206 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
July, 
and we cannot doubt that nature prompts them to that 
course most conducive to their health. 
It is a common remark with grazing farmers, and 
dairymen, that stock does best, and the best butter is 
made on the “ natural grasses,” meaning such plants 
as come into the soil without being sown. These are 
generally, the “ June grass,” or Kentucky blue grass, 
(Poa prat.ensis.) and white clover. ( Trifolium, repens .) 
Whether either of these is really indigenous to the 
country, we are unable to determine; but both are very 
natural to all our moist rich grounds. The first is one 
of the best pasture grasses we have, especially for rich 
soils. It starts early in spring, and grows late 
in the fall. It makes a mass of rich leaves, which 
being but little injured by frost, may lie on the ground 
through the winter, and afford good support for stock 
whenever there is no snow, and may even be fed off the 
next spring, before a new growth starts. It consti¬ 
tutes the principal herbage of most of our best pas¬ 
tures. The fame of the blue-grass pastures of Ken¬ 
tucky, is wide-spread, and they are formed chiefly of 
this species. But as, for the reason before given, it is 
desirable to have a mixtnre, and as the blue-grass does 
not make so much growth during the drouth of sum¬ 
mer, it is well to have with it some timothy, (Phleum 
prutense,) red top, ( Agrostis vulgaris,) and white 
clover. The timothy and red-top start later than the 
blue-grass, and do not stand the frost so well, but will 
make more growth in the middle of the season; and 
the white clover will fill up all the interstices, making 
a close sward. On deep loamy soils, orchard-grass, 
(Dactylis glomerata.) may be substituted for timothy 
and red-top. It is a strong-growing grass in such situ¬ 
ations, and makes an abundance of leaves which are 
well relished by cattle and horses. 
In forming pastures, the following kinds and quanti¬ 
ties of seed may be used for an acre: 
Kentucky blue-grass,.. 16 quarts. 
Timothy,. 4 do 
Red-top,. 8 do 
White clover,. 2 do 
If orchard-grass is substituted for the timothy and 
red-top, half a bushel of seed will be required. 
It should be an object to feed pastures as evenly as 
possible ; the grass should not be allowed to run up to 
seed; as this is not only a loss of the grass, but weakens 
the roots and impairs the vigor of the succeeding growth, 
—exhausts the soil, and injures the quality of the feed for 
the next year. The “old fog,” if allowed to remain on 
the ground, makes the grass start thin and spiry, makes 
it sour and unpalatable, so that stock reject it, unless 
impelled by hunger, and it forms a favorable bed for 
the seeds of wild plants, which soon spring up. If the 
farmer cannot so stock his fields as to prevent the grass 
from seeding, it is better to mow the spots which are 
not properly fed, in order to get the benefit of the fall 
feed; and if the “ fog” is not got off" in any other 
way, it is best to burn it in spring. It is a maxim with 
the best graziers, in England and this country, that the 
pastures should be well cleared off once a year, in or¬ 
der to prevent the accumulation of old growth. 
These remarks apply more particularly to those kinds 
of grass which form large and strong seed stems, as ti¬ 
mothy or red-top. Blue-grass has but a small and fee¬ 
ble stem, but forms more leaf. If grass is wanted 
for winter use, it should be thb growth of the latter 
part of the season, which makes no seed stems. 
The improvement of pastures by manure is often incon¬ 
venient; they are frequently at a distance from the body 
of the farm, and in situations difficult of access. It is 
therefore expensive, and perhaps impracticable to carry 
manure to them from the barn-yard. Hence, we must re¬ 
sort to concentrated and portable manures; as plaster, 
ashes, bones, guano, See. Cattle and other stock are 
very likely to leave a large portion of their manure 
where it does comparatively but little good—in woods 
or groves, or under fences. This manure might be ea¬ 
sily saved and turned to good account. Yards might 
be made in some convenient part of the pasture, (with 
cheap sheds if desired.) and a layer of leaves, rubbish 
from the pastures, or muck, to absorb the urine, and 
prevent the loss of liquids. The stock might, without 
much trouble, be kept in these yards, nights; and a large 
quantity of manure in this way accumulated, which 
would be of great service if properly spread over those 
portions of the ground where most needed, or where it 
would do most good. It. should be made fine and even¬ 
ly spread, and bushed or harrowed in. 
WoofPs Improvement of the Plow. 
The following communication, from the daughters of 
the late Jethro Wood, we think cannot fail to prove 
interesting, as connected with the history of the plow. 
They have placed before us a large amount of docu¬ 
mentary matter, in corroboration of their statements, 
from an examination of which we may safely say, that 
“ the half is not told” in their communication. The 
extraordinary perseverance of Jethro Wood, was on¬ 
ly equalled by the remarkable combination of difficul¬ 
ties he met with—nearly his whole life was spent in la¬ 
bors which resulted in eminent benefit to his country, 
but which left his family nearly destitute—and, to make 
an appropriation for his children, now consisting of four 
daughters, we are satisfied would be but an act of jus¬ 
tice on the part of Congress: 
The attention which has lately been excited in rela¬ 
tion to the history of the improvement of the plow, and 
the extraordinary and almost unaccountable misinform¬ 
ation which has been spread through papers over the 
whole country, seems to render it necessary to make a 
short statement of the facts of the case, all of which 
can be substantiated by full and authentic evidence. 
The late Jethro Wood commenced his experiments 
for the improvement of the plow, in the early part of 
the year 1812. Previous to that time, James Small, 
of Scotland, .Robert Ransom of England, and Charles 
Newbold of New Jersey, had made improvements; af¬ 
ter which David Peacock, of New Jersey, in 1814, 
paid Newbold $1000 for the privilege of using his pa¬ 
tent ;* (Newbold’s plow was never brought into practical 
use,) and after improvements, obtained a patent himself, 
known as Peacock's plow: it had a wrought iron share 
and steel edge. None of these plows were generally 
adopted by the farmers. According to Judge Leland, 
of Auburn, (a gentleman intimately connected with the 
history of the plow,) Peacock’s plow cost from $20 to 
$25, and Small’s plow was recommended about or a lit¬ 
tle before Jethro Wood obtained his patent of 1819, on 
account of its cheapness , being only $22. 
Jethro Wood obtained his first patent in 1814, but 
the invention was a very imperfect one, and was in a 
few years wholly thrown aside. After five years’ labor, 
he perfected his second patent in 1819, which was his 
great achievement. The imperfect patent of 1814 has 
been confounded with the latter by some writers, and 
its imperfections exhibited as a proof that his invention 
was destitute of merit, and thus a most unjust and 
wholly erroneous impression, made by substituting a 
crude for a finished work. 
The difficulties and labors Jethro Wood encountered 
in perfecting and introducing his plow, were almost in¬ 
credible. At first, the nearest furnace was in Ononda¬ 
ga county, 40 miles distant; it often happened, when 
arriving there, that it was not in blast; and sometimes 
several journeys were necessary to accomplish a single 
* Aooording to the statement of A. B. Allen, of New-York 
