The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-04-14


rious soils, and at different seasons, 10 as
certain the product, as well as the prop.
critics Of miller. Upon light land, in good
condition, ii succeeds beat. 1t requires,
IN all cases, fine nifh, and as much
strength Of soil as is necessary, to produce
heavy oats. have not seen, either in
Europe or America, any green crop,
which SO largely rewards accurate tillage
and plentiful supplies Of Manure, al the
species Of millet usually grown in this
and the adjacent counties. l have sown
from the FIRST Of May TO the twentieth
OF June, u have invariably obtained moro
FODDER than could have been had from any
grass under similar circumstances. In
the autumn eighty bushels of oaustic
lime per acre, were strewed upon an old
sward, which was immediately plough.d
| closely narrowed, sowD with rye, and
roiicd-ths rye was depas,ured in the
winter and succeeding spring-early in
April the land was pioughed again, the
'lRS and dseomposed vegetable matter,
wers thus returned to the surface-sbout
three weeks af;er,it was narrowed to des-
Troy tho weeds---early in May it was again
| narrowed Tor the same pHrpose-within
fortnight ii was stirred by Bcatson's scari-
ner TO The depth OF nine inches. narrowed,
| sown With rnliist, & rolled. The crop was
fairly Estimated al three tons per ace.
Alter the millet was cuts the field was
stirred and repeatedly narrowed to des.
s'rov tie after growth of noxious plants.
! intended TO again SOW rye, not only 10
OBTAIN pasture, but to project the soil
fro the exhslations Of the sun In the
succeeding spring, slight dressing of
fresh manure was ploughed under the
scar'fiet, roller, and harrow were used at
Intervals. as before. On the fifth of Nav
hvo bushels of millet seeds were sown on
four acrss--on the fifth Of July, the crop
wan hauled and estimated at four tons
per acre. have obtained this season
forty tons from sixteen acres, Of which
four only had been manfred the remain.
der could not have borne good wheat
crop. One of tho loads was weighed, an
account of them was regularly kept, their
size was made as nearly seua' as possible.
l have generally used large quantity of
seed. as not more than two thirds of those
which ara generally sown vegeta,e.
Willis! my oxen consumed mile, in
its green state, they performed their
work with more spirit and vigor than
thev had done before, or have shown
since, except when fed with grain. Ny
cattle, OF all ages, prefer it to both red
and the white clover meadow hay.
am not disposed TO cultivate it as
iarinaceous crop, since have found
great difficulty in protecting it from the
ravages of immense fiocks OF birds, which
it attracts, and in securing it sufficiently
early, to prevent large part of the grain
from being left on the ground. The
seeds on the upper parts of the stalks,
general, ripen and fall, before tho. e
below have been filed. 1, therefore, Gu,
t when the upper parts of most of the
heads, contain seeds which are hard
All my observations have confirmed me
IN the Belief that in this stage, il afford
fodder more nutritious, and more easily
hmade" than any sort OF hay. The ex
pense of tiiling tho land in the accurate
manner which l have detailed, is not SD
great ss. at first view, would appear. A !
yoke of good oxen can scarify three a.
cres and an half, without difficulty, in one
day. L would recommend millet, no,
merely for its value as food, but for the
means II affords Of making clean III
land. without summer .faiiozus or driHj
crohs. Fbe ingenious arguments whic h
have been adduced TO prove, that deep
stirring between growing crops is advan
tageous TO them and the soil, are founded
upon English experience. properly dj-
| rected by close attention to the effects of
| a moist climate. Some of our wrifers
| have asserted that as "dew drops" are
found on the leaves of plans, after deep
stirring has been given in time OF great
drought, the practice is sound | should
| suggest, il | we're allowed, hat moisture
had better be, at such times, conveyed to
the roots, than be exhaled by the sun, or
placed on the leaves until his rays shall
have exhausted it all. The valuable
parts of most maDures, readily assume
the gaseous form-every deep stirring 20
a certain extent, in hos weather, there
fore, impoverishes the soil. Deep
ploughiDg, at froher seasons, is, con
ceive, the basis Of all good farming.
Such crops, as shall enable the hus-
baDdman>to extirpate weeds and obtain
large supplies of fodder, without much
exhaustion, should be the great objects
for bis aim would propose, that
| foul sward receive its proper guam
r