Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-07-03
AGRTCVITTTRF

10 publish them
Though nota member of the lately establish.
ed Agricultural Society of Virginia, vet none
even oil those who compose that Society, can
more earnestly wishits success: nor do doubt
but that II will produce great and important
Dement'S, anil hope that it will go far in renova.
ting the exhausted fields of our country. and i'm
snosututing Tor their present hagsard appear
anee the green and verdant robe, so much the
proper dress of agriculture, that without it
sue must ever he at least in dishabile.
TO produce this desirable appearance, and
Hits happy consequences. two means are pre-
sented the first so vitality important as to
fehder aporilse every attempted step towards
agricultural Improvement without its aid. ma
nare, the corner stone on which must rest eve.
~ eIort at success: the next in importance,
ahn principally becausei 1t will enabie us to pro-
ouce the first in greater abundance, must be
accorded to the application of various artificial
grasses to our varied soil. Experiments which
Wouid lead 70 an easy conclusion of the best
grass tor each variety of soil in our climate
would be great step gained.
4 WIN respectto manure, we must make g. col
Ectit oy every me ausin our power r, principally
oS course from The vegetable world. l Know
" no resource more excellent. 81 bonn VI es
anu as lasting. az that which is bountiinly be.
soweu ny nature on almost every farm i'm Wiz.
gihia, IN the leaves annually produced by our
WOODS. On every farm there are portions of
WOOD land, which II is not intended ever to cut
down; from these plentiful supply of yalua
Ole litter is at all times ready for our stables
ana farm pens, nor do believe that any litter.
ihg would be more beneficial. l had MANY
Wagon loads hauled last winter into nv farm
YARD, ana am 50 much pleased with the result,
that mean, on my small farm, TO keep a man
and yoke OF steers exclusively employed i'm
collecting leaves, with a portion Of the fine
virgin SOIL beneath them, trees which have
rotted and other litter from the wood land
which mean never to cut down, aud deposit
them p,entIfully not only in the stable and farm
pen, but in any moving Cow and hog pens, to
DE pioughed in, after being enriched by what
animal manure may be deposited on them; and
what cannot be thus enriched, To be carted
nte the field and Pi2nghed in without This
supply is so copiouss the i1nry 10 the soil from
whence II is taken so small, andless 10 the tim
Der, that have bean surprised rot 10 see II
recommended 10 the attention of the public
by an ADLER pen.
Though consider this resource as valuable
as " Is cXhaustless, there are many others for
obtaining manure excellentiu their nature and
so easiiy attainable that they should b, nomeap.
be neglected. One, particularly, which has
TOT ages not only been neglected, nut left cat
leied over orr fields, in appearance, and in
fact, aHiiisance. Bycollecting our corn stalks,
TINS nuisance has in many instances been con.
Fefted INTO most valuable manure. Justice
must attribute this conversion greatly To Col
Iay'0rs very valuable treatise oil farming
which has gone far in opening the ewes of his
agricultural fellow citizens to their own inter.
est. This treatise l consider So much more
valuable 10 The Virginia farmer than any native
or other book On the subject, that cansot
snppose there are many without it-But for
mat book, the stalks of my last crop at corn
would probably have been dssipatiny sheir
best qualities into the atmosphere as had been
The case before; instead Of which, after being
properly 'rodden, and duly impregnated with
animal manure in the farm PEN theyare all nm.
der my growing crop, bestowing vgo- to the
corn, and fertility 10 the soil
As to artificial grasses, have made no unu-
suai experiments as TO the kind of grass or
IN f.f pt.la ID Il
suggest plan to the consideration of the phi
lanthropic members ofthe Agricultural Society
OF Virginia, which feel confident would he
greatly beneficial in its effects, but wbick
could not be expected TO be acted on by an in
diyidual. The plan, which I mention with
great aiffideDce, and with due defereoce to
their superior Judgments, is this To appoint
some suitable agent in tue city Of Richmond
ana to supply him with funds, to import from
otner countries, and to receive and collect from
different parts of this, seed of every kind of
artficai grasses, IN such quantities as to sup
ply the demand for each, and to sell them at
snch an advance as to cover the expenses.
Ihefe are many kinds of grasses whose quail
ties are perhaps admirably adapted to our eli
mate (and soil, afterwe have made one J almost
unknown among us. From many others, / will
mention one, whose value would most probably
he great indeed-the ST. Foin, Tor holy hayl-a
grass have never seen bat have read Of il i'm
several books on farming in all it is spoken of
in terms of high commentator, and in some
with enthusiasm, chasing il among The most
signal blessings of bountiful Providence
kye grass, common in fhe eastern states, and
almost universally cultivated III greater or less
proportion in England, IL so entirely unknown
here that one OF our most enlightened agricul-
tnrdilsts has lately confessed, in "a cOmmunica.
ton TO the Agricultural Society, that he had
not any" means of ascertaining whether" the
grass commonly called Peruvian, is "A species
OF rye grass or of the avena pratensis, marrow
leaVed oaD or neither" There are doubtless
ny nj thor s.s.l. L.
baPs peculiarly adapted TO our farms, but for
want OF seed, we have no means Of trying them
IN the communication alluded TO above, to the
Agricultural Society Of Virginia by their Pre-
sident, the meadow oat, Or Peruvian grass, is
recommended IN Snch terms to induce me-
aud probably thousands more, TO wish 10 make
trial otlt. But where are we to get seed3 The
same dirtculty exists with respect TO all, clio.
yer, timothy and a few others excepted, and
even these are not easily procured in many
paris OF Tie country, nor at all times in aHY
part oft Navy grass seeds would no doubt
be raised TOT sale, INT the ncighbors Of far
mer n could DO so, are generally supplied
7Siih the kinds h. may have, aud he knows Of
no depoqitory or regular purchaser any where
else. Such az agency az 7 have mentioned
you'd do ava, manyer all Of these difficulties
Those who cen raise them for sale, will know
where they can get equitable prices, or have
them sold for a inst commission, and Darcbas
ers will know where, for a reasonable price.
they can always 10 supplied and thus viii be
added 10 the faciltyO f procuring seed ready
and regular market for all that can be raised
for sale
have thus ventured 10 hint at the onl, o,..
pedient that has occurred 70 me, by which so
desirable AZ ent tho dissemination and c,L
ttsaiion OF artilCia rt4+ses may he mOst readily
attdiued. will nos descend 10 lie niinuti5, Of
the plan they sill follow Of themselves
wiii however suggest, hat the advantages
Which would result iIom such "a inNitn,iou