Proceedings of the Farmers^ Club. 357 



better than now. In fact ray meadows, under tlie right treatment, 

 grow better as they grow older. I do it by returning to a meadow 

 all the manure the hay made that was taken from it, and sowing a 

 bushel of gypsum per acre each year. In that way the yield of grass 

 is heavier and finer and richer as the sod thickens. I use manure 

 only for top-dressing the meadows ; in that way I get double price 

 for it. It produces as much worth of grass as it would in grain, and 

 also reproduces itself again in the turf. My turf, when ready for 

 plowing under, is a solid body of grass roots, twelve inches deep or 

 more, and so thick on the top that no soil can be seen. I consider 

 one such turf, when turned under, equal to 160 tons of first-class 

 barn-yard manure per acre. 



Land so often plowed for grain, gives up to the grain all the bone, 

 beef and tallow there is in it ; consequently, the grass crop is so des- 

 titute of nutriment that farm stock will not thrive well upon it with- 

 out grain a portion of the season. It furnishes a plenty of skin and 

 rib, as the cattle are witnesses, but the fiesh is minus. Grass grown 

 upon land kept in the right kind of order for grass, will keep stock 

 in first rate order at all seasons of the year. I have seen it tried in 

 both M^ajj^s, and know whereof I speak. Raising grain on a piece of 

 ground, three seasons to two of grass enriches it in the same ratio 

 that paying three dollars for two dollars would enrich a man. Like 

 produces like in grass as in breeding— consequently manure made of 

 good hay is the best for meadows. It stands to reason for meadows 

 to grow better when their own production is honestly returned to 

 them. Many of our writers on agriculture have incomes from other 

 sources beside their farm, and can follow any system of rotation and 

 have plenty of time and leisure. But the man who begins at the 

 foot of the hill, runs in debt for two-thirds of his farm, all of his stock 

 and tools, then clears his land of stone and stumps, walls it in, 

 enriches it, and puts on the buildings, and raises a familyof children, 

 must sound all the depths of true economy ; in that case he must not 

 raise too much grain, if he does the sheriff will sell some of it for 

 him. 



Grape Vines from Leaves. 



Mr. Joseph Harris, Moundsville, W. Va., enclosed a statement in 

 these words : " Having made a visit to the propagating house of 

 Messrs. J. and H. Harris, and upon examination of their grape vines, 

 was shown some that had been grown from the leaves, with no 

 i^ood or bark attached. The leaves being stripped from the vines 



