NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



263 



the field or animal, rather than induce it themselves. 

 But where either exist, they show something radi- 

 cally deficient, which must first be remedied before 

 any useful results can follow. A farmer might as 

 well leave his money with sharpers, or his manure 

 heap under a spout, as his meadows in moss, or his 

 cattle covered with vermin. All are spendthrifts 

 together ; and, if left to themselves, Avill, like Pha- 

 raoh's lean kine, soon consume his evidences of 

 previous plenty, and show no equivalents in return. 

 But how are we to get rid of mosses in meadows ? 

 Let us see how they get there. The surest way to 

 get rich, is first to know how you become poor. 



Mosses are generally the result of a feeble growth 

 of the grasses on a moist surface. The moisture of 

 the laud is not of itself objectionable, but decidedly 

 the reverse ; but when the profitable occupants of 

 the soil fail or become thin and meagre, the profitless 

 are ever ready to come in and supply their places. 

 This is the case with the mosses ; and it is not till 

 the cultivated plants have declined, that these have 

 gathered strength. To remove the latter, the former 

 should be put in the very best condition. Scarify- 

 ing, harrowing, closely feeding, and treading them 

 thoroughly by the sharp hoofs of sheep and cattle, 

 are all useful in extirpating the mosses from mead- 

 ows. Sowing strong quick lime over them, when 

 recently mown, or after short cropping by animals, 

 is attended with decided advantage. Ashes will 

 sometimes produce a similar effect. Guano, when 

 mixed with mould and sown broadcast, is exceedingly 

 useful ; and so, too, are compost manures of all kinds. 

 These help to destroy the mosses by invigorating the 

 grasses. Properly draining, and especially thorough 

 under-draining the lands, is one of the most efficient 

 modes of removing mosses and worthless aquatic 

 plants. By carrying off all surplus, and particularly 

 stagnant waters, the atmosphere and heat penetrate 

 the soil, and induce a vigorous, healthy growth of 

 the cultivated plants, and thereby withdraw so much 

 of the space and food which otherwise would be 

 monopolized by the intruders. 



When these and some other of the most obvious 

 means of renovating meadows fail, there is no alter- 

 native but to break up the sod, and subject the field 

 to another course of cultivation. It is not absolutely 

 necessary that this undergo a series of rotations, 

 although for manj' reasons this is better ; yet a rota- 

 tion may be secured exclusively with the forage 

 plants, the clovers, and numerous varieties of the 

 grasses. The meadow may, if it be preferred, be 

 thoroughly manured with unfermented dung, then 

 turned over flat, and after applying a top-dressing of 

 comioost, may be harrowed lengthwise of the fur- 

 rows, and sown with grass seed liberally ; and if all 

 has been properly managed, the mosses will not for 

 years again infest your meadows. — American Agri- 

 culturist. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR FARMERS. 



THE STUDY OF NATURE RECOMMENDED. 



Much has been said and written within the last 

 few years on the importance of the study of natural 

 science to the farmer ; still, we think that the sub- 

 ject is so important that there is little danger of too 

 much being said. The study of natural history has 

 received so little attention in the United States, that 

 very few farmers have a familiar knowledge of chem- 

 istry, geology, mineralogy, and botany, not to men- 

 tion entomology, which may be said to be in its 

 infancy in this country, a large portion of our insects 

 yet reniaining unknown and undescribed. Let the 

 votary of natural science travel to collect specimens, 

 and he will often be questioned respecting the use 

 of his specimens. If ho gathers plants, the general 

 impression will be, that they are for medicine. He 



will rarely meet with any one who knows the utility 

 of a cabinet or an herbarium, almost every body sup- 

 posing that they are to be converted into money in 

 some way ; yet to what practical use many of the 

 specimens can be aijpliecl, they cannot tell. 



It is an old saying, that "knowledge is power;" 

 and this maxim is most strikingly verified in the 

 pursuit of farming ; so much so that individuals, 

 farming in the same neighborhood, with farms of an 

 equal natural fertility, meet with widely different 

 results. The one has large profits on his capital 

 invested, and the other, perhaps, sinks money, or with 

 difficulty raises sufficient to defray all expenses and 

 support his family. The one obeys nature and her 

 laws, and the other manages Avithout system and 

 contrary to nature. It may be said that many farm- 

 ers make money, and are highly successful, with little 

 or no knowledge of natural science. Granted ; yet 

 it must be admitted that they had derived benefit 

 from the example of others, who were acquainted 

 with natural science, or they have more or less fol- 

 lowed the instructions of men who, by experiment 

 and observation, have attained at least a partial 

 knowledge of the laws of nature. Besides, Lf we 

 examine closely, Ave shall find that most of our very 

 rich ignorant farmers have acquired money by great 

 industry and economy, carrying the latter virtue to 

 so great an extent as to deny themselves and their 

 families many of the comforts and conveniences of 

 life. All will admit that a knowledge of chemistry, 

 geology, and botany, embracing a knowledge of vege- 

 table physiology, would be of great practical utility 

 to the farmer. Were he a chemist, he could analyze 

 the soil ; and to do tliis, sufficient for all practical 

 purposes, is within the capacity of all. By analyzing 

 the soil, and knowing, in addition, the composition 

 of the plant cultivated, the farmer knows what his 

 soil needs, to grow that plant in its greatest perfec- 

 tion; or, in other words, he can feed the plant its 

 proper food, and in suitable quantities. The farmer 

 deals with nature. The greater j^ortion of his life is 

 spent amid the scenes of nature ; hence, the more he 

 understands nature, the better will he know how to 

 manage her in her varied changes. The great im- 

 provements which have been made in agriculture 

 during the last few years, are mainly owing to the 

 application of science ; and as yet we are but in the 

 commencement of the improving era. Then it be- 

 hoves us, as farmers, to study nature, and let the 

 youth of our land, the future farmers of our country, 

 be taught the study of nature. Then, by knowledge 

 joined with experiment, industry, and economy, they 

 wiU scarcely fail to enjoy a competence, besides 

 having a greater opportunity of making now dis- 

 coveries in agriculture and science, than the pro- 

 fessor, whoso life is spent in the laboratory or aca- 

 demic hall. 



Notwithstanding the great assistance science affords 

 in the acquisition of wealth, we think the greatest 

 recommendation to its study is its power of affording 

 happiness, which, after all, is the chief end and aim. 

 of every rational being. Our best and most per- 

 manent happiness is mental, or derived from the 

 mind. All other enjoyments are shared by the 

 brutes, in common with man. Hence it follows, that 

 the highly-cultivated mind is capable of greater en- 

 joyment than that which is uncultivated, because 

 the cultivated mind has a greater variety of food to 

 satisfy its desires. We say its capacity for happiness 

 is the greatest ; not that, in every instance, the cul- 

 tivated mind is always the happiest. We think the 

 cultivated mind, versed in natural science, is the 

 happiest of all, because the study of nature is more 

 congenial to the mind in its natural state than any 

 other. Most of us recur with pleasure to the period 

 of our childhood, when we roamed in the woods and 

 fields, gathering flowers and hunting birds' nests, or 

 chased butterflies, and played m the brooks. Then 



lit' 

 'II 





IIIIM 



"1. 



f 



• '3 



(•in 



'"'t 



