VOLUME III. NO. 11. 
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ROCHESTER, N. Y-THURSDAY, MARCH II, 1851 
WHOLE NO. 115. 
PBOGKESS AND 1MPUOVEMEJJT. 
/ - - 
SOWING CLOVER SEED-GYPSUM, &c. 
!! [ Clover takes an important part in that 
i system of rotation by which the fertility of 
| our farms and their power of producing 
1 good crops of wheat have been kept up, 
lienee we may be excused for its frequent 
jj mention in our attempts to promote the 
1 practical interests of our agricultural 
3 readers. At the present time, when most 
§ farmers are preparing to sow clover and 
grass seed, some remarks upon tho quality 
and quantity of seed and the time of sow¬ 
ing, and other thoughts connected with the 
culture aid management of the crop, will 
be well- timed, and, it is hoped, of value. 
Clover was introduced into this country 
from Germany, about eighty years since, 
and with it, the use of Gypsum or plaster 
of Paris. These together—the plant and 
i its stimulant—had worked wonders in Flem¬ 
ish and English agriculture, yet it was long 
before they became generally known and 
valued here. It is now, however, almost 
universally grown for hay and pasture, and 
for plowing under as a green manure wher¬ 
ever tho. wheat crop is tho staple product. 
Several varieties, known as the large, small 
and medium kinds are cultivated, but in 
this section the latter prevails most exten- 
) sivcly, and is thought, on*the whole, to be 
► tho most valuable. As to the quality of the 
( seed, great care should be taken that only 
good, pure seed bo sown. Foul weeds—the 
rod root, daisy and others—have sometimes 
been disseminated in seed brought from dis- 
tnnf- localities, over noIgMini-liomL boiOxo 
free from these posts of the farmer. 
As to tho quantity of seed proper to be 
sown, great economy has been practiced— 
an economy which has resulted in great 
loss to tho farmer. To save fivo dollars 
worth of seed they have lost twenty dollars 
in hay and pasturage. In .England, from 
one-third to one-fourth of a bushel is sown 
per acre, and, when several varieties are 
mixed for permanent meadow or pasture, 1 
tho whole amount used is often from two 
to three bushels. Where tho soil is rich, s 
less seed is required, as is the case with all 1 
grains and grasses. Arthur Young, an emi- I 
nent English farmer, who tried many ex- 1 
poriments to determine this question, says, s 
“ Of Clover, up to one-third of a bushel, the 
more seed the better.” 
A correspondent of the Albany Cultiva¬ 
tor, by way of experiment, and to show the c 
advantages of a good supply of seed, sowed t 
in tho spring of 1850 a piece of ground to j 
grass at tho rate of ono bushel of seed per f 
acre, or half a bushel of Clover and the ;< 
saino quantity of Timothy. In less than two 
months, tho field afforded a prodigious ^ 
amount of pasturage—full twice as much p 
through tho season, by estimate, as ordinary t . 
good pastures. Tho next year tho grass t ] 
was allowed to grow for hay, and tho pro- q 
duct, cut early in July, was throe and a half n 
tons per acre. The soil was of ordinary 
fertility only, and would not probably have j r 
yielded more than twenty-five bushels of 0( 
corn per acre. Tho amount of pasturage d( 
afforded by tho second growth of this field s ; 
fully warranted tho belief, that a ton and a f r 
half per acre might have been again cut, j n 
making Jive tons of hay per acre in all, for tb 
a single year. There can bo no question of 
tho utility of increasing the quantity of 
seed above the present stinted amount, even 
if wo do not reach tho liberal estimates m 
above quoted. The amount sown should ; n 
certainly bo sufficient ito give the ground a us 
covering of tho grasses tho first season of s h 
its growth, and not only the hay but the pas- e q 
turage will bo of much better quality than bo 
where tho stalks stand but thinly. bi¬ 
in relation to tho time of seeding wheat tri 
fields to Clover, &c., thero is hero but little thi 
variation in practice. Spring is conceded kn 
to bo the best season, and most farmers sai 
strive to perform the work during the stay fai 
of some ot the light snows which usually me 
occur, as tho seed can then bo more ovenly an 
distributed, than upon tho bare surface.— 
Perhaps the bost period for sowing is when 
the frozen ground begins to thaw, and, dry- 
: ing at tho top, opens numerous small cracks 
into which a portion of tho seed will fall and 
k bo covered by the subsequent expansion of 
f the soil. But the use of a light harrow is 
still better security for the growth of tho 
5 seed and tho permanence of the young 
’ plants, and will not-injure the wheat in the 
' least, proving on the contrary a benefit. 
The growth of Clover is much increased, 
and the certainty of its “catching” in a 
measure insured by a top-dressing of from 
one to three bushels of Gypsum, per acre, in 
May or earlier. This practice has come to ■ 
be generally followed and many of our 
farmers have already secured the requisite 
supply for this purpose. The value of Gyp¬ 
sum as an ameliorator and fertilizer of t^e 
soil has become a “fixed fact,” however 
much theorists may discuss the rationale of 
its action. Tho analysis of the Clover plant 
gives ono very good reason for its affinity 
for Gypsum. In 100 parts of the ash of 
this plant thero are of the salts of potash 
and soda 39.20; of salts of magnesia and 
lime 5G.00; and of silica 4.90. The constit¬ 
uent parts of Gypsum contain a large 
amount of these elements. 
Clover takes loss from the soil and moro 
from tho atmosphere, in proportion to the 
feeding and manuring value of its product, 
than most other plants. Such has been tho 
inference of practical farmers from the ef¬ 
fects experienced. But scientific investi¬ 
gations have lately thrown moro light on 
tho subject. Hero wo cannot farther refer 
to them, than to state that leguminous plants 
are found to possess the power of taking 
certain necessary elements from the air, in 
a far greater degree than others—than the 
cereals or grain bearing plants. A portion 
of tho value of Clover as a preparation for 
other crops is derived from its large and 
numerous roots, long stalks and abundant 
leaves which supply much vegetable matter. 
And, as we have said before, a luxuriant ( 
growth of Clover is an excellent preparation \ 
for any and every crop. The soil is loosen- ] 
ed and deepened by its far-spreading roots, } 
which bring to their support, and to the ( 
surface, the valuable salts in the subsoil not < 
usually pressed into service. This, too, is ] 
the reason why Clover so delights in a deep, t 
fiesh soil and why, after subsoil plowing, j 
such abundant crops are sure to follow. 
fS-* 
MR. VAIL’S IMPORTED HEIFER “YARM LASS” 
VALUE OR “BOOK FARMING.” 
However much tho men of ignorance, or 
! of antiquated notions, may berato tho idea, 
thero is no question but “book farming” 
puts money into tho pockets of the thought¬ 
ful, mdusti ious tiller of the sod. Frogress 
is a prominent feature of “ tho world we live 
in. Every art, every science and every 
calling are making rapid strides along the 
path of Improvement. Thought itself re¬ 
ceives an onward, accelerating impetus in 
the grand march, as is evidenced in the groat 
discoveries of the ago and in tho fact that 
now “ bayonets think.” 
There cannot be found in any other call¬ 
ing so many who reject the printed knowl¬ 
edge which tho press may send to their 
doors. I he mechanic, the lawyer, the phy¬ 
sician, the merchant, &c., are eager to learn, 
from whatever sourco, all they can concern¬ 
ing their several employments — knowing 
that it is only in their intelligence thoy can 
keep pace with their fellow craftsmen. 
Knowledge gives scopo for thought, and 
thought strengthens and enlarges tho judg¬ 
ment, making the mind vigorous and active 
in turning the circumstances that surround 
us to tho very best advantage. Why then 
should the farmer hesitate to glean knowl¬ 
edge from the thinking press ? If his neigh¬ 
bor tell him of a better way of cultivating 
his ciop, he has the confidence to givo it a 
trial. YY by then should ho scout the samo 
thing in print, when by such means tho good 
knowledge is borno to tho homes of thou¬ 
sands ? But, says our doubter, your “book 
farming ’ is conducted by your genteel far¬ 
mers in kid glovos, who, too delicate to dig 
and get practice, can spin you very fine 
Eos. Rural New Yorker :—Allow mo to 
| hand you the portrait and pedigree of one of 
tho two Short-horn heifers, which 1 ordered 
in July last, from Mr. Bell, the friend and 
tenant of tho late Thomas Bates, Esq., of 
Kirkleavington, Yorkshire, England. The 
directions given to Mr. Bell were, to send 
me two two-year-ohl heifers in calf, posses¬ 
sing as much of tho Duchess tribe blood as 
he had in his herd, —well knowing as I did, 
from a long previous correspondence with 
theso gentlemen, that Mr. Bell’s stock was 
derived from Mr. Bates’ herd, and that Mr. 
Bell’s cows were bred to the Duchess bulls 
of the former gentleman. 
The heifers arrived in New York on tl ie 17th 
of September last. How- well the order was 
executed, will be seen by the pedigree of the 
heifer whose portrait is here given. The 
heifers aro both a favorit# color, a dark red 
roan, possessing in a high degree, the charac¬ 
teristics of the Bates herd. When imported i 
“ Yarm Lass” was in calf by the Duchess 
bull 5th Duke of York, (an own brother to 
tho 4th Duke of York;) and, on the 18th of 
January, she dropped a beautiful roan bull 
calf, which for the present will be kept by 
the proprietor for the use of his herd.— 
“Yorkshire Countess,” the other heifer 
which came over with “Yarm Lass,” and 
whose pedigree is equally good, should bear 
her calf in April. 
Pedigree of the above heifer, “ Yarm Lass:” 
Calved 8th Jan., 1849—got by the Duchess 
bull, 4th Duko of York (10167)—the dam of 
this bull is Duchess 51st, and this 4th Duko 
of York was purchased at the late sale of 
Mr. Bates’ herd by Earl Ducie at £210 ster¬ 
ling, about $9.32. The dam of “ Yarm Lass,” 
is Dinah 2d, got by 4th Duko of Northum¬ 
berland (3649)—grand dam Dinah, by 2d 
Earl of Darlington-(1945) also bred by Mr. 
! Bates—great grand dam Red Thompson, 
| bought of Mr. Bates. By this, pedigree it 
will be seen that the present product of 
“Yarm Lass” will have three crosses of the 
1 Duchess bulls, which will make it § ths Duch¬ 
ess bull blood. 
It may not bo uninteresting to such of 
your readers as take an interest in breeding- 
stock, to show how long it may take to breed 
up a herd of females of a particular family 
of stock. I may therefore bo allowed to re¬ 
mark, that my first importation from Mr. 
Bates, was in 1840, when I received hull 
Duke of Wellington and heifer Duchess.— 
Since then I have had from him and Mr. 
Bell, at different times (including the two 
recently imported.) five females, and all tho 
females from them I have retained in my 
herd except two, having now in my herd of 
this family eight head in all. All of these 
are in breeding condition, except one. It 
has been my aim to make my herd to con¬ 
sist eventually, principally of this strain of 
blood. 
Tho young bulls bred from these cows, I 
havo disposed of, with the exception of such 
as I needed for my herd, and I am gratified 
to learn from their owners that they havo 
done much good whero they have gone.— 
Among those sold was “ Ilalton,” when a 
calf not over a month old, to the Hon. Adam 
Furgusson, and his friend the late Mr. Wet- 
tenhall, of Uppqr Canada, for $300. This 
bull, now over four years old, Air. Furgus- 
son used to his herd three years, and for tho 
reason that he could not breed him to his 
own heifers, ho brought him to our State 
Show at Rochester last September, to ex¬ 
hibit as foreign stock, and for sale. This 
bull’s appearance then, you aro aware, at¬ 
tracted much admiration; he was awarded 
the 1st premium in the class of foreign stock, 
and was sold shortly after his appearance 
on tho ground to Mr. S. P. Chapman, of 
Madison County. My herd now consists of 
about thirty head, young and old. 
Truly yours, &c\, Geo. Vail. 
Troy, N. Y., Feb., 185-2. 
thoorics. Nay, friend, this is seldom the 
case; yet, if it were, have you not, dear sir, 
tho good judgment to digest tho truth, and 
take that only which is beneficial and adapt¬ 
ed to your location and circumstances ? 
Does our theoretical man detail some new 
process ? Then don’t go straightway and 
serve your whole crop to it; but if thero 
seem to bo a measure of reason in his argu¬ 
ments, give it a limited but fair trial. If it 
prove successful, acknowledge yourself, as 
you aro, a great gainer. If it prove unsuc¬ 
cessful you may bo the gainer still, especi¬ 
ally if you are tho thoughtful man you 
should be. You may, perhaps, have evolv¬ 
ed somo new idea that in the end will not 
only richly reward yourself, but, if imparted 
to others, add to the general stock of knowl¬ 
edge. Then let nono despise “ book farm¬ 
ing.” But, as you would add dignity to tho 
profession, and gold to your purse,—as you 
would increase tho fertility of your soil, and 
gather knowledge for tho mind—strive to be 
a thoughtful and diligent reader, and an ac¬ 
tive and critical thinker. 
Moro speculation may, to somo extent, be 
beneficial. It is especially so where it opens 
tho door to now fields of thought. So there 
is much need that ho who writes, whether 
ho speculate or detail facts, should be con- 
ciso and simple, yet so full as to be clearly 
comprehended. T. E. w. 
All the energy of tho hero, and all the 
science of the philosopher may find scope 
in the cultivation of one farm. 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
My knowledge of the habits and manage¬ 
ment of bees has been derived from thirty 
years experience in keeping them—owning 
for tho greater part of that time from twenty 
to ono hundred swarms. Last summer, 
when they had finished swarming, I had 
over eighty, but the latter part of the sea¬ 
son was unfavorable, and ten or fifteen were 
light, so if I winter through fifty good 
swarms, I shall do better than I anticipate. 
In my last articlo I mentioned what I con¬ 
sidered the most important causes of the 
failure of swarms having a good supply of 
honey. One reason stated was that they 
swarmed out too much—until tho last queen 
left the hive. This will bo better understood 
from tho statement of a few cases. In tho 
winter ot 1835, I bought a largo young- 
swarm in a tub hive made from a hollow ! 
log. Tho next season it sent forth three j 
or four swarms, and in September I dis- ! 
covered there were hut few bees loft in the j 
hivo, which were threatened with robbery by 
stronger swarms, so I took them up. Thero 
were not a half-pint of bees in the hivo, and 
yet I took from it 104 lbs. of honey, and 
tho best honey I ever found in a hive of 
that age. In another case, about twenty- 
five years ago, I had twenty-two hives which 
sent out over eighty swarms, but as soon as 
tho season of gathering honey was over, 
they commenced robbing tho old swarms, 
and I lost full half ot them. They swarm¬ 
ed out, or lost their queens. 
Another cause was, that tho young bees 
sometimes die in the brood comb, and are 
suffered to remain thero. This fact is sta¬ 
ted by friend Rowe, quoting from T. B. Mi ¬ 
ner’s pamphlet on bees,—but giving nei¬ 
ther the cause or remedy. I havo suffered 
losses by this disease for nearly twenty years, 
and am yet unable to state tho cause or to 
give positively a remedy for it. I consider 
it a contagious disease,—when it commen¬ 
ces in a hive it spreads through all tho brood 
comb, and also to other hives in the imme- 
| diate vicinity. The most reasonable cause 
for its commencement in tho Apiary, I 
. think, is thig .-—While the bees are absent 
gathering honey, a proper degree of heat is 
; not kept up in the hive, and some of tho 
young bees perish with the cold. They re¬ 
main in the cells and putrefy, destroying tho 
young in the cells adjoining, and spreading- 
through all the brood comb. 
There is, in my opinion, but one remedy 
for a swarm thus affected, and that is to re¬ 
move all tho brood comb from the hive. I 
have done this with many hives in tho be-> 
ginning of June, and tho bees would imiD'o- 
diately commence building new comb, and 
multiply rapidly for tho first season, but tho 
next they would again be affected and prove 
of little value. It is my present design to 
remove all tho brood comb from my olid; 
swarms in March, repeating it every sprhio- 
hoping to master the disease. Evem if I 
do not succeed, I am satisfied that my bees 
will do tho better for this treatment. If any 
of tho readers of tho Rural could give me 
