188 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



compost or manure, &c. on damp land, do away 

 the necessity of plougliiiit; otlen, on account of 

 the exposure to botli nir and moisture. Sand, 

 gravel, chips, or (icat, should he applied to heavy 

 clay soils, or else lop dressings of plaster and 

 compost. 



The mode of laying the furrows in ploughing, 

 ghould be regulated by the nature of the soils. If 

 heavy, compact, and fine grained, they slioidd he 

 lapped. If light, porous and dry, they should he 

 laid flat. From several experiments, it appears 

 that a considerable proportion of this county 

 would produce from 10 to 20 per cent, more by 

 having the furrows lapped where deep ploughing 

 is necessary. On the contrary, deep soil which 

 is dry and ploughed shallow, reciuires flat furrows 

 to prevent injury by drought or grass ; and the 

 flat position is also necessary in this case to pre- 

 vent carbon gas from escaping faster than it can 

 be absorbed by the leaves of the growing crop. 



That in some cases there is a loss of fertility 

 by leaching, is i)roved not only by the effects of 

 rain on piles of manure, but by the condition of 

 wells, springs and cellars, unfortunately located 

 too near barnyards and hog pens. The spaces of 

 time requisite to produce injury has been found 

 to vary from one year to twenty or thirty, accord- 

 ing to the nature of the soil and the distance. 

 But large qriantilles applied <br a great length of 

 time will penetrate considerably most any where. 



Soils operate like strainers, the fine close ones 

 separating nearly all fertility from water before it 

 penetrates far, and coarse sand letting much pass 

 a considerable distance. Owing to the general 

 character of upland soil, which is fine grained in 

 this county, it is probable that f(!W of us suffer 

 mniOi loss of fertility by leaching. 



From the foregoing, it may l)e inferred, that 

 the quantity of manure applied should be in pro- 

 portion to the fineness and solidity of the soil, 

 hard cold clay land requiring nuich, and .soft 

 warm sandy land but little at a time, and often 

 repeated. The quantity of gas generated, being 

 in some degree (Moportional to the quantity of 

 manure applied. 



When the soil is by any means impervious 

 air, as by reason of solidity or the presence of 

 watiT, ilrcoiii|io-^iti.iii must be very slow and im- 

 peil'irt liihnv ill.' mm rci-i- ; and if no top dres- 

 siiiys ail' a|i|ilir(l, vciy liulc gas will be genera- 

 ted, and consequently but little growth in the 

 crops. Gas being an e.ssetitial (lart of the food 

 of plants, they must become stunted if they do 

 not obtain a sufticieiicy of it. Often stirring the 

 soil lets in the air, itiore gas is generated, and 

 growth is proportionally n)ore rapid. 



There is reason to infer that electricity or gal- 

 vanism ot)erates in a favorable manner on the 

 growth of crops, by exriling the fibres of the 

 plants to action. Experiments have led to this 

 conclusion. This aui-my depends on contact of 



things t 

 nature i 

 at first, 



very 



different in their 



ric rrspnts. The effect is greatest 

 grailii illy diminishes, unless some 

 change or alti'iatiuii is made in the materials. 

 New a|i|ilir,itioiis effect a change in the natural 

 stale, llciuc another reason for mixing soils 

 that are very dilKrent in their nature, such as peat 

 and conuuou o.irth, clay and sand, and often 

 stirring them to bring new particles in contact. 

 By means of galv.mic agency, perfect decompo- 

 sition and the loiinaiiou of new compounds is 

 facilitated. In this way some part of the food of 

 jilauts is probably pipparr.l lor use. \V 

 there is health and energy, lire I'ood is taken uj 



ed land, if there is too much muck or peat m 

 j)roportion to the earth, or too much water, de- 



nposition must he imperfect, as the decompo- 

 sing agents camiot do their work perfectly when 

 rpowered by quantity, and consequently the 

 food being imi)erfect and not properly digested, 

 the crops are more liable to be unhealthy. 



From the necessity of having things in right 

 proportions, it may be inferred, that the depth of 

 ploughing should be regulated in some measure 

 by the natural depth of the soil, and the quantity 

 of majnue put on it. Much fertilizing matter re- 

 quires nuich earth to be mixed with it, or the gas 

 will rise faster than the crops can absorb it. On 

 the contrary a large quantity of poor earth mixed 

 with a small share of manure, will place but a. 

 scanty supply within reach of the plants. Much 

 rooting and little food m.ikes poor pigs. 



From the tact that carbon gas is constantly ris- 

 ing from the ground in warm weather, and w ould 

 be lost if there was not herbage to absorb it ; it 

 follows that in this climate of warm summers, 

 especially on warm dry land, the surface should 

 not remain long exposed to the sun and dry 

 winds, which slowly extract the virtues of such 

 soil. Pastures an<l mowing land in the fall should 

 not be cropped very slioit. But damp clay soil 



a temperate climate will liear considerable ex- 

 posure l)y summer ploughing, without losing 

 much. The advantage to be derived from stir- 

 ring such soil, making it mellow, letting the air 

 into it, and thereby promoting decomposition, 

 which is otliiruise im|)erfcct, and killing a vast 

 mmibii' of uc((ls, will, under these circumstan- 

 ces, miiili I !■ than compensate for the loss of 



g;is, uliilc till- tillage is going on. It is not pro- 

 lialiK. hi>vM>\ ri. ihat there is much land in this 

 <-oiiiii\ ili.ii \\MiiM pay li>r carrying summer til 



lagr so lill a> In d.i WItl 

 it i.s inie. .solli 

 tended to do without tup dressing ; but let it be 

 done in the tidl and spring so as not to exclude i 

 crop, and when the heat is not excessive. Foi 

 destroying weeds, the practice of jdanting am 

 hoeing thoroughly, or n.siiig a cullivalor, whiil 

 saves labor, and after haying to go thrnugh am 

 pick out every weed that is lefl, is highly com 

 mendahle. Our systems of rotation should bi 

 planned with a view to keep down the weeds 

 Where the land is not hoed, ploughing only one 

 year at a time accouqilishes much. No land 

 should be ploughed two or more years without 

 having the weeds extirpated by hoeing or pulling 

 out as above mentioned. Cold tough sward Ian I, 

 coiiiaining fragments of liniesKinc, gr.-mile and 

 slate, when not very rich, would probably do best 

 to iie ploughed early in Si pteri 

 dined to become too compact, it should be 

 ploughed again in the spring just hefoie putting 

 the seed into the ground. It is supposed the a " 

 vantage of decomposing the turf and stones in 

 this case, would overbalance the loss of gas. 

 But late fall ploughing is best to destroy grubs 

 and other vermin. 



(Concluded in the next number.) 



!-k and cle 



From this I 



Top dressings should be of a 

 lure from the surface to which they 



ppeais that there are at least two rea- 

 icasionally stirring or ploughing the 

 he preparation of both food and stim- 

 cron.s. 



Dry, it follows, that a well mixed 

 titiileil of all the v.-uinus ingrcd 



ts. ulll 



cral to the greatest piTl"i'Ctioii, and with th( 

 least expense. Such a .soil can be found on ma 

 nyof o\u- hills, originally covered with hard- wood 

 timber. 



In a state of nature, it is not necessary that 

 decomposition should be very rapid, as there are 

 no crops taken off to exhaust the supplies. It ii 

 much cropping that renders every artifice neces 

 sary that will promote vegetation. 



It also follows from the above, that in reclaim 



.Veto Bedford, .U?., 12 mo. 24, 1841 

 Rf.spectkd FiiiEND, JoH-v M. IIii.L: — By this 

 thou wilt find that my number of the Alonthiy 

 Visitor for the ninth month (September) one num 

 ber only came to hand, that number was marked 

 two copies, but contained but one, undoubtedly by 

 mistake. I would be much obliged to thee to 

 send me one liir ili;it moiilli, .is I am very desi- 

 rous of having all the uuiiiliers of your useful 

 paper. I think much useful information has been 

 found in the numbers of the Visitor. 



One year last ninth month, I had half an 

 of swamp dug over and the roots taken out: it 

 was then very dry. The large roots were taken 

 off and all tlmt remained was put into heaps and 

 burned. The following spring 1 thought to 

 plough it, but found it so .soft and mirey that a 

 team cuiild not go on it, being from three to six 

 feet deep, anil even more in some [larts. 1 wait 

 ed until the first week in the sivth month, (June) 

 and tlien finding it iuq)ossible to plough it, chop 

 pcd it over with hoes and planted it one half 

 with potatoes and the other with corn (the Rhode 

 Island white corn.) I had drained it so that the 

 water did not stand on any part of it. It was 

 nearly or quite a level. The summer being dry 

 and warm, it was altogether favorable. My neigh 

 boring farmers thought 1 might get some |>ota 

 toes, but corn they thought could not grow ; bn 



to my surprise and to their astonishment it was 

 the finest corn I have ever seen in our neighbor- 

 hood. I put a small quantity of manure into the 

 hills of the corn and potatoes. My intention was 

 to have put on gravel in the winter jireceding; 

 but it was never frozen so as to drive on ; in con- 

 sequence it was thought nothing would grow. I 

 however thought I would try the experiment, and 

 had some of the finest potatoes 1 have ever seen. 

 The crop was not so great as I have had, but the 

 quality was excellent, and no small ones in the 

 hill, so that I hail not to sort them. My corn 1 

 did not think would fill out and ri|>en, it being 

 planted so late ; but in that I was surprised, for 

 it filled out to the very end — was nearly all good, 

 and produced at the rate of sixty bushels to the 



re. 



I am new in the farming business, but am ful- 

 ly of the opinion that corn will grow well in any 

 swamp where the water can be drained off with 

 very little manure, and without any gravel being 

 put on. And 1 am also of the opinion, had I 

 planted it nearer together, 1 should have had a 

 still greater crop. At som'e future time I may 

 give a more full account of mv farming. 

 Am respectfully, 



EDMUND GARDNER. 



Yin the Moritlily Visitor. 

 Mr. Editor — Sir: — In the last number of the 

 Visitor I have noticed a communicaliou from 

 Col. Edward S. Jarvis of Maine, u part of which 

 is in cousvMpience of one from me in the Oct. 

 number, in wliieh I d<;sigueil to give a correct 

 estimate of the expenses of keeping sheep to- 

 gether wilhllie iueimie per head for the last eight 



years, thereby s 

 iniportaul part > 



gam upon 



Col. Jarvis' 



principal uliieciiuii is to iii\ i.'slimate of winter- 



Ifl were mistaken, and put this expense too 

 low, I think he is still more so, and has made it 

 very much too high. I agree with him that a 



sheep will eoiisi :tuo poundsof hay per day ; 



but dill I lint kiiiiw iitlierwise, I should SIIS- 

 peri that Cul. Jarvis lesiih'd some where near 

 the polar region by his esiimate of 180 days for 

 the time of Ibddering sheep. Generally, sheep 

 do not come to the barn until the first of Decem- 

 ber, and are out again from the 10th to the 20lh 

 of April. Some years are exceptions to this, and 

 we are obliged to feed ten or twenty diiys longer. 

 So likeivi.sc the winter is frequently as much 

 shorter, so far as regards the keeping of sheep 

 upon hay. 1 speak of the winters as they aver- 

 age here on Connecticut river, and not as they 

 are at Surry in Maine. The average, time that 

 sheep do not procure their own food by grazing 

 is from 130 to 140 days. I will take the highest 

 number 140 days at two pounds of hay per day, 

 allowing twenty pounds ti)r waste to each sheep, 

 making 300 pounds per head. Now, Mr. Editor, 

 we that are so fortunate as to liave our Jot cast 

 iu this productive valley, are so stupid as to im- 

 bibe the notion that if we can realize five dolkirs 

 per ton for our hay, by feeding it out to our own 

 stock and save the manure upon our lands, that 

 we are ultimately the gainers. This may be 

 counted small business by our brother farmers 

 down east, and so it is, but we nevertheless by 

 strict economy and the sweat of the brow con- 

 trive to increase our means however slow it may 

 be. We have no boundless pine forest.s, to buy and 

 sell, nor any sources by which we can grow rich 

 in a moment, but are obliged to be content witb 

 small gains. And it is a fact known to every 

 practical farmer in this vicinity, that the keeping 

 of cows or the rearing of cattle or horses will not 

 at present prices afford us a better return tor our 

 hay than we receive by feeding it out to our sheep 

 even at the present low prices of wool. 



I think Col. Jarvis must have had in his miMd 

 the old native or Irish breed of aheep when he 

 asserted that it would take a ton of hay to every 

 4i sheep. I make the number Oj, and with our 

 kind of sheep, the Mcrinoes and Saxonies, it is 

 very near coirect. 



A gentleman that resides a few miles north of 

 me, Doct. Leonard Jarvis of Claremoiit, N. Fl. 

 (and I believe a relation of the Colonel) ha.j in 

 former years hired some hundreds of sheep wiu- 

 tered.at 1)2^ to /.") cts per head ; and by going 

 back into the interior of Vermont contracts can 

 be made with responsible farmers for keeping 

 through the year atone dollar per head. 



