Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1836-10-27

very pest tney nao, Tor seeo-Bfnin-go-
ing into the corn field and picking The
largest ears. and from the sialks which
produce most-and that their profits are
5000 sensibly increased by il. They
say you can improve your grain a.
much in thus way, ~ you can your
stock. by breeding from the best breed
ers. They average about
DO bushels corn. sometimes much more.
NJ % cts.
do. $50 TO 200 do. potatoes, at % do.
do. 30 do. oats.
This, and the succeeding years clover,
being the least productive crops.
or grass. which yea Will perceive is
moved only the third summer after Il
vas put in, the best farms will COM
monty produce two tons 70 the acre, ut
about 8 IL the ton. And this Is . crop
which yields two OF three years in sue
cession, without any further trouble in
cultivation than the application OF ma
nure, which consists either of fish scat
tered about. or Of compost. spread over
the surface by harrow. This is inn
Portant, and requires to be well done.
The same ground will produce grass g
or 4 years successfully. and the quality
improves from year TO year, but the
quantity goes on diminishing, until the
ground becomes what they call 6o1nd,
and like fallow-land, requires breaking
up again As soon Is the grass is cut.
they rake il up and put il under shell
ter, and If not to be sold for use in the
Reighborhood. press il into bales or
bundles. confined by sappliag withes
Tapped around and tackled, for exporta-
ton. This process is effected ty \
screw. worked, in the case I saw, by
one-horse power, by which three hands,
and boy TO drive. will press in day
IL or lS bundles Of about 430 pounds
weight, or between 3 or 4 TONS The
original cost Of the machine saw, to-
gether with the putting Il up. amount
ed to from $50 TO 500. have seen
one since. worked by hand, -four men.
which cost $50. and would press be-
tween one and two tons per diem.
The harvesting Of the crop is rem
dered hardly less expeditions and eco
nomieal than the curing. by the use OF
q horse-rake. and which might be used
| should think, with much advantage,
for any OF her straw crop. To give you an
idea Of this rake. / will state that there
lis q square beam, on two opposite sides
Of which is q row of teeth, which
should be made Of the hardest wood
such, for instance, rs ash. To the ends
Of this beam, shafts are attached by
iron collars. so rs TO move easily up and
down. The horse Is hitched to the ends
of these shafts. by traces. Handles.
with their ground pieces. are also at
tached 20 the beam in q similar way.
AS the horse moves along, the rake ga
thes up the grass. and when it gets full
enough, the man presses down on the
handles, which lifts up the beam, and
the horse still moving on, turns the
rake over on the points Of the fingers,
leaves the bundle Of hay upon the
ground, and goes straight on. with the
other ends of the fingers in front. This
thing is repeated, and ono boy and q
horse will rake up . field in = very
short time. This struck me as being
an useful implement. II cost 8 10. and
l suppose might be had ia Baltimore
for the came price.
II ! am correctly informed, il would
seem that, with very little expense Of
cultivation, they make upwards Of $25
per aero. per annum, here-and ac-
cordingly, am told you cannot buy
land around here for less than 8 100 an
acre. The wheat crops Of Jefferson,
which seem TO have fallen OF very
much for several years past, | suppose
have not yielded lately over Sl5 an
acre, II that. B. says, ia letter
to me Of April last, that the ten-aere
meadow produced, summer before last
"3S loads Of hay" each Of which
would then CAST winter readily com
mand from $40 70 SI2." Thisis, at th,
least, S36 70 the acres; whereas your
wheat Of last summer has hardly yield
ed you over - 10 the acre. This be-
ing the case. why do you not try grass
upon some Of your other land Sow
down grass seed, along with your elo-
yer seed, in the Spring. In the sum
meF you take of your wbesl, leaving
young clover aud grass in the ground,
I his ought not 10 be bFowsed. Mex
summer, cut your clover from over the
grass, which y siill low. Next two Of
three summers you have your grass
This mode Of tillage dspives youi
ground Of the clover manure; and y
y Indispensable TO supply lie place BY
an abundaRes Of compost and othel
manuFe--and with that view, every
thing is raked up here spd thrown ints
the barn yard, TO be trOdden upon.
Il strikes me that this most become
valuable crop Ia the Valley; espe.
cially since the railroad, In Offering on
easy mode Of sending il to market, wil
obviaie the obi ection Of lie busk. I am
not aware that Il has been ever tried
vet nor, believe, has grass been pro
duced, fog oxrortslion, 10 any part o
Virgiaia."
II appears that the manuiactuFo o
hasf rrsof sn0ar n taxing 4 vide eEtanl