The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-08-30
e5IRtsffuane0ua.
AGRICULTURAL.


Eshy to the Philadelphia Cosn,y Society for the
Promotion Of 5STiest1r and Domestic Nan
31ctuYes.
0KNTLEMsN,
Our farmers in PENNSYLVANIA
have hitherto been too much i'm the practice OF
depending on the annual decay of weeds, ar,s-
ing IN 8 course of years from their worn out
Sclds, for the principal source ofnourishment to
their crops. II IL time a different plan should
be adopted, ii we expect to derive that sdvan-
tage from farms, which they Will afford by
a proper cultivation. This must be effected by
giving the ground full dressing of &c large
cart loads of good manure TO the acre. every sc.
ven or eight years and adapting rotation of
productive crops during thst period, In this
system, clover is absolutely necessary, form
isg the basis of the wnce, and without which,
no valuable plan of agriculture can he pursued
Glover, well put in, and having top dressing
of Plaster OF Paris six bushels to The acre, will
afford the II st year, thrcS tons ot good hay to
the acre the second yrsr, it may he cut once,
and afterwards pas.ui~d To the middle of DC
tober the third year, it viii afford excellent
Pasture to our hogs, sheep, aud mich cows, du-
ring the summer. In the month of September,
il may be ploughe1, g. immediately sowed with
winter barley, and afterwards with wheat, or
other grain, rs best suits the inclination, or the
interest OF the farmer. A plantation, properly
divided into fields, for such rotation OF crops,
would annually afford sulIiciency of hsy, pas
ture, and variety of the most useful and prof
table crops, without leaving q single of
ground unproductivc.
Considering clover as necessary to the best
plan of conducting a farm, it is the duty Of ey-
cry real friend to this necessary science, to pro.
mote the cultivation of it. 4 great obstacle TO
the propagation of This valuable plant, arises
from the extravagsnt price of the seed, owing
to the difficulty of cleansing it. Could this
difficulty be obviated, cioyer-sced might be
scid al one half the price now demanded for ii.
beg leave 10 communicate to the society
some information I lately received from Mr..
Henry Wynkoop on this subject.--Ir Wynn
koop says, that, in the slate Of New York,
where they have long been in the custom
OF raising seed Tor sale, after the hay is thrcShcd,
the heads of the clover put into a h0gahea1,
60 which is added sufficient quantity OF water
20 mosten the whole, ia order 10 induce fer
nenlauon. The farmer should carefully attend
60 this critical operation, and suffer tue fermen-
tatIon to proceed only as far as to Affect the Cap
sules, or chaff, without ,njlring the seed AZ
ser the operation, the clover heads spread
ON barn hoor to dry, when a slight threshng
will easily extricste the seed. The Germans,
~ Lancaster county, procure the seed of limo
thy, by first submitting it to shght degree Ut
simentation Tie hay, intended Tor seed, 10
bound in small shesves, and tien put up nto a
stack, having the heads damped witb iiliie
water, sufficient to produce slight degree OF
fermentation, without mjurng The seed.
The above Plan aPpesrs TO me reasonable -
] sh&il therefore make trial of II, and shall
communicate the result OF the experiment to the
society. Other members dong the same, a
ssmp4rison of our observations may tend TO
throw some light on the subject, and the publ
cation of them, supported by the opinion OF tina
sccetY, may be attended with some advantage
81 cur fellow citikehs.
am, Sc.
GEORGE LOGAN.