THE SOUTHE 



RN PLANTER. 



277 



For the Southern Planter. 

 TWO BLADES OF GRASS, &c. 



Yes, Mr. Editor, whilst politicians are bab- 

 bling and scrambling after v>ffice, let us act the 

 noble part of teaching the art of making two 

 blades of grass to grow where only one grew 

 before. It is either pride, or selfishness, or 

 laziness, which withholds the hand of any 

 man from publishing that, the knowledge of 

 which, might be a benefit to mankind. 



By deep ploughing I have made some of my 

 lands to produce from two to ten, where only 

 one grew before. Even sandy lands are im- 

 proved by deep tilth; but clay lands, deeply 

 ploughed, will in dry weather absorb much 

 ammonia and other enriching matter from the 

 atmosphere; and the poorer the land and larger 

 the clods the more atmosphere will be absorbed. 

 If this be so (and no reflecting man will doubt 

 it) then no man should hesitate in the pre- 

 mises, but get ready and go to work with a 

 strong team and plough. It is true, neverthe- 

 less, that some red clays although rich in am- 

 monia, and deeply ploughed, remain yet stiff 

 and clammy, to the injury of the crop; but 

 such can be made porous by ploughing down 

 any kind of vegetable matter. Both white 

 and ash colored clays broken deep in spring, 

 and left to the operations of nature, will in 

 two years, without other help, absorb ammo- 

 nia sufficient to make them rich and porous; 

 provided the clods are not interrupted, nor a 

 crop taken from the land. But to hasten the 

 operation so as to attain the object in half this 

 time, it is only necessary to sow on each acre 

 about two bushels of marine salt, (common 

 salt,) and one of plaster. The salt will ox- 

 ydize the particles of iron in the earth, thus 

 adding ammonia, and the plaster will force a 

 heavy crop of weeds and grass, thus adding 

 vegetable matter. Remember that for this 

 purpose the ploughing should be done in spring, 

 and when the ground is wet; so as to leave 

 the clods as large as possible. Now suppose 

 the ploughing, salting and plastering to cost 

 two dollars the acre, and the second year a 

 crop of oats taken, how might stand the case? 

 Land improved, produce 25 bushels 



to the acre, at 35 cents, is $8 75 



Improvement worth 3 25 



$12 00 



Land not improved, produce 10 bush- 

 els the acre, at 35 cents, is 3 50 



Clear gain one year, $8 50 



And the annual profit to increase to the end 

 of time, if the land is properly managed. 



I have noticed on the canal, some twenty to 

 fifty miles above Richmond, many lots of ash 

 colored e\i\y land, which in their present con- 

 dition cannot yield a profitable crop of any 

 kind. If these were mine I would manage 

 them thus. With three or four horses plough 

 into beds of sixteen feet width. First year, 



salt, plaster, no crop. Second year, oats and 

 grass; the fallowing done in January or Feb- 

 ruary by like team and plough, as above, and 

 casting the beds higher. Third year, rest in 

 grass, only grazing lightly. Fourth year, 

 wheat or corn, and afterwards as you please. 

 The beds,- after the wheat or corn, can be re- 

 versed, and after two or three more elevations 

 the crowns of the beds will be near three feet 

 above the original water furrows; and thus 

 the land will be sufficiently dry, healthy and 

 rich for wheat or any other profitable crop. — 

 Lands which produce no profit, are to the 

 holder worth absolutely nothing. Rich lands, 

 lying well and convenient to market, have 

 never yet, in Virginia, sold at their value, par- 

 ticularly on the Blue Ridge. The owner of 

 poor lands, who is too indolent or poor to im- 

 prove them, should sell to a man of energy. 

 The owner of rich lands, in a healthy locality, 

 should keep them, for he cannot do better. 



On very poor land for improvement alone I 

 would sow red top, and rib wort, or narrow 

 plantain. The best hay grass, on ordinary 

 white or ash coloted land, is the red top. On 

 rich wet bottom I would prefer the velvet 

 grass; or the red top w ill do very well. For 

 rich and warm dry land I would prefer red 

 clover mixed with orchard grass or Kentucky 

 blue grass. For cold localities timothy is ex- 

 cellent. 



For grazing purposes alone, the greensward 

 and white clover is superior, but if it be in- 

 tended that these should take naturally, it is 

 perhaps more advisable to sow artificial grasses, 

 that these may check the growth of pests, such 

 as cinguefoil, sheep sorrel, &c. and serve also 

 for pasture till the natural grasses have pos- 

 session. 



All surplus straw should be sprinkled lightly 

 over poor places of the oat crop, over which 

 sow one bushel of plaster to the acre, and at 

 least two blades may be expected where only 

 one grew before. And here, I would remark, 

 that the cleaner and purer the straw for this 

 purpose the better; for surely that which is 

 best food for a cow, is also best food for the 

 earth. 



The best time for sowing grass seed with 

 wheat or rye, is on snow in the month of Jan- 

 uary or February. By sowing on the snow it 

 is done the more perfect, and by sowing thus 

 early the frosts will put in the seeds to the 

 proper depth, and the grass will have sufficient 

 root to withstand the frost of the following 

 winter, if grass seeds be sowed with oats, 

 then both should be sowed early and at the 

 same time, and harrowed in. 



1 am the advocate of thick planting and 

 sowing generally, but especially would I sow 

 grass seeds thick, that thereby full possession 

 may be taken to the exclusion of natural 

 grasses and weeds. I speak from experience. 



Za. Drummond. 



Amherst, 1850. 



