366 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



characteristic of a soil, which gives rise to a 

 fuitlier division of 



'.). Vegetable niouhls, which are of various 

 kitids, from the garden motdtl, which contains 

 from five to ten per cent., to the peaty soil, in 

 which the organic matter may amount to sixty 

 or seventy. These soils are also clayey, 

 loamy or sandy, according to the predominant 

 character of the earthy admixtures. 



The management of these soils would re- 

 quire (juite a diversity of practice, some ac- 

 count of which may be referred to in another 

 article. 



THE HAY CROP. 



The grass crop of New England, is its 

 staple crop. It not only sustains our domestic 

 animals but, indirectly, sustains man himself. 

 Of the grain crop, we import largely, but we 

 have a surplus of hay, which has always found 

 a demand, both abroad and at home. Thou- 

 sands of tons have been formerly sent into the 

 Southern States, where the soil, under proper 

 culture, would produce two or three tons to 

 the acre. And yet. Southern planters have 

 had very little land devoted to this important 

 crop. More recently, however, they have 

 discovered that most grasses flourish on their 

 soils, especially those which are dressed Avith 

 marl, vast pits of which exist in various locali- 

 ties, or where some of the phosphoric fertil- 

 izers are used. An incident occurred, how- 

 ever, several years ago, in North Carolina, 

 which attracted the attention of planters, and 

 probably had a wide influence in introducing 

 a more general culture of the grasses. 



An observing gentleman had been invited 

 to deliver an address before an agricultural 

 association which was to hold its meeting in 

 the city of Raleigh. With his written address 

 in his pocket, he arrived at the city quite early 

 in the morning, and on going to his hotel 

 noticed several drays heavily loaded with 

 bales of hay on their way from vessel to ware- 

 house. On passing through the market-place, 

 after breakfast, he found plenty of New Eng- 

 land hay on the stand for sale. Upon inquiry, 

 he learned that large quantities of northern 

 hay were annually brought to that market, 

 and there found a ready sale at an average 

 price of about $30 per ton ! 



Ashamed of a practice so common among 

 the planters, of not producing their own hay, 

 and which he had, perhaps, been influential in 



perpetuating, he thrust his written address 

 into the bottom of his valise, and devoted the 

 remainder of the time to writing a new one, 

 for the following day. In this he clearly un- 

 folded the favorable conditions of their own 

 soil and climate for producing the grasses for 

 hay crops, and the facilities for enriching the 

 soil. He then presented the statistics of im- 

 portation, and the annual cost to the Southei'n 

 States for hay exported principally from New 

 England, and closed with a scathing rebuke 

 for the neglect of the valuable opportunities 

 which they might enjoy. From that period, 

 and especially, cjuite recently, an increased 

 breadth of land has been devoted to grass 

 crops in the Southern States. Still, however, 

 we are informed, that pressed hay is quite an 

 important article of export from our seaports, 

 and that some jiortion of it finds its way to 

 our neighbors in those States. While we are 

 thankful for an open market lor the surplus 

 products of our farms, we still think the policy 

 of our Southern friends in neglecting the cul- 

 tivation of the grasses about as wise as that 

 suggested by some of our own people to neg- 

 lect the culture of the Indian corn crop here. 

 Where soils are suitable, let each section cul- 

 tivate both. 



The season of our hay harvest is near at 

 hand, and notwithstanding the untold amount 

 of experience which has been gained in the 

 matter, a considerable diversity of opinion 

 still exists as to the best modes of curing and 

 preserving it. As its value depends very 

 much upon tlie time Avhen it is cut, it is worth 

 while to give special attention to this point. 

 The true answer to a single question, would 

 be all that is necessary to settle it. 



The great effort of nature is in animals and 

 plants, to continue their kind. All sacrifices, 

 and difficulties of every sort, will be encoun- 

 tered, and overcome, if possible, to accom- , 

 plish this end. So it is -with plants. Cut 

 them down in the midst of their vigor ; trample 

 them in the dust ; deprive them of moisture, 

 or bhut them out from the sun's rays, and they 

 will still struggle to throw out a single branch 

 in order to perfect a single seed, if that is all 

 they can do. This is the effort which the 

 grasses are constantly making ; for which 

 they attain height, in order to come to light 

 and air ; throw out blossoms and pollen to 

 fructify each other. Then the seed is formed, 



