366 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



planting this vegetable. " The pumpkin crop 

 would require two ploughings and two hoeings 

 while growing, and another good ploughing 

 would then be rec|uisite to fit the ground tor 

 the reception of the wheat. The intervention, 

 therefore, of the crop of pumpkins would re- 

 quire tlie two ploughing?, which are requisite 

 for it while growing, more than is commonly 

 given to land when .summer fallowed in the 

 usu.il way. Whether the crop could be ripen- 

 ed and the ground cleared in season in autumn 

 for sowing winter wheat, we cannot say, but 

 believe it generally might. Give the hills plen- 

 ty of seed to guard against accidents, insects, &c. 

 and pull up the supernumerary plants in due 

 season." 



iNDtAN CoR.v FOR FoDDER. — " The husband- 

 mcn of America would do well to try the me- 

 thod of cultivating Indian corn, as practised in 

 Italy, France and .Spain, where it is sown very 

 thick in broad cast, for producing fodder, and 

 for stall feeding or soiling.''''* " Every farmer 

 knows how eagerly cattle devour the entire 

 plant of Indian corn, in its green state ; and land 

 in good condition will produce good crops of it. 

 Some years ago, just when the ears were in the 

 milk, 1 cut close to the ground the plants grow- 

 ing on a measured space, equal, as I judged, to 

 the average product of the whole piece, and 

 found that at the same rate, an acre would yield 

 twelve tons of green fodder; probably a richer 

 and more nourishing food than any ether known 

 to the husbandman. And this quantity was the 

 growth of less than four months." " It has ap- 

 peared to me that the sort called sacet corn, 

 (having a white shrivelled grain when ripe) 

 yields stalks of richer juice than the common 

 yellow corn. It is also more disposed to multi- 

 ply suckers— an additional recommendation of 

 it, when planted to be eaten in a green state, 

 for horses and cattle, and especially for milch 

 cows ; and its time for planting may be so regu- 

 lated as to furnish a supply of food just when 

 the common pastures usually fail. I am inclin- 

 ed to doubt whether any other green food will 

 afford butter ot equal excellence."! The Hon. 

 Josiah Quincy has likewise soiled cattle from 

 Indian corn, sown broad cast, with great suc- 

 cess, obtaining, if we recollect rightly, two 

 crops in a season. We cannot say bow much 

 seed should be sowed broad cast to an acre. 

 Perhaps between two and three bushels would 

 be sufficient. The author of a " Treatise on 

 Agriculture," published in the Albany Argus, 

 says, that '•'corn is sometimes cultivated ~for 

 fodder only, in which case it is generally sown, 

 broad cast, at the rate of ten bushels to the acre, 

 and cut green. In the volcanic soils of Italy, it 

 sometimes produces four green crops in a year." 

 The Massachusetts Agricultural Repository, vol. 

 vi, p. 380, says, " We think the writer must 

 have been mistaken in the quantity of corn 

 sowed broad cast on an acre. We are persuad- 

 ed that two or three bushels would be ample ; 

 better than a larger quantity." When great 

 authorities difl'et on agricultural points, experi- 

 ments must decide. We are inclined to the 

 opinion of the author of the Treatise. If fod- 

 der alone is the object in sowing Indian corn, 

 we should suppose that it can hardly be sown 

 too thick. The stalks will be smaller, but there 



* IJordley'f Flusbandry. 



1 Hon. T. ficUerin-'s .Address to the Essex Agricul- 

 t»ira' Society. 



will be more of them, and they will be finer 

 and more easily cured or made into a sort of 

 hay, and we believe would furnish more Ibod 

 for cattle when cut and given green. But this 

 is merely conjecture, as we have never known 

 experiments relating to the subject, though we 

 wish they might be instituted. We have learn- 

 ed, however, from inquiry, that some tarmers 

 have been in the habit of sowing Indian corn 

 broad cast, mixed with cabbage seeds and oats; 

 and making use of them altogether for soiling, 

 or giving them green to cattle. It will be prop- 

 er if any of these seeds, or millet, or any of the 

 grasses are sown for the purpose of cutting 

 them green, to harrow and roll the ground per- 

 fectly smooth for mowing, as directed in Col. 

 Pickering's remarks on the premiums offered 

 by the Essex Agricultural Society.* 



*■■ See N. E. Farmer, paje 289. 



^— WW— 



RECRUITING WORN OUT LANDS. 

 In this day's paper, page 364, will be seen a 

 detail of an important experiment by a Mr. 

 Lawton, for recruiting a field which had become 

 barren by neglect, or improper management. 

 This experiment seems to have been conducted 

 in a mode analogous to, but in some respects 

 different from what is called turning iyi green 

 crops for manure. The first and second crops 

 of clover, including two years of the experi- 

 ment, were not ploughed in, but left to rot on 

 the ground. The third year produced a crop 

 which was worth ploughing in. The two first 

 crops were, properly speaking, smothering crops. 

 We believe that almost any soil may be made 

 productive by being protected from the rays of 

 the sun, and at the same lime exposed to the 

 action of the atmosphere. Every farmer knows 

 that the earth under a wood shed, a dwelling 

 house, or any other building, if the air has free 

 access to it, soon becomes fertile without ma- 

 nure, and even salt petre may be made of it, 

 from nitrous particles, which it must have im- 

 bibed exclusively from the atmosphere. It is 

 well worth consideration whether clover, peas, 

 millet, buck wheat, white lupin, or any other 

 crop intended to recruit an exhausted soil, may 

 not as well or better, in many instances, be suf- 

 fered to rot on the ground, as be turned in. At 

 least it cannot be doubted but more benefit 

 would be derived to a sandy soil from the shade 

 afforded by a small crop, than from the manure 

 such crop might afford by ploughing it in. But 

 if the object of the farmer in sowing his land 

 is either to shade it, manure it, or to cut the 

 crop for soiling, or giving green to cattle, he 

 can hardly be too liberal of the seed applied. 



DAVIS' PLOUGH. 

 An experiment was made on Saturday last, in 

 the presence of many citizens, on one of the 

 vacant sciuares of this city, to test the value of 

 the Stibstratum Plough, of which Gideon Davis 

 is the Inventor and Proprietor. From so limit- 

 ed an experiment, a conclusive opinion could 

 not be formed ; but the impressions of those 

 who understand the subject appeared to be de- 



cidedly favorable to the plough as an important 

 implement for pulverizing the earth far beyond 

 the ordinary depth of the plough, and as parti- 

 cularly adapted to put ground in the best condi- 

 tion lor Indian corn and all root crops. This 

 plouf'h stirs the ground to the depth of from 

 ten to eighteen inches--the average depth of 

 its running being probably over twelve inches. 

 Some idea of the value of the Invention may 

 be gathered from this fact. — J\'at. Intelligencer. 



HEAD ACHES AND APOPLEXY. 



From a Medical work entitled ' Farmer on Head Aches.' 



The alarming increase of apoplectic fits for 



several years past, has naturally given rise to 



the question. What do they proceed from ? 



Various opinions have been given by writers on 

 the subject, but none appear to be satisfactory. 

 IVow, from all the consideration I have given 

 to the subject, and coupling it with many cor- 

 roborative circumstances, I find no hesitation in 

 coming to the conclusion, that the prevalency 

 of apoplexy is owing, in a great measure, ta 

 the introduction of the custom of wertring cra- 

 vats. This observation will appear less extra- 

 ordinary, when we call to mind the fact that 

 this addition to our dress was not adopted until 

 the 16th century, previous to which period the 

 disorder in question was met with but as one to 

 three compared to the present. In that day the 

 neck was divested of every kind of covering, 

 except a slight frill which contained no warmth, 

 and instead of detracting from dignity, it added 

 much to the majesty of the countenance. A 

 mere shirt collar was worn on the neck by some 

 people, but it did not operate in augmenting 

 vascular action there. 



But I find another proof of the feasibility of 

 my remarks, by the circumstance of females 

 being less liable to apoplexy than the opposite 

 sex, although the nature of their economy might 

 be supposed to lead much oftener to the com- 

 plaint. Now we find that their necks are not 

 enveloped in padded ligatures, and consequently 

 the proportion of sudden deaths amongst them 

 is much less than in men. 



FOKEIGA. 

 FROM FR^^ACE .4.VZ> SP.9I.X. 



Bordeaux and Cadiz papers to the 25th of April, 

 have been received in New York and this city. By 

 these we learn that the royalist Gen. Morales had been 

 taken in an action at Carneja. The government of 

 Spain had ollicially declared war against France, and 

 had ordered out many public and private vessels against 

 the commerce of the invading country. Tranquillity 

 prevailed at Madrid, but the spirit and enthusiasm of 

 the Spanish people had not abated. The French army 

 was making a slow and cautious progress towards Mad- 

 rid, and according to their own accounts preserve ex. 

 celient discipline, but the Spanish say that they com. 

 mit great excesses. The national troops have fought 

 bravely in the Province of Bilboa, but retreated before 

 the superior numbers of their opponents. The French 

 have levied, according to their own statements, a con- 

 tribution of -lOO suits of clothes on Bilboa. The Span 

 iards say that the contribution was 8000 dollars. At 

 Madrid preparations were making for giving the French 

 such a reception as may make them repent of their 

 temerity in undertaking to dragoon their neighbors 

 into despotism. The guerille or partizan bands (A 

 Spaniards have begun their operations with much 

 vi°;or. The militia of Saragossa have volunteered 

 their ser\ices during the war, and a band of Royalist 

 troops, consisting of 2000, have been completely beatea 

 at Santiague. 



Logiono. — The capture of this city is announced ia 

 an olficial despatch from the French General, in whicbi 



i 



