THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



59 



ver, one-half compressed and smoothed like the 

 rest. 



"After the one-half of the divisions, Nos. 4, 

 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, were compressed by treading 

 upon them, and smoothing them with the back 

 of a spade, the one-half of each of the nine di- 

 visions in the opposite direction received an or- 

 dinary liming. The weather, for some time after 

 the 12th, was mild, and sufficiently moist to for- 

 ward germination. Nos. 1, 2 and 3, were in an 

 active state of germination on the 19th day of 

 the month; No. 4 on the 21st, and the com- 

 pressed division not till the 25th ; No. 5 on the 

 24th, and the compressed and limed division not 

 till the 1st of June, the other some time after- 

 wards; No. 6 germinated only on the limed di- 

 visions ; the uncompressed about the middle, and 

 towards the end of June ; No. 7 exhibited at this 

 time, no appearance of clover, and afterwards a 

 few plants appeared on the limed divisions, some 

 time after the removal of the weeds which had 

 germinated upon it ; and this operation, no doubt, 

 promoted both the action of the lime and the 

 germination of the seeds, by allowing the air 

 more ready access to those parts from which the 

 roots had been extracted ; and also, not impro- 

 bably, by bringing some of the clover seeds 

 nearer the surface. On Nos. 8 and 9 we had 

 no clover plants in the course of the season. — 

 On Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, we could observe no dif- 

 ference on account of the lime, though applied 

 in a hot or caustic state ; and the. reason we 

 conceive why it had no influence on these divi- 

 sions was because they were placed under cir- 

 cumstances so favorable to germination that it 

 was effected before the action of the lime com- 

 menced ; and that on Nos. 5, 6 and 7, which 

 were under circumstances less favorable, the 

 germination did not take place till stimulated by 

 the action of the lime ; and whether it will have 

 any influence on Nos. 8 and 9 3 next summer 

 will show. 



" The practical inference we would draw from 

 these experiments, in the first place, is this — Is 

 the present system of sowing clover calculated 

 to promote germination 1 We have no hesita- 

 tion in saying that it is precisely the reverse ; 

 for, when sown with rye-grass seed and har- 

 rowed in, in the usual way> it cannot fail to be 

 too deeply covered, and the consequence of the 

 rolling, which is now a general practice, must 

 also increase the evil. It is, perhaps, from this 

 cause that we always see the best braird of clo- 

 ver on the hard and gravelly parts of the field, 

 and we, therefore, conclude that that is the land 

 best suited for its growth, when, in fact, we are 

 inclined to think that, under the present system 

 of sowing, harrowing, and rolling, it is only the 

 best adapted for -the germination of the seed 

 from its more permeable nature. It might be 

 worthy of investigation to ascertain how far the 

 present system of management will account for 



the falling off of the crops of red clover, which 

 has been experienced for some years back ; for 

 the germination of the seed of this plant requires 

 circumstances not less favorable than that of the 

 white. To ascertain this point, it would only 

 require to be sown by itself, after the rye-grass 

 is harrowed in, and might be tried either with 

 or without rolling. 



"There is another practical application that 

 may also be drawn from the view we have ad- 

 vanced regarding the action of lime upon de- 

 composable matter. We have imputed to this 

 action nearly the whole benefit resulting to the- 

 crop from its application. If this view is well 

 founded, it must folio w that its application to 

 land which naturally contains but little, or which 

 has been- exhausted of its decomposable matter 

 by overcropping, or otherwise, (for much plough- 

 ing, by exposing the soil to the action of the 

 atmosphere, also tends to decompose animal or 

 vegetable matter, and the crops to exhaust it,) 

 can be attended with little or no advantage, and 

 it is from this cause that the first application of 

 lime is always attended with the best effect 

 from the undiminished accumulation of this mat- 

 ter in the soil. The application of dung or any 

 other manure to the soil, to use a familiar Illus- 

 tration, is like giving a feed of corn to a horse — 

 it tends to strengthen and nourish ; while lime 

 may be regarded as the application of the whip 

 or spur — it imparts no new strength, but stimu- 

 lates into action the power which previously 

 existed." 



RAISING TURKEYS. 



Soon after the turkey-poults have acquired 

 their first feathers, they are liable to a disease 

 which is very fatal to them, if not attended to. 

 This distemper produces great debility, and the 

 birds appear languid and drooping, and almost 

 totally neglect their food. Their tail and wing- 

 feathers assume a whitish appearance, and their 

 plumage has a bristled aspect. This is occa- 

 sioned by a disease in two or three of the rump- 

 feathers. On examination the tubes of these 

 will be found filled with blood. The only re- 

 medy for this disease is to pluck them out, when 

 the bird will speedily acquire its wonted health 

 and spirits. 



In fattening turkeys for the table, various me- 

 thods are resorted to. Some feed them on barley 

 meal mixed with skim-milk, and confine them 

 a-coop during this time; others merely confine 

 them to a house ; while a third class allow them 

 to run quite at liberty; which latter practice, 

 from the experience of those on whose judgment 

 we can most rely, is by far the best method. — 

 Care should, however, be taken to feed them 

 abundantly before they are allowed to range 

 about in the morning, and a meal should also be 

 prepared for them at mid-day, to which they 



