NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



323 



I am not surprised that the gentleman to whom his 

 letter was addressed should have hesitated in ac- 

 quiescing in this opinion as to the green insect, 

 when it is perfectly well known that this insect is 

 not knew, but, on the contrary, that its characteris- 

 tics are as distinctly described as any other to be 

 found in our books. Gentlemen who are beginning 

 their inquiries in these matters, should not be too 

 sanguine in their notions. 



What evidence is there that this green-house plant 

 bug (so called) is the cause of ths potato rot? Why, 

 it is said to be found on the leaf, on the stem, or on 

 the root, of the potato vine; and it is said to be a 

 devouring insect. Are there not other insects, of 

 like character, found in the same positions? Why, 

 then, should this have all the glory? The truth is, 

 tiie potato disease is peculiar and distinct, the same 

 wherever it has been observed, proceeding from one 

 cause, and one only. What this is, I will not pre- 

 sume to say; 1 will only say, that the gentlemen of 

 Lowell are taxing the credulity of the public too 

 strongly, when they ask them to believe that they 

 have discovered the cause, either in their black or 

 green bugs. * 



For the New England Farmer. 

 RECLAIMED MEADOWS. 



On the farm of Horace Ware, Jr., in the town 

 of Marblehead, adjoining the estate of R. Brook- 

 house, is to be seen an example of the application 

 of labor and skill, rarely equalled, in bringing a 

 worthless morass into productive bearing, in the 

 short space oitwo years. This morass was on the 

 borders of a small pond of five acres, in which 

 there was a depth of two or three fathoms of water 

 and mud without limit. The ground was covered 

 with a thick growth of blueberry and other shrubs. 

 These were taken off for the wood they yielded. 

 A ditch was dug from the pond to the sea shore, 

 whereby the pond was lowered about six feet. 

 This is so regulated by a sluice, as to admit of 

 raising and lowering at pleasure. When the wa- 

 ter was let off, the surface of the meadow settled 

 near two feet. A covered drain was laid all along 

 the shore, to take off the upland springs. The 

 surface was ploughed by the aid of pulleys from 

 the shore, not admitting cattle upon it. The hos- 

 sacks, stumps, roots, &c., were cleared out and 

 deposited in the edge of the pond, and these cov- 

 ered so as to leave a regular border, on the edge 

 of which ornamental trees were placed. Thus 

 prepared, the ground was planted with potatoes in 

 the summer of 1850, and yielded a produce that 

 sold for $75 an acre; being gathered before the 

 rot commenced. 



In the winter of 1850 and 51, Mr. W. prepared 

 a compost of gravel and night soil, mingling four 

 parts of gravel to one of night soil, with which he 

 covered the entire surface of the meadow to the 

 depth of two inches; 31 wagon loads of night soil 

 were used on two and two-thirds acres of land. The 

 surface then covered was harrowed and pulverised 

 as far as practicable. On the 20th of last March, 

 grass seed, clover and rep-lop, were sown upon it. 

 Li June one and one-half tons to the acre were 

 mowed, it being so lodged that there was danger of 

 rotting, if not then cut. In Ausrust tlirce-fourths 

 of a ton to the acre more was cut. The present 

 prospect is, that there will be another crop as good 

 as the last, thus yielding about three tons of hay 

 to the acre the same season the seed was sown. 



It may be asked, what is the appearance juid 

 quality of this hay? In our judgment, it is worth 

 three-fourths as much as the best of English hay. 

 That is, the produce of each acre, for the last two 

 years, has amounted to $125. How much lias 

 been the labor ajjplied we are not informed, but 

 hope to be when Mr. W. completes his statement 

 for the use of the committee, whom we accom- 

 panied as a looker-on. Our impression is, that the 

 crops have paid for the. labor and manure; and that 

 a meadow has been secured that will yield two tons 

 or more of hay annually, for six years to come, 

 without further dressing. Whether this is or not 

 better than other experiments, we express no opin- 

 ion, but think it a good illustration of successful 

 labor, especially when the benefit of improved ap- 

 pearance and the health of the neighborhood is 

 taken into vievv. We saw another pond in the 

 vicinity, where the proprietor of the land adjoin- 

 ing has been at quite as much expense in preparing 

 his ground, without taking the precaution to cut 

 off the shore springs or to lower the water in the 

 pond, and has as yet realized nothing but a coarse 

 meadow grass, scarcely worth cutting; and proba- 

 bly never will realize any better until he learns 

 what he wants, and how to obtain it. Such is the 

 difference between speculative farmers, who ride in 

 a carriage with kid gloves on, and real farmers, 

 who are ready to apply their shoulders and their 

 hands to any part of the work that demands it. 



September 2, 1851. p- 



For the New England Farmer. 

 MANAGEMENT OF MOWING LANDS. 



Mr. Editor : — I perceived an article in the Far- 

 mer of Auaust 2, headed "Management of Mowing 

 Lands," penned by Mr. E. Bridge. The ideas ad- 

 vanced are different from my own, at least as far as 

 my experience teaches. I think that hay ought not 

 to be cut until the seed is full, or in the ear, which 

 can be determined when the earliest heads begin to 

 brown; I am now speaking of herds-grass. I think 

 so for two reasons; first, when cut in the bloom, 

 what is under the husk being soft, dries up to com- 

 paratively nothing, and the stalk being full of sap, 

 must necessarily lose its weight much more than 

 when the seed is full. 1 have seen both kinds placed 

 l)efore horses, and they will invariably leave the 

 green and take the hay that has the seed full. By 

 cutting when the seed is full, there is a saving of 

 at least 25 per cent, in weight to the acre. Second, 

 I think no meadow ought to be cut two years in 

 succession, witnout having a little seed scattered 

 on the ground, which will make young and vigor- 

 ous roots come on as the older ones die out; where- 

 as, if cut in the blade, the seed is not replenished; 

 so that meadows must necessarily run out in a 

 marked time. 



With regard to feeding meadows, I find a great 

 benefit in feeding my meadows in the fall of the 

 year. By so doing, the seed that is left on the 

 ground vegetates in the spring; otherwise it would 

 not. I prefer sheep to any other stock to take the 

 after-feed, as they take it closer and more even, so 

 the scattered seed has a better chance to vegetate, 

 and tiiey scatter the manure mose equally over the 

 surface of the ground. 



I have upland meadows managed as above de- 

 scribed, that have been mowed nineteen years in 

 succession, without breaking up; neither has any 

 manure been put thereon in that time. I mow the 



