426 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



the feudal character is weakened by the de- 

 struction of the game ; parks themselves are 

 attacked as depriving the plough of too much 

 space. At the same time, property is under- 

 going a change ; it is being divided, and in 

 part passing into new hands ; while the far- 

 mer, with long leases, becomes more and more 

 enfranchized from the authority of his land- 

 lord. 



There is involved in all this more than an 

 agricultural question — the whole body of Eng- 

 lish society is affected by it. It must not be 

 supposed that the English make no revolu- 

 tions ; on the contrary, they revolutionize to 

 a great extent ; they are always at it, but in 

 their own quiet way : thus they attempt only 

 what is possible and really useful; and one 

 may be sure that at the close there will be 

 complete satisfaction without the' entire de- 

 struction of the past. 



Clover as an Improver of Wheat. 

 Gloucester Co., June 2, 1857. 

 Editor of the Southern Planter : 



Bear Sir — I read with some surprise the 

 opinions of some of our most distinguish- 

 ed farmers, expressed at the Farmers' 

 meeting at the Exchange Hotel in April 

 last, on the use of clover as an improver 

 for wheat. 



It has been my earnest endeavour ever 

 since I commenced farming to get the hea- 

 viest growth of clover I possibly could to 

 turn under for wheat. I have succeeded 

 occasionally on small fields in having a 

 growth (after cutting off the first crop, 

 which is always the heaviest) that I con- 

 sidered about two tons to the- acre, and 

 have never failed to make (what we call) 

 heavy crops of wheat whenever I have 

 had this growth of clover to turn under, 

 say from 28 to 32 bushels to the acre. 



I have, however, failed to make half as 

 much wheat on a lot on which the clover 

 was allowed to mature, and upon which 

 the stock were turned, and the land close- 

 ly grazed before fallowing. 



I am the more forcibly struck with the 

 singularity of the custom of turning stock 

 on clover "as soon as they can get a bite," 

 since I read the very able lecture of Mr. 

 Nesbit, published in your May number, 

 which I suppose was alluded to by Mr. 

 Dulany in this meeting. The lands that 

 these gentlemen make 42 bushels of wheat 

 to the acre on, must be rich indeed, and 

 must be kept up to this great state of fertili- 

 ty by the application of other fertilizers 

 than that of clover seed, for I can conceive 



of no benefit under the system of grazing 

 " as soon as the stock can get a bite" (ex- 

 cept from the application of the seed) 

 either to the land or stock, and until the 

 clover is partially matured, I have consid- 

 ered it rather a disadvantage to most kinds 

 of stock to put them on it, certainly of no 

 great advantage to any kind. I 'have 

 great respect for the opinions of these dis- 

 tinguished gentlemen in any matter relat- 

 ing to agriculture, and would like*exceed- 

 ingly well to be able to imitate them in 

 making 42 bushels of wheat to the acre, 

 but before I follow the example of turning 

 stock on clover "as soon as they can get 

 a bite," I would like to know if this has 

 been their system any length of time, or 

 if until within a few years past they have 

 not given their lands a great deal of vege- 

 table matter by turning under heavy cov- 

 ers of wheat straw, as well as clover. 



Mr. D. says for Mr. S. that if he did 

 not turn his cattle on the clover " as soon 

 as they can get a bite, and graze as closely 

 as possible," he would make no wheat. — 

 Does he mean by this, that if he allowed 

 the clover to grow and turned it under, 

 his growth of wheat would be so rank that 

 it would all fall down, or does he mean 

 that he would not have growth enough to 

 make a crop; if the former, I can imagine 

 the clover turned under would be objec- 

 tionable, but if the latter, I cannot con- 

 ceive how the growth would be improved 

 by allowing the clover to grow until the 

 cattle could "get a bite." I suppose the 

 former must be the case with them, and 

 that the clover grows so luxuriantly that 

 they are obliged to turn stock on it at this 

 early stage to keep it under. Then I am 

 at a loss to understand how they are bene- 

 fited by the use of clover; if the clover 

 matures, the stock are benefited, and they 

 make no wheat ; if it is kept under by the 

 stock and not allowed to mature, I cannot 

 think the stock are much benefited, but 

 they make fine crops of wheat. What 

 benefit have they derived from the clover. 

 Will some of these gentlemen please tell 

 us ? 



A word about our wheat crops in this 

 section, and I will occupy no more of your 

 valuable space. The appearance of the 

 crop has varied much during the Spring, 

 at one time, early, looking as if we could 

 not make seed, then improving a little and 

 then falling off again. At this time they 



