48G 



FARMERS' REGISTER— HERD'S GRASS, LIME, LOCUST. 



thinjr until tlie lliinl year, when the srroeii sward 

 sometimes takes jjossession. These fields I wouhl 

 then retain altofjethcr for p:rass, wheat, rye and 

 oats — as circumstances mis^ht seem to imlicatc one 

 or the other, reserving all my manure for the codj 

 crop. 



But exclusive' of these seven distinct enclosures, 

 I Avould stronj^ly recommend three or four small 

 lots contiijiious to the barn-yard, well set in clover 

 and orcl;ard <:;niss, for soiling,". (These to le enclo- 

 sed with locust posts, and planked, and white wash- 

 ed.) By this mode, in my opinion, one acre will 

 j;o as far as six or seven trodden under foot early in 

 the spring, whilst the herbage is yet very tender, 

 and tlie ground liable to he poached. I believe, 

 too, by this mode, we can nearly double the quan- 

 titv of our manure ; and our pastures will certain- 

 ly support double tlie stock, if they are not turned 

 in until the clover is in full head. 



It seems to me the Herd's grass, or red top, has 

 not yet been introduced into tiie lower country. 

 If it has not, it will certainly be a valualile acqui- 

 sition to you, as no gn^ss can be better adapted to 

 wet and marshy ravines, or slashes, as I think I 

 have heard them called. In a few years, its sod 

 will be so compact, as to enable a wagon and team 

 to be driven over what was before a mirey bog. 

 The orchard grass,too, would be well worth a trial 

 with you. 



Some of your correspondents inquire the best 

 mode to extirpate sassafras hushes. This is cer- 

 tainly no easy matter, either with the plough or 

 the grubbing hoe; but may elTectually be done by 

 close grazing with sheep, followed w itii a summer 

 fallow for wheat. This must be well set in clover; 

 -after which the use of the scythe, for two succes- 

 sive seasons, Mill effectually eradicate them. I 

 have found this also the best method ut extermin- 

 ating all sorts of briers, which, in old fields, are 

 often very pernicious, and the growth of which 

 seems often to be extended l)y breaking the roots 

 with the plough. If the appetite of the sheep is 

 promoted by regular salting, tl;ey will nip the 

 leaves and buds of bushes and briers, so close, as of- 

 ten to destroy them in one season. 



i have lately read your v.'ork on calcareous r/ia- 

 nures, with much interest, though hastily, and have 

 been endeavoring to extend the use of lime and 

 marl as much as possible. So Air, ifliasbeen ra- 

 ther an vp hill business ; and where 1 do not meet 

 with aclive opposition, I at least have to contend 

 wiih apathy, and an aversion to depart from our 

 ancestral path. Limestone and timber abound 

 with us, and immense beds of a calcareous deposite, 

 Avhich, if not a true shell marl, is certainly equally 

 valuable. On the margins of some of our little 

 rivulets, whole acres are covered with it, to the 

 depth often of several feet, sufficiently pulverized 

 or decomposed by the action of the air, for immedi- 

 ate use, without lurther preparation. In some in- 

 stances, it is true, it is /bund in large masses of per- 

 haps half a ton in weight, which would require the 

 use ol the j)laster mill, or perliaj)Sthe action of fire 

 for twenty-four hours. These beds, in some in- 

 stances, are calcareous in so high a degree, as to 

 be almost unfit for vegetation ; and this has been 

 urged as an objection by some to the trouble of 

 hauling it out. I have no doubt it would yield 

 from filty to eighty per cent, of lime ; but from 



i)erceiving many shells, (the common land snail, 

 '. suppose,) I was unluckily induced to call it 



" shell marl," without a more minute examination ; 

 and we are now engaged in discussing the propri- 

 ety of the term, instead of enricliing our lands by 

 its use. It efiervesccs copiously with vinegar ; and 

 though I do not entertain a doubt as to its great 

 value as a fertilizer, I sliould like to know whether 

 it is merely the deposite of carbonate of lime, for- 

 merly called tufa, or whether the term marl would 

 be inappropriate. 



The whole lower country might be supplied 

 witli lime from this county alone; and from my 

 experience in the burning of the stone into lime, I 

 am induced to believe it can be done for three, pos- 

 sibly four, cents per bushel. What it would cost 

 to transport it to Richmond, I am unable to say ; 

 but I have no doubt the contemplated improvement 

 of James river, if carried into effect, would make 

 it an object of profit, both to us, and to the fiirmers 

 of Lower Virginia. Lynchburg, I believe, is al- 

 ready chiefly supjdied from this county. Large 

 beds of the calcareous deposite-5, before spoken of, 

 are also found on both the branches of James river, 

 intersecting our county. 



Although your attention has already been called 

 to the cultivation of that valuable tree the locust, 

 by Reuben Grigsby, Esq., and Mr. Shands, of 

 Prince George, as well as by the Notes of a Rustic, 

 yet the importance of its culture will justify a few- 

 additional remarks. Where this tree already ex- 

 ists, the most simple and safe mode of propagating 

 it is, to cut down one of the growing trees, where 

 you desire its extension, during the winter season, 

 or whilst the sap is yet in the roots. If the nature 

 of the ground will admit of the use of the plough, 

 this implement, by b:eakingthe roots, will soon 

 cause a luxuriant growth of sprouts, which may 

 be either trim.med up and sutTered to grow, or 

 transplanted. The thicker they stand, the more 

 stately will be their growth, as they are otherwise 

 prone to spread too much. I am perfectly satisfied 

 that their growth is not injurious, either to grain 

 or grass, and is so rapid that I believe the sprouts 

 from the stumps will often make good posts in ten 

 years. Some which I trim.med four years since, 

 and were then of a fine size for transplanting, will, 

 in another year, make good posts. I was much 

 pleased with the suggestion of Mr. Shands, to plant 

 them along rail-road routes. If planted near those 

 already constructed with timber, I do not entertain 

 a doubt that in fifteen years, they would be large 

 enough for all repairs; and I believe will last half 

 a century at least. Anticipating that the plan pro- 

 posed by both Hartman and W^illianis, will be 

 found to answer well, it would be good policy to 

 encourage the growth of this very durable timber, 

 in the vicinity of all routes, through which the 

 population ^nd wealth would probably justify rail- 

 ways in a few years. 



In answer to the inquiry of your Nottoway cor- 

 respondent, I can inform him that tlie late Mr. 

 Meade procured the full blooded Durhams from 

 John Hare Powell, of Pennsylvania ; and with his 

 usual sagacity and enterprise, was engaged in im- 

 proving them, by crossing with native cows re- 

 markable for their milk, and other good properties, 

 selected with great care, and at great expense. His 

 sheep, acknowledged by all to be equal to any in 

 the union, were originally the pure Bakewell 

 stock ; but <o correct some points which he thought 

 defective, they were crossed on the Merino, the 

 best of the native stock, and I rather think with 



