THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



70 



THE SNOW STORM OF JANUARY 17th 

 AND 18th. INFORMATION WANTED 

 IN REGARD TO IT. 



We hope that all who keep Meteorological 

 Journals will send extracts from them as re- 

 quested in the subjoined note of Lieutenant 

 Maury : 



Observatory, Washington, | 

 January 23rd, 1857. j 



Mr. Editor: — The great snow storm of 1857, 

 commenced here about midnight of the 17th; 

 where did it begin, which way, and how fast 

 did it travel, and where did it end? 



These, with othier circumstances connected 

 with it, are interesting points of inquiry, and 

 if those of your readers who keep meteorologi- 

 cal journals will send me an extract from them 

 for a week, commencing January 14th, and if 

 those who do not keep journals will report 

 when the storm began and ended with them, 

 the amount of snow that fell, and the way the 

 wind blew, I shall have materials enough to 

 go into the investigation. 



Will you do me the favor to say that I will 

 be much obliged to any of your readers who 

 will have the kindness to give me such infor- 

 mation through the Post-Office. 



Respectfully, &c, 



M. F. MAURY. 



F. G. Rxjffin, Esq., 

 Ed. Southern Planter, 

 Richmond, Va. 



From the Boston Cultivator. 

 GRASS SEEDS. 



Messrs. Editors — Believing, that we hold far 

 too large a portion of our land under the plow, 

 and satisfied that at least one-half our cultiva- 

 ted lands should be devoted to the grass crop, 

 either as mowing or pasture ground, with the 

 view, however, of periodically taking portions 

 of these into cultivation and laying down as 

 much in extent from the cultivated lands in 

 their stead — a system that has been very prop- 

 erly denominated "convertible husbandry " — I 

 would impress upon my friends who are placed 

 in the same , circumstances with myself, a far 

 more careful consideration of the business than 

 I am free to confess, I myself have ever before 

 bestowed upon it; satisfied that lands thus de- 

 voted would be found to recover their fruitful- 

 ness while under a periodical lay, far more 

 speedily than they would do by the most judi- 

 cious treatment they could receive while under 

 a Course of cropping, recommending however, 

 a regular dressing of some sort, administered 

 yearly, during that season of repose and rest, 

 in the best acceptation of the term; ample proof 

 of which would be furnished, when it should 

 again be returned to tillage. 



In p\y reading, I have met with the following 

 judicious, interesting and instructive remarks", 



which I would be pleased to see reproduced in 

 some future column of the Cultivator, as they 

 come to the very point at which I am aiming, 

 namely, to show the value and importance of 

 the first step in advance of the desirable object 

 in view, namely, a proper attention to the quan 

 tity and quality of the seeds of the different 

 grasses usually sown, and by which much of 

 the after-success, or the want of it, may be sup- 

 posed to depend. Here folloAvs the author's ar- 

 ticle, and accompanying it my warmest washes 

 for the success of your labors. W. B. C. 



"A very knowing man gave it as his opinion, 

 ' that whoever could make two ears of corn, or 

 two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of 

 ground where only one grew before, would de- 

 serve better of mankind, and do more essential 

 service to his country, than the whole race of 

 politicians put together.' Now although the 

 mass of noisy politicians, who wish to fatten, 

 not by making grass or corn grow, but by lug- 

 ging fiercely at the public teat, may incline to 

 controvert this opinion, yet it is presumed that 

 the plain, honest, industrious farmers of our 

 country, who gain a livelihood by close atten- 

 tion to agricultural pursuits will incline to think 

 more favorably of it. Being myself a believer 

 in the opinion, has induced me take up my 

 pen, with a view of pointing out to my friends 

 and neighbors, what may be done the coming 

 spring towards accomplishing so desirable an 

 object. 



. It is now universally admitted that neither 

 grass nor grain or indeed any plant whatever 

 can be produced without seed ; and that when- 

 ever we Wish to produce any particular plant 

 we must sow or plant the proper seed to pro-, 

 duce it. In sowing the seeds of the artificial 

 grasses, it should ioe borne in mind, that you 

 will not have more spears or grass plants than 

 the number of seeds sown, and not even that 

 number, for more or less of them, from various 

 causes will fail to vegetate or be destroyed. If 

 it is desired to have the plants numerous, the 

 seeds must be thickly dispersed ; it is true, 

 many seed cost more than a few, but the' object- 

 being to obtain a full crop of grass, this can 

 only be obtained by being liberal in the appli- 

 cation of seed ; let those who wish only a very 

 moderate return of grass, sow the seed thin, 

 very thin, and they will accomplish the object ; 

 they may have the plants six- inches or a foot 

 distant from each other if they are careful to 

 put the seeds far enough apart. 



Being desirous of ascertaining the number 

 of seeds of the kinds usually sown which would 

 fill a bushel measure, I recently caused to be 

 accurately weighed the one-sixteenth part of 

 an ounce avoirdupois of the kinds designated 

 below; the seeds in each parcel were then care- 

 fully counted, from which it was ascertained 

 the number of them contained in a pound, and 

 also the number contained in. a bushel, the 

 weight of which was known. The seeds were 

 all perfectly clean, and the best of their kind. 



