50 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
ing to $80, for the greatest plantation of mulberry trees ; and also pre¬ 
miums for the best specimens of silk produced in the country. Massa¬ 
chusetts is giving substantial proofs of the utility of patronizing her 
agricultural societies, which New-York does not, or will not, understand. 
Sweet apples. —We have frequent inquiries, as nursery men, for 
trees of sweet apples, to cultivate for hogs and other farm stock, as 
though none but sweet apples were fit for this purpose. This opinion 
originates from a misapprehension of the qualities of the apple. In 
the first place, the nutritive property of the apple consists principally 
in the saccharine matter which it contains. This is determined by the 
specific gravity of its juice—the heavier this, the more saccharine mat¬ 
ter it contains. Now the heaviest juice is found in acid as well as in 
sweet apples ; hence sour apples are as nutritive as sweet apples. The 
acid is superadded to the sweet. In the second place, sour apples are 
as grateful to the human stomach, and so they are to the stomachs of 
our farm stock, as sweet apples are, and a mixture is at least desira¬ 
ble. Sweet apples alone soon cloy the stomach. A friend related to us, 
a few days ago, that he last year turned his hogs into his orchard, to 
eat the falling fruit; that the orchard being large, the hogs were able 
to consume only a part of the apples; that he several times went into 
the orchard to ascertain which they preferred, the sweet or sour; that 
he uniformly found, that they selected from both, and that they reject¬ 
ed as many of the sweet as of the sour. Hence sour apples are as nu¬ 
tritious, and as palatable, to man and beast, as sweet apples, and ought 
to be as extensi vely cultivated. __ 
Value of Manure. —The best criterion of the intrinsic value of ma¬ 
nure, is the price it bears in the best cultivated agricultural districts. 
We consider Flanders of this description. Manure there is an article 
of commerce ; and the towns and villages contribute, by the quantities 
of it they furnish, to fertilize the country. We quote from Radcliflf, the 
prices which the various manures bear in Flanders, to show their in¬ 
trinsic worth in husbandry, and to stimulate our farmers to become pro 
vident of these means of fertility and profit. 
Farm-yard manure, per load of 1,300 lbs. $0 94 
Dung of sheep, pigeons and poultry, do. 1 06 
Sweepings of streets, &c. do... 0 66 
Ashes, peat and wood mixed,. do... 1 62 £ 
Privy manure and urine,. do. 1 42 
Lime,... do. 2 28 
Sheep. —A correspondent to the Tennessee Farmer recommends the 
following application to sheep: “ When the sheep is shorn, dip a 
cloth in soft soap, and rub the sheep all over—then dip the cloth in 
warm water, and give the sheep a complete lather, and let it go.” 
AN ESSAY ON GRASSES.— {Concluded from page 36.) 
Sec. II. Grasses chiefly adapted for pasturage. 
Of pasturage grasses, we shall make a selection of such as have 
been tried to some extent, and of which the seeds are in the course of 
commerce, (in England.) On soils in good condition, and naturally 
well constituted, no better grasses can be sown for pasturage than those 
we have described as tall grasses for hay meadow ; but for early and late 
pasturage, and on secondary soils, there are others much more suitable. 
The pasture grasses for early pasturage on, all soils, are the anthox- 
anthum odoratum, hoicus odoratus, avena pubescens, and poa annua. 
The pasture grasses for late herbage on all soils, are, chiefly, the dif¬ 
ferent species of agrostis and plileum. 
The pasture grasses for poor or secondary soils, are the cynosurus 
cristatus, festuca duriuscula and ovina, poa compressa, cristata and 
angustifolia. 
The grasses that afford the most nutritive matter in early spring, are 
the fox-tail grass and the vernal grass. 
The sweet-scented vernal grass, {Anthoxanthum odoratum,) is common 
in almost all the pastures in England, and gives fragrance to natural or 
meadow hay. This grass is of diminutive growth, but is esteemed for 
pasture on account of its early growth. We are advised by Muhlen- 
burgh, that it delights in moist soils; by the Bath papers, that it does 
well in clayey loams; and by Dickson, that it grows in almost any 
soils, including sands and bogs. The seed of this grass is sold at the 
seed shops in New-York, Philadelphia and Boston. 
The downy oat grass, {Avena pubescens,) possesses several good qua¬ 
lities ; is hardy, early, and more productive than many others, which 
affect similar soils and situations. It appears well calculated for per¬ 
manent pasture on rich light soils. 
The annual meadow grass, {Poa annua,) is the most common of all 
grasses, and the least absolute in its habits. It hardly requires to be 
sown, as it springs up everywhere. 
The fine bent grass, {Agrostis vulgaris,) is, according to Eaton, the 
red-top of our meadows. Loudon calls it one of the earliest grasses. 
The narrow leaved meadow grass, {Poa angustifolia,) is remarkable 
for the early growth of the leaves, which have sometimes grown, by 
the middle of April, more than twelve inches. 
The tall oat grass, {Avena elatior,) deserves, according to Muhlen- 
burgh and John Taylor, to be placed at the head of good grasses. Oil 
the continent of Europe, in comparison with common grass, it is found 
to yield, according to Dickson, in the proportion of twenty to two. 
Dr. Muhlenburgh says it is, of all others, the earliest and best grass 
for green fodder and hay. It possesses the advantage of early, quick 
and tall growth, for which the cock's-foot is esteemed; tillers well, and 
is admirably well calculated for pasture. We have seen it on the 20th 
June, four and a half feet high. The leaves are narrow and fine, re¬ 
sembling some of the poa family. The lattermath, it will be perceiv¬ 
ed, is nearly equal in weight, and superior in nutriment to the seed 
crop. Although Loudon is silent as to its merits, Dickson speaks well 
of it; says it makes good hay; but is most beneficial when retained as 
pasture. Sinclair says it thrives best on tenacious clay; and Muhlen¬ 
burgh prefers for it a clover soil. The seed is sold at the shops. 
The upright bent grass, {Agrostis stricta) is, according to Muhlen¬ 
burgh, the herds-grass of the southern and the foul meadow of the 
eastern states, and the white-top and red-top mere varieties, under dif¬ 
ferent names, of upright bent grass. This grass, embracing both va¬ 
rieties, is common in the U. States, and is considered valuable for hay 
as well as pasture, on grounds adapted to its growth, which are moist 
lands, and particularly reclaimed swamps and rich swales. 
Plat stalked meadow grass, {Poa compressa,) is the blue grass which 
is considered a pest in much of our tillage land, from which circum¬ 
stance it may be inferred, that it is a valuable species in pastures on 
similar soils. It gives but a small crop, but this is highly nutritious. 
American cock’s-foot, (Dactylis cynosuroides,) is only known from the 
Woburn experiments. I) is an American species. M’Mahon terms it 
the swamp cock’s-foot. As it affords an abundant crop, we hope soon 
to see it brought into further notice. 
The best natural grounds of England, examined carefully during va¬ 
rious periods of the season, were found, by Sinclair, of Woburn, to 
consist of the following plants: 
Alopecurus pratensis, Vicia sepeum, 
Dactylis glomerala, Lolium perenne 
Festuca pratensis, Bromus arvensis, (frequent,) 
Phleum pratense, Poa annua, 
Anthoxanthum odoratum, Avena pratensis, 
Hoicus avenaceus. 
These afford the principal grass in the spring, and also a great part 
of the summer produce. 
Avena flavescens, Poa trivialis, Trifolium pratense, 
Hordeum pratense, Poa pratensis, Trifolium repens, 
Cynosurus cristatus, Hoicus lanatus, Lathyrus pratensis, 
Festuca duriuscula. 
These yield produce principally in summer and autumn. 
Achillea millifolium, Agrostis slolonifera and palustris, 
Triticum repens. 
These vegetate with most vigor in autumn. 
Ranunculis acris, Plantago lanceolata, Rumere acetosa. 
The first and last of these plants are to be considered as injurious, 
and the other is of little value as herbage. 
The above mixture, sown at the rate of four and five bushels to the 
acre, on well prepared soil, without corn or other crop of any kind, 
could hardly fail of producing excellent pasture the following year, and 
for an endless period. The best time for sowing, is July or August, as 
spring sown seeds are apt to suffer with the droughts of June and July. 
Of late pasture grasses, the different species of cat’s-tail {phleum,) 
and bent grass {agrostis,) are the chief, and especially the timothy and 
florin grass. The grasses, Sir H. Davy observes, that propagate them¬ 
selves by stolens, the different species of agrostis, supply pasture 
throughout the year; and the concrete sap, stored up in their joints, 
renders them a good food, even in winter. 
Of pasture grasses for inferior soils, one of the most durable is the 
dog’s-tail, {Cynosurus cristatus.) This is a very common grass on dry, 
clayey or firm surfaces, and is one of the best kinds for parks. 
The hard fescue grass, {F. duriuscula,) is one of the best of the dwarf 
grasses. It is grateful to all kinds of cattle. It is present in most good 
meadows and pastures, and with F. ovina, is the best for lawns. 
The festuca glabra and hordiformis, greatly resemble the hard fes¬ 
cue, and may be considered equally desirable as pasture and lawn 
grasses. 
The yellow oat grass, {Avena flavescens,) is very generally cultivated, 
and appears to be a very valuable grass for pasture on a clayey soil. 
In all permanent pastures, Sir H. Davy observes, nature has provid¬ 
ed a mixture of various grasses, the produce of which differs at differ¬ 
ent seasons. When pastures are to be made artificially, such' a mix¬ 
ture ought to be imitated; and, perhaps, pastures superior to the na¬ 
tural ones may be made, by selecting due portions of those species of 
grasses fitted for the soil, which afford respectively the greatest quanti¬ 
ties of spring, summer, lattermath and winter produce; a reference to 
the results of the Woburn experiments, he adds, will show that such a 
plan of cultivation is very practicable. 
