was the incorporation of earths of diffe- 

 rent qualities. Cold and tenacious soils were 

 dressed with silicious earth and other materials 

 that tended to open and warm them. Sandy soils 

 were dressed with clay, swaiiip mud, and alluvions 

 in which sand formed the least considerable part. 

 This course, in seven years, gave ten tons of Eng- 

 lish hay where less than two were obtained before, 

 and about double the quantity of grain on the acre. 

 In 1817, another lot of sixteen acres, a large 

 portion of it in a similar state with the first, was 

 purchased and managed in the same way. About 

 the same time were purchased seven acres of fresh 

 meadow ; on which no other improvements have 

 been made than clearing away bushes, tunnelling 

 and cutting ditches in such directions as would ir- 

 rigate the whole meadow. Another small lot was 

 enclosed from a pasture in 1820, and has since been 

 cultivated as English meadow and tillage. Four 

 acres of the above lots are light sandy soils ; six 

 acres hazpl loam, suitable for grain or grass ; five 

 acres dark friable soil ; fifteen acres argillaceous ; 

 and ten acres of irrigated fresh meadow. Seven 

 acres were planted with Indian corn the present 

 year — three acres of loam and four acres of sandy 

 soil. On one acre of the loam about six cords of 

 barn manure were spread and plowed in ; on anoth- 

 er acre, where in other years meadow mud had 

 been applied, six casks of lime were spread ; on 

 the other fields, which produced rye the preceding 

 year, there was no application. The corn was 

 planted in drills: this method has been in practice 

 on the farm more than twenty years, and is in my 

 judgment preferable to any other. The corn was 

 harvested between 90th September and 20th Octo- 

 ber. Weight of the whole crop, 22,381 pounds — 

 208 31-75 bushels. The same field the preceding 

 year, produced 120 bushels of rye. The present 

 year there were only about two acres in rye, and 

 the produce was 25 bushels. 



" There are nine acres in tillage, alternately 

 planted with corn and rye, excepting once in five 

 or six years each field is planted with potatoes, 

 beans, or some other vegetable considered favora- 

 ble as a change from the ordinary course. The 



s 



stubble of rye is plowed in, immediately after th 

 removal of the crop, and some kind of seed applie 

 to produce herbage to bo plowed in as green dress 

 ing. Potatoes this year were planted only on thr 

 borders of cornfields, under trees, and in other sit; 

 ations where not much produce could be expecte< 

 — eighty bushels were gathered. From two hun 

 dreii to three hundred has been the average cro 

 in the last four years. No other roots are culti 

 vated except in the kitchen garden. Thirtytw 

 acres are mowed, twenty of which have been plow- 

 ed and will produce good English hay in commo 

 seasons, with liboial manuring; but a successio 

 of wet seasons has introduced on a part of it S' 

 much wild grass, that the hay is not now suitabh 

 for the market, though good stock hay. There an 

 ten acres of irrigated land, as above mentioned, am 

 two acres of fresh meadow over which the wate 

 does not often pass. The hay was located befori 

 the offer of premium was published, in such man 

 ner that it is impossible for me to ascertain witl 

 accuracy the quantity. Some of it was placed it 

 barns with old hay, and some of it sold in the field. 

 The crop of hay has varied very little for four years- rf 

 yet supposed to have gradually increased. Ii 

 1827, the whole crop was measured in the mow ir 

 September, after it was thoroughly settled. Foui 

 cords of English hay were considered equal to 8 

 ton, and five cords of fresh. According to thai 

 measurement, there were thirtythree and tliree quar- 

 ter tons of first quality, or good English hay ; ten 

 tons of second quality; and fourteen and two fifths 

 tons fresh hay. Five acres then mowed are now 

 in tillage. From two to three tons of second crop 

 are annually cut, in situations where it is not con- 

 venient for cattle to feed. 



"Compost manure, made with reference to the 

 quality of the soil where it is to be applied, is every 

 year spread on the mowing land. Sand is made a 

 principal ingredient of compost for clayey soils, and 

 swamp mud or clay for loose soils. From three 

 to five hundred loads, forty bushels in the load, are 

 made in a year and applied chiefly in autumn, not 

 so much for choice as necessity, there being no 

 other season of sufficient leisure to accomplish the 

 work. In laying down tilled land to grass, I 

 choose to sow the seed about the last week in Aii- 

 gu.st and put no arain with it ; but any time in iUe 

 month of September will do belter than either of 

 the spring months ; and if sown with winter ryi', 

 it will do better than with spring grain. The clay- 

 ey soils which are not suitable for grain, I some- 

 times turn over with the plow immediately after the 

 grass is cut, roll down the furrows, and put on a 

 dressing of manure and seed again. In this course 

 cultivated grass is renewed without the loss of any 

 crop. I use chiefly herds grass seed, and put one 

 fourth of a bushel on an acre. 



" I have forty acres of pastures of a light soil, and 

 in the possession of other owners, it was alternate- 

 ly tilled and pastured in so quick succession, that 

 only very small crops of corn or rye can now be 

 obtained. The number of acres discouraged me 

 from attempting to renew it in my usual way of 

 mixing soils ; and therefore a plan is formed to re- 

 new it in the operations of nature. Last spring, a 

 field of between two and three acres was fenced, 

 plowed, and sowed with the seed of the yellow lo- 

 cust tree. The seed came up well, and the most 

 thrifty of the young trees are now three and a half 

 feet high. If the worms should not oppose me, 

 there will probably be a very flourishing grove, 

 which in a few years will efl'ectuaily recruit the 



