24 



FARMERS' REGISTER— CULTURE OF THE VINE. 



the stalks, and the greater bulk of the hay retains 

 its green color. 



Though tlie general plan of the rotation is to 

 mow the clover tlie year after wheat, yet the mow- 

 ing never extends over the whole field, for want of 

 time and labor for so heavy a job. 'I'he balance 

 of the field is grazed. 



Summer Fermented Manure. Much the greater 

 part of the manure is made during the colder part 

 of the year, because there is neither enough litter 

 left, nor enough spare labor during the warmer 

 inonths, to profit fully by the supply of animal 

 matter furnished by the stables alone. The use of 

 litter on summer cow pens would be rejected, even 

 if it was more abundant, as a wasteful application, 

 from the certaint}^ of great loss from fermentation. 

 Still some loss from fermenting bulks of manure 

 must necessarily be suffered. When all the fer- 

 mented (or ricked) manure is carried out in April, 

 the cow pen is moved to the land intended for corn 

 the next year, and littered ; and the cattle remain 

 there the short time that intervenes before the 

 naked penning is begun. This litter Avill be too 

 dry and too poor for early heaping; but when wet 

 weather allov/s the stal}l« dung pit to be emptied, 

 its contents are carted to the cow j^en, and a rick 

 formed, as was before described, by using alter- 

 nately layers of the two kinds of mamu'e. This 

 has not yet been done : but the pit was full of dung, 

 and flooded with water from late rains. This is 

 the proper state of things for the operation of rick- 

 ing. 



The scarcity of litter in the stable during sum- 

 mer, prevents the heat that Avould otherwise take 

 place, and no inconvenience is sustained by the 

 horses from that cause, between the times when 

 the staljles arc emptied of the manure. In dry 

 weather, the water in the pit settles to the bottom, 

 and the upper part of the manure woidd suffer by 

 becoming too dry. To prevent this, five or six 

 holes are dug through tlie dung to the bottom of 

 the pit. In these the water collects; and every 

 morning it is thrown over the top of the manure, 

 which is quickly done with broad paddles. 



The heaping of the litter of the pens where 

 beeves and milch cows had been kept until lately, 

 was going on, which gave me an opportunity of 

 witnessing the great superiority of the three- 

 pronged hoes, and three-pronged forks to our com- 

 mon tools, for moving coarse manure. Few, per- 

 haps, Avould consider the use of these tools of much 

 importance from any description of their advan- 



" it came so heavily, iliat again on the 7th no field 

 work. 



"8lh. — About IG acres of clover has been mowed, and 

 " raked three rows into one — the crop a heavy one for 

 " our land. Such heavy rains have fallen, and have 

 " driven through the clover ridges, that unless we have 

 " clear weather from this time, I fear we shall have a 

 " very indifferent crop of hay. Have been five days 

 " mowing. Weather now fair, and we are putting the 

 " liay into cocks pi-evious to stacking. 



" 9th. — Fine day for hay-making, since the last clear- 

 " ing off, but unfavorable to corn, being uncommonly 

 " cool. For five days past, the thermometer has been 

 " each morning as low as from 52" to 54° in the shade. 

 - " lllh. — Fine morning. Thermometor 65o. Yester- 

 " day liauled to hay house 25 loads. This day we con- 

 " tinuc — 2 more loads to the house, and 12 to the stack. 

 " Next day finislied the stack v/ilh 7 more loads, or 19 

 " in all." 



tages ; but whoever sees them used for five minutes, 

 will determine never again to heap, or load with 

 manure, without their aid. This manure, though 

 coarse, (being principally corn-stalks) was rich 

 from the fat animals kept on it, and the richness 

 of their food, and was quite wet. I should expect 

 it to suffer from fire fanging, the effect of violent 

 fermentation ; but Mr. L. entertained no such fear. 

 ThiSj and the other ricks that the stable dung will 

 help to form, will be used for turnips. 



It is remarkable that Mr. Lewis's fields are no 

 where infested with blue-grass, which is the worst 

 of plagues on most good loams, and especially after 

 liming. It is true that this grass thrives best on 

 soils that are both moist and somewhat adhesive, 

 as well as of good constitution. If, indeed, it is 

 the want of suJficient moisture and adhesiveness 

 that prevents this grass growing on any spot here, 

 the fact furnishes stronger evidence of the dryness 

 and sandiness of the soil, than would be inferred 

 from my description. Without drawing that in- 

 ference, I merely state the fact. 



Partridge peas, which are so troublesome in wheat 

 crops on all calcareous soils, and more so on light 

 than stiff, are remarkably scarce on Wyanoke ; 

 but the exemption from the ill effects of this pest 

 Avill not last long, as it is increasing fast on the 

 limed parts of the land. 



Gtiltitre of tl«.c Viiic* 



(From Proceedings of the New-York State Agricultural Society.) 



Extracts from a Letter from Le Ray De Chaumont. 



Plessis, near Vendome in Touraine, ) 

 J. BuEL, Es(i. Dec. 16, 1832. \ 



Cor. Sec. of the State jlgricul. Society, Jllhany. 



Sir, — When I resolved, last summer, to pay a 

 visit to my native country, I was much pained 

 with the idea that it woidd deprive me for a consi- 

 derable length of time of the satisfaction of uniting 

 my efforts with those of such of the members of 

 our State A gricultural Society as were zealous in 

 promoting its success. However, I was relieved, 

 when I considered how many there were in our 

 society who could render the same service : while, 

 during my travels and stay on this side of the wa- 

 ter, I could make them useful by observations and 

 notes collected on my route, upon whatever might 

 be worth communicating ; also, by connecting our 

 society with some of those in France whose object 

 is somewhat similar to ours. The alliance of such 

 societies cannot but prove useful and produce im- 

 provements. 



Having began my travels rather late this year 

 my information will not be as interesting as I 

 could wish ; but I hope, that during the other year 

 I intend to appropriate to my stay in Europe, I 

 will have collected facts more worthy the atten- 

 tion of our society. My travels have been through 

 those parts of France, of the duchy of Bade and 

 Switzerland, which have much analogy, in respect 

 to climate, to that of New York. 



Culture of the Vine. I will begin by the grape- 

 vines. 



I am still more of opinion, since I left America, 

 that serious attention should be paid to that impor- 

 tant cultivation. I am more certain of the success 

 which is to attend it in the state of New York. 



I have received from the county of Jefferson, in- 

 formation that grapes perfectly ripe have been 

 picked from vines cultivated in open ground, and 



