NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



85 



"Another abuse injurious to agriculture is the 

 contempt cast upon the husbandman. The inhabi- 

 tants of cities, even the most servile artist, and the 

 most lazy citizens, consider him that cultivates the 

 earth with a disdainful eye; they humble and dis- 

 courage him; they dare to despise a profession that 

 feeds the human race — the natural employment of 

 man. A little insignificant story-makei, or a tai- 

 lor, places far beneath him the beloved employment 

 of the first consuls and dictators of Rome ! China 

 has wisely prevented this abuse; agriculture is 

 there held in honor; and to preserve this happy 

 manner of thinking, every year, on a solemn day, 

 the emperor himself, followed by his whole court, 

 sets his hand to the plough and mows a small piece 

 of land. Hence, China is the best cultivated coun- 

 try in the world; it nourishes an innumerable mul- 

 titude of people, that at first appears to the travel- 

 ler too great for the space they possess." 



D. w. L. 



For the New England Fnriner. 

 CULTIVATION OF GRASSES. 



Mr. Editor: — When I saw the subject an- 

 nounced for discussion this evening, I cast my 

 thoughts about for some ideas pertinent to the sub- 

 ject. I presume you have had many more perti- 

 nent offered — but as it is the duty of every one to 

 throw in his mite, I give you mine, with liberty to 

 use more or less of it, as you may think proper. It 

 contains nothing new — but it may present some 

 views that have not occurred to every one. A child 

 will sometimes propose questions that wuU puzzle 

 learned doctors to answer. 



The cultivation of the grasses occupies a large 

 portion of the farmer's labor in Massachusetts. Any 

 increase of quantity with less labor, would be an 

 object quite desirable. On rich soils properly 

 managed, there is no difficulty in securing abund- 

 ant crops; generally proportioned to the manure 

 applied. The question is, how can good crops be 

 secured on shallow or moderately rich soils. 



A striking instance of successful culture of this 

 class came under my observation, within the last 

 ten years, on the farm of the late D. P. King. The 

 field referred to was situated on a plain adjoining 

 an extensive peat meadow. Mr. King adopted Mr. 

 Phinney's mode of turning over the sod in autumn, 

 applying a full coating of compost manure, and 

 then by the harrow and roller, inserting the seed in 

 autumn. After several repetitions of this mode of 

 culture, he found his best mowing land on this shal- 

 low soil. On land that used to yield a crop scarce- 

 ly worth cutting, he mowed about two tons to the 

 acre. I mention this as an experiment worthy of 

 notice, and one affording encouragement to those 

 who are under the necessity of cultivating soils of 

 ordinary quality — such is more than half the mow- 

 ing lands that come within our observation. Mr. 

 King was better satisfied with this experiment 

 than any other on his farm. 



Perhaps there is no part of the earth, where 

 more attention is paid to the cultivation of grass 

 than in some parts of Essex county. It has come 

 to my knowledge from careful inquiry, that 200 

 tons of hay are usually brought to the Boston mar- 

 ket, by the teamsters of Ipswich. It maybe that 

 other neighborhoods yield as much, but I am not 

 informed of any that does. It is an object with 

 those that grow this grass, to keep their lands as 



constantly in a condition to be mowed as possible. 

 For this purpose, it has been piactised by .some, to 

 harrow the land after the grass is mown; and sow 

 a new crop of seed without disturbing the sod. 

 How far this practice has succeeded, I am not ad- 

 vised — I know it has been tried. I have known 

 other attempts to encourage the growth of the grass, 

 by the use of a subsoil florigh, by stirring the soil 

 without turning it over; and then applying a top 

 dressing of compost manure. That such an exper- 

 iment may be benefit>ial, done under favorable cir- 

 cunustances, I have good reason to believe. For 

 those who wish to keep their lands constantly in 

 grass, it may be worthy of attention. Some of our 

 best products of hay are obtained from the lands 

 near the sea shore, where material is collected 

 from the beach, and spread green upon the land. 

 The effect of such dressings upon moist lands, is to 

 produce a constant succession of abundant crops — 

 say from 2 to 3 tons per acre, in favorable seasons. 



Perhaps there is no part of farm labor that de- 

 mands more attention, than the reviving of the 

 feed of pastures. Ordinarily, 4 or 5 acres of pas- 

 ture land are appropriated to the feed of a single 

 cow — when with a little attention, one-half this 

 quantity would support them better. A .striking 

 instance of this kind has come within my notice, on 

 the farm of Mr. John Stone, Jr., of Marblehead, 

 who fed 4 cows on 5 acres, yielding an average 

 produce of 1 1-2 pounds of butter per day, to each 

 cow, for a period of three months. A particular 

 statement of this dairy may be found in the trans- 

 actions of the Essex Society for 1849 — from which, 

 as well as from all other experiments by Mr. Stone, 

 much valuable instruction is to be gained. p. 



February llth, 1851. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE CULTIVATION OF NATIVE TREES 

 AND SHRUBS. 



[Continued from Page 47.] 



The Sweet Gum or Liquidamber has not, as yet, 

 been discovered in Massachusutts, although Mich- 

 eaux informs us, in his N. American Sylva, that it 

 is first seen on the sea shore, towards the north-east, 

 between Portsmouth and Boston. We have searched 

 the eastern part of Massachusetts to find this tree, 

 but have not as yet discovered it. 



That extensive tract of forest in the eastern part 

 of the county of Essex, known by the name of Cape 

 Ann woods, has been supposed by some persons to 

 contain the Liquidamber, and, indeed we should ex- 

 pect to find it here, if it is to be seen, as Micheaux 

 asserts, between those two places. But after much 

 search, it hasnot been found. Torrey, in his Bota- 

 ny of New York, says, the liqudamber is not often 

 seen north or west of Albany, and we suspect that 

 is about its northern limit, and if it should be here- 

 after added to the flora of Massachusetts, it will 

 proljably be found in that part of the State, adjoin- 

 ing New York. The Sweet Gum Liquidamber is 

 so called from the Latin, liquidiim , Jluid , and ambae, 

 amber; in allusion to the terebinlhine fluid that 

 exudes from the tree. 



Tiie Sweet Gum affords a liquid l)alsam, which 

 when pure, is of the consistency of honey, of a yel- 

 lowish color, of a pleasant balsamic odor, which is 

 seldom used in this country, but has a place in our 

 medical botany. It is exported from Mexico, and 

 has long been in use in France to perfume gloves. 



