THE SOUTHE 



RN PLANTER. 



59 



fourths litter, as is often the case. Whatever 

 may be the measure of oats, not less than half 

 a bushel of good grass seed should be put to the 

 acre ; they can't be too thick. Of badly cleaned 

 seed, 1 put a bushel or more to the acre. 



2d. " Whether or not will the grass seed bear 

 being got in with small turning ploughs'?" It 

 may be a labor-saving plan ; but, by it, most of 

 the seed will probably be lost. It is a small 

 feeble spire at first. Even if the seed germi- 

 nate, it cannot make its way through a superin- 

 cumbent mass of earth from two to four inches 

 thick, especially when run together and hardened 

 by rain, wind and sun. I advise that the grass 

 seed be sown mixed with ashes and plaster of 

 Paris, after the oats have been ploughed in, if 

 they must be so got in. Then brush the land ; 

 or, if you do not brush, the grass seed will stand 

 a better chance on the surface than turned under 

 by the plough. 



3d. " Will herdsgrass seed take on wheat 

 land, seeded in winter or spring 1 ?" Yes; sow 

 now — sow all winter, and early in spring ; and, 

 on good land, you are likely to do well. When 

 the wheat is taken off, the young grass is in 

 danger from the scorching sun, as is especially 

 the case on the oat land, when the oats are cut 

 off. To guard against this calamity, as much 

 as possible, sow the land with plaster soon after 

 harvest. In a dry season, this should not be 

 neglected. 



4th. "What preparation," &c. "for a hay 

 meadow ?" Answer. Make the best selection 

 you can of land. It should be rich. If not 

 rich, make it so. If so situated that you can 

 water it at pleasure, it is a very valuable consi- 

 deration. Keep it well cultivated through the 

 spring and summer — if without a crop, the bet- 

 ter. In the latter part of August or in Septem- 

 ber give the land a fresh stirring, make it fine 

 and smooth, and sow it down, while fresh, with 

 about one bushel of good, clean seed to the acre, 

 and in all probability, next August you will be 

 paid for your labor. Seed sown at that period 

 avoids the scorching summer sun, and gains 

 strength to stand the frost of winter. Let the 

 first cutting be delayed till the seed is ripe ; thus 

 the thin spots, if any, will become thickly set. 

 Fail not to cut over the whole surface, though 

 it appear thin and unprofitable.' It must be done 

 lo destroy the rising weeds and briers, and give 

 entire ascendency to the herdsgrass. The se- 

 cond year's crop will convince you, that that the 

 process is a good one. I have said more than 

 I expected when 1 commenced this subject. I 

 did not know how to say less. If it can be of 

 any service to your correspondent, let him have 

 it. 



Yours, respectfully, 



Cumberland. 



January 17, 1844. 



AYRSHIRE COWS. 

 We have seen nothing to change the opinion 

 heretofore expressed, that the Ayrshire was the 

 stock best adapted to the short herbage and 

 rough usage to which milch cows are subjected 

 in Virginia. We do not mean that they will 

 give extraordinary quantities of milk, or even 

 live long, on hen's grass, but we are satisfied 

 that they are more hardy and better adapted to 

 our soil and habits than their more lordly and 

 luxuriant rivals, the Durhams. We had no idea, 

 however, that they approximated, as milkers, 

 the quantities with which they are credited in 

 the following report. We are indebted for this 

 paper to the kindness of a friend ; it is the re- 

 port made by Mr. Randall, as Chairman of the 

 Committee on Ayrshire Stock, to the American 

 Institute last fall, and is now published for the 

 first time : 



H Mr. President and Gentlemen, — Your Com- 

 mittee have very imperfectly attended to the 

 duty assigned thern by you, last evening, and 

 offer as an excuse, that a portion of them have 

 been occupied by a very arduous task among 

 the cattle on the show ground, as judges on 

 stock. They are prepared, however, from the 

 limited knowledge they have of the Ayrshire 

 breed of cattle, and from the best information 

 they have been able to procure, to offer the fol- 

 lowing as their report : 



"The Ayrshire cows are of medium size, 

 their average living weight about eight hundred 

 and ninety pounds. Their peculiarities are as 

 follows : — They are low in the leg, and fine in 

 the bone, with a round and capacious barrel — 

 rather heavy in the hind quarter — straight on 

 the back — the neck and head very light — the 

 neck well set on — no dewlap — horns small, 

 short and clear — the tail very small — a true 

 taper in the barrel from the back rib to shoul- 

 ders — fore quarters light — the udder an oblong 

 square, rounded off on lower part, and running 

 far forward — their teats small and well spread ; 

 they are a very hardy race of animals, with 

 good constitutions, and when dry, disposed to 

 take on flesh quickly. Your Committee are of 

 the opinion that the Ayrshire breed of cattle 

 stand unrivalled as a dairy breed, and will give a 

 better return in milk and butter, for the food con- 

 sumed, than any breed of cattle now known. 



" It is a fact well established, that the beef of 

 the Ayrshire breed will sell in the Glasgow and 

 Edinborough market for one penny per pound 

 more than that of any other breed. 



"Your Committee have, from their own know- 

 ledge and from information from such sources as 

 can be relied on, ascertained that the average 

 quantity of milk from common Ayrshire cows 



