Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-06-16

/
hay, and retains possession of the grouad
for years after the clover has disappeared.
Alone, cut before the seed ripens, its hay
is as nutritve and pleasant to stocks of al,
kinds, as any have ever used and it
will yield both seed and tolerably good
hay atone cutting, as il ripens soonest al
top. Mixed with favorite grasses of graz
ing animals, II is partially rejected, but
eaten as they fail. Alone, IL is grcetiily
fed upon. After being cut or grazed, If
lett 10 grow, 1t rises anew, almost will,
the rapidity of mcerne, with o viyor but
little diminished. Fifteen years expert
ence has not enabled mo 10 decide as 10
lis capacity for improving the soil, be.
cause the small quantity OF seed first OBJ
tanned, by continipg experiments to small
patches, long concealed lis qualities; and
the large lots first sown have remained
TOO fourishlng to require manure, and
too valuable to be ploushed up. Ii pro-
duces (atier il has come 10 perfection. in
dong which II Is one year slower than
red clover0 ungrazea and uncut,
warmer and more lasting cover than the
clover, which has recently induced me TO
mix and sow II with wheat Oh a large
scale, for the end of improving the soil
in which anticipation have yet dscerned
no cause for apprehension. Forthis pur-
pose, II possesses one recommendation
beyond clover. ltdoes not grow and spread
so rapidly IN the fall or spring as 10 ipjnrc
the crop OF wheat with which il is sown.
as Is sometimes the case with clover.
Upon the whole, whatever doubt remains
as TO MS ferilllzing power, the conclusions
HAT II emineniiy possesses the qualities
for lasting, grazing, and making high land
hay. may, think, be contided in. But
II does not, SO far az my trials have ex-
tended, succeed in lands originally VET,
however well they are drained.
As the end designed TO be produced
by the previous observations, comprises
their value, plan for the management of
bread stuff farm, combined with high
iand meadows and artificial grasses, is The
remaining subject suggested for conside-
ration. Let ussuppose alarm to consist
OF ono thousand acres of able land:
that The greatest produce of bread grain.
years, is the chief object and thai the
labor OIL ii is adequate 10 its cultivation
IN the three shift mode, that is, to having
two-iiiirds of II annually in corn and
wheat. 10 discover whether theprofitto
be expected from this sly lie of cultivation
VIII he equal TO that arising from the sys-
TEN presently to be proposed, we must
hrst glanceat its defects. 1t impoy
eS the suIl-Crass seeds cannot be bcne-
iicIally sown with or upon the Wheat CROP.
because the land is too poor TO nourish
them, and their deslructionbv the pIough
returns too rapidly. Pasturage is scarce
bad and impoverisliing to the land: and
the farmer is thereby disa bled from raising
within the farm, teams, meat, milk and
butter, for his own consumption and COM
iort, and moreover exposed 10 considera-
Die annual expenses TO supply the defci-
encies. The labor being computed by
space, and not by produce, and great
demand for 1t being concentrated Ia one
portion oftlle year, losses accrue from IFS
INSURGENCY 10 meettemporary pressures,
anu at other seasons for want of bene-
neral employment. The crop computed
Dy the acre, IS upon an average, surpris-
mgly small, whilst as much labor is ne
cessary for its cultivation, as. differently
managed, would in d few wears increase II
per acre, four-fold. Let us contrast Ibis
abrldSment OF tie three-shift system, with
an abridgment of that proposed TO be
substituted for it.
Let eight hundred of the supposed
thousand acres be divided into four shifts
OF two hundred acres each, one 10 be an
nually cultivated in corn and sowp in
wheat, SO that two will yield crop eve
ry year. AS much as possible of each
shift should be MANFRED the wear il is
planted in corn. This may be extended
IN a few years 10 one hundred and ilIirty
acres, Exclusively of the twenty present
~ meDiioned,9 by ordinary management.
Clover should be sown on the wheat in
The spring, or meadow oat with il in the
tall, and these eight hundred acres should
remain ungrazed OF course, four hum
dred lie untouched for two and an half
years, TO allow time for large produce of
vegetable matter, devoted 10 the improve
meht OF The soil. Let the remaining two
hundred acres be appropriated chiefly 10
grass, and De divided into ten equal lois
one TO be highly manfred annually. and
cultivated in pumpkins, potatoes. peas.
cotton, fnrnlpS, or any cleaning crop, TO
be followed by wheat and grass seed, if
these crops are gotten off in time to sow
wheat, or by oats and grass seed, if they
are mol Thus two lots, or forty acres Of
Inns portion oil the farm, will produce each
year heavy and valuable crops, whilst a
rotation will be established, sufficient 10
keep the grass lands clean and in good
heart. Three o!the other eight lots ought
annually to be cut for hay, and five TO be
reserved for grazing, out of which last
number should be annually taken lie lot
to be MANFRED; so tIat none will sustain
above five years grazing before il is re-
crnited. The five lots devoted 70 that
service ought 10 be grazed in succession.
both to alleviate the impoverishment il
produces and to increase the produce OIL
grass. He who aims at agricultural per-
lection or elegance, will divide these ten
lots by bitches and live hedges Of holly
or cedar, Che former conlectural, the
latter tried plant,) or at least by the II.