Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-11-17

Vi WHICH 40 snAh iodih upon Rrdvelly
subsidy having lain three years to
grass, and the crop so light as to he
not worth more than the expense Of
making, with a view of ascertaining
the quantity of vegetable matter upon
the surface, l took single loot square
Of green sward, and after separating
the roots and tops of the grasses from
the loan and vegetable mould, it was
found on weighing to contain nine
ounces of clear vegetable substance,
giving, at that rate, over twelve and a
quarter tons to the acre. This con-
WINGED me of the Importance of tax
ing some course by which this valua-
BILE treasure might be turned to good
account. That great part OF this
vegetable matter is exposed to useless
waste by the usual mode OF ploughing,
cross-ploughing and narrowing, must
be obvious to any one. In order,
therefore, to secure this, as we'll as the
light vegetable mould at or near the
surface, which is liable 10 waste from
the same causes, / had two acres of
the green sward of this field turned o.
yer with the plough as smoothly as
possible. After removing the outside
furrow slices into the centre OF the
P!oughland, and thereby effecting the
double purpose of covering the vacant
space in the middle, and preventing
ridges at the sides and ends, the field
was rolled hard with a loaded roller,
by which the uneven parts of the fur
rows were pressed down, and the
whole made smooth. 1t was harrow
ed lengthwise the furrow, with horse
harrow, but so light as not to disturb
the soil. Twenty cart loads of COM
post manure, made by mixing two
parts of loan or peat mud with one of
stable dung, were then spread upon
each acre. 1t was then narrowed a
gain as before, and then the poorer
part of the soil, which had been turn
ed up, and remained upon the surface,
was thereby mixed with the compost
manure. Corn was then planted in
drills upon the burrows, the rows be-
ing at the usual distance and parallel
with the furrow. At hoeing time the
surface was stirred by running light
plough between the rows, but not so
deep, at this or the subsequent hoe
ing, as to disturb the sod. What Mr..
Lorain calls the Savage practice of
killing up the corn,' was cautiously
avoided. In the early part of the sea-
son my corn field did not exhibit a
very promising appearance; but as
soon as the roots had extended into
the enriching matter beneath, and be-
gan to expand in the decomposing
sward, which had now become mel
low, and more infinitely divided by
the fermentation of the confined vege-
table substances beneath, than it could
have been by the plough or hoe, the
growth be came vigorous, and the crop,
in the opinion Of those who examined
the field, not less than seventy bush
els to the acre. AS soon as the corn
was harvested, the stub5le was loos-
ened up by running light horse
plough lengthwise through the rows,
the surface then smoothed with bush
harrow, and one bushel of rye, with
sufficient quantity of herds grass and
red top seed, to the acre, was then
sowed, the ground again narrowed and
rolled. The crop Of rye was harvest
ed in July following, and the two a.
cres yielded sixty-nine and a hall
bushels of excellent grain, and over
five tons of straw. The grass seed,
sowed with the rye, took well, and
the present season I took what those
who secured the crop judged to be two
and half tons of the very best hay to
the acre.
Thus, with one ploughing, with the
aid of twenty cart loads Of common
manure to the acre, ! have obtained
two crops of grain, and stocked the
land down in grass"
The great object of the farmer is to
obtain the most valuable products,
with the least possible labor, and at
the same time to keep his farm in
state of progressive improvement by
this method large crops have been OBJ
tanned with small expense of la5our
or manure but some flittle faith may
object that it is the result of single
experiment, that there may have been
something peculiar in the soil or the
seasons, that with others it would
have been a complefe failure. and most