Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-11-25

pfDId UItU - !J'UUAVI. -"
onr prodrcts: pit,inc 100 iEGch to hazarh, by 'ety'ag
upon one crop as i source OF revenue; ana losing lae
benefits of lie auxililry aid OF o'herS' IN anofa'hs pro-
fl, and ,ic means of making manrfes' ana SURVIVING
The necessities Of the farm. lhe exclusive '""a1eo
.n,,rre nnr.rei IN some portions OF the STATE, is per-
hans the most preca,ious OF all. TAs whole resources
O.; the farm are spilled TO tii's ona os1ecl, sca"ty sHP'
plies of subsistence are produceo; many lh'"ss "neu
n farm should finnish, are calculated To u 'a''e
10 nn,chass. An uapropitious season, ana a feauc-
lion in price, leaves the proprietor without he,t re-
venue: with reduced means, aad inipoVef'sheo ANUS
The exclusive wheat culture is scarcely Letter ~ i.
,.n,,on 10 grass aecessary for the production OF wheat,
and the general Improvements; furnishes more aouhoah'y
food for laborers and animals; and It's offAi produces
more manure. THIS is, however, connlefoainhccu "
The greater uncertainty Of TIE crop, and tue SUI s'ca,ei
uncertainty of the price. OF all the proanc's 0, ny
earth. breadstufs must be the most iactua'!'g III 'ne"
yaIue. Every one who occupies land, ehdeavo's "
raise bread for the consumption OF hihhss!i ana i1"i't'
# moi for market. 4 favorable season produces sIeh sur
p,osses that the price falls 10 the lowest pc'a'' Inc
,,a,a of ,bipgs existing from l5ii 10 lsli, T. period OF
1sen,v.ona years, beginning and ending with tie var
which grew ont o. the French Revolution, p'oduceo :"
average price of wheat IN England, OF eos. 'd' the guar
Ter, or 80 IL the 6rshe!, double wEat II i!a ever "een
an any similar period in the history oil the "o'!d' ahu
,ahirb m;,Lt not aoain occur M a thousand years; ST.
mulatinp the culture of whoa, here aud IN Europe lu'
subsequent prices have shewn the folly 0. persistihg III
At, cs an exclusive crop
combination of wheat, tobacco, grass and stock,
would appear 10 afford varied resources, anu a.ai!oiei III
oce, would be relieved by corresponding success N oe
other; combining a general and steady Improvements
which would give an additional assurance OF production,
by increased and increasing fertility oil SOIL: oy incfeas-
,1g the number of fields permitting them 10 remain
loHoer in grass ia,p-cving, and Welding a revenue
without labor at The same lime, from s;ock' bei;g
more careful in laying them down SO lhat taey De
well stocked with grass, which VIII improve Sne
land. increase the prodGct and support the stock. ne
slock converts the grass into money anu tue Ola! Of
The farm into manure. The manure improves The iano,
increases the crops Of tobacco, gram aud grass, ano me
grasa again ADDS 10 the stock. | shall be met ny an
objection that our lands are no, adapted TO grass
Blany Of US can recollecl their appearance lhir.y years
ago; the red and naked aspects OF our best iieics. Not
grass enough on hundreds Of acres TO Craze q score oil
The small, meaGre cattle then Teared-ofoonis''a" nt'-
ers and bushes being the only heritage upon thenh' i ne
red soils Of the South west mountains were OF all others
deemed the best adapted 10 grass. l have been told oy
seed inhabitants, that in their memories there was not
,hree acres of gIoensward N the county, and that, the
husbandry orcaretul housewares as an ornament 10 'heiF
front doors. An old negro pointed out TO me the spot
where she had seen the frs. sp're OF green sward at the
mountains, where some traveller ) horses from The lower
country had been tied. Now, on improved farms, ii
continuously covers large bodies OF land, and IN tar
me, pi,tese, promises 10 become the master grass. II
mag no tbouyIl Inc exp re5sIon oi Il bold OPINION 10 say,
,h., his 10 destined 10 be a better gruss country ,hsn
the Valley, but /. is one that my own observation IN
duces me TO express. Oar grass vesela'es ea''ei III
,be Sprinp, does not burn 50 mucn IN summer, and
lows Later IN the fall: and when we shall have reco-
Sered the abrasions Of the early tobacco culture, Go
not fear but its business will be acknowledged.
II is necessary for the healthy vegetation OF all SEEDS
,ha, the SOL should be in close contact with .hem. Hence
small seeds like grass seeds, thrive best when gern'
n,t;nu in 4 soil OF a fine, soft texture, IN which tie
seed will lie perfectly undecided. On me contrary, IN a
coarse soil, in The intcrsnces CT which the seed hangs
suspended among PARTICLES, often large! than 'tseli, II
re,r,;no,es reeblv and is more liable 10 perish IN the
ION: as soon however as the roots OF q plant oesin 70
nene,,,:e the soil, this difficulty ceases and the plants
,row vigorously. Our soil 10 q trabie clay OF coarse
texture, which renders our seeing OF grasses more pre-
curious, and in addition 10 our former system d cur
ire c,nsed their introduction 10 be more tarcy; but
upon no soils DO they grow rioTe luxurianuy' LINE
in the soil, is deemed necessary 10 gre u Inc oestauap-
tation 10 the growth OF grass; we are "itnou' le n.'e-
Stone. eYccpt n very narrow vein 4 few miles east oil US.
But 4 is oscer,ained, from the analysis OF our sou ny
Professor Rogers of the University Of Virginia, thai we
have from one and > half 10 three per censum oil linie
an chemical combustion with It. i!Iis gives us, within
Il depth Of nine inches from the surface, i'o"i ihTae
hundred and sixty to seven bundled and twenty bush
els 10 the acre. Hence the failure 10 experience behe-
fetal results from adding mere ime TO IT,
The country through which the road passes for eight
miles, from Ashby's Gap TO Warren,on, IN the county
Of Fauouier, is clothed most beautifully with grass, and
in ADril, Isle, was told OF tie sale o.. farm al So
cash per acre, aud that this had not been deemed az ex-
,faordinary price for these lands. The prcP!ietors coma.
der them as better grass lands, than those Of Clark and
Jefferson. indisputabiy the finest lands in the State
Yet these lands in Fauquier, ere IN Their reialVe posi-,
ion 10 The Blue Ridge, aspect OF i'iis, vaiiey' and
stream, as well as ia arps,en; quality, OF Original so!'
more nearly alike the bfonn 5 love Oh ou' coo"'y .'"'
anv two spots OF country | have ever seen. Ana iiow
different has the hand Of pan made them. Oae cover
ed with luxuriant crops, fields Of beautiful pasturase,
innumerable herds Of tat cattle, IN tine, every lHin9
denoting wealth and abundance. ne other, Ike iafse
portions Of our country, exhibiting the reinorseless
WORKINGS Of 4 short.sigL,ed %cnp!dity, where man ias
warred against Nature, and suffered IN The conflict. 49,
Another objection viii be urged that the stock will
destroy the grass and impo:ef'sa the land. FMS VIII
be true if the lands are overslocked, end II the stock
are suffered TO 90 on the clover, the first ye.T OF It's
growth, or the second before midsummer. Alter that
The lands have sett!ed from the previous culture, and
have become clothed with u Goa; Q. vegetable matter,
and are not injured BY the hoof. Indeed alter the Sc
cond wear do not consider Them rs injured ~ grazing
At all. a field will support, double the stock, tie sr
rond year Of grass, that il will the FIRST, end dout'e
;hc ,htrd that i would the second. And after II be-
comes covered with turf, II cannot be injured by
Them. (, - q fact rot generally known, that old turi
pastures iat;en stock better, ard make richer laiiS,
with less abundant, aud apparently a less r'goron,
growth Of vegetation than those more recently !ail
down. There IS an Instance mentioned oil en- Individual
IN ENGLAND, a make. Of Cheshire cheese, Of superIol
QUALITY. who. with tire view OF increasing his grass
broke up and rese. his pasturea. AS lie aht!cipSfS, The
vegetation was more abundant and lrxuriant, but his
cheese became impoverished, and lost lis reputation,
which he was unable 10 restore, n"tii his pastures nae
lain seven wears under grass. The kinG CT stock 10 &c
kept, whether sheep, or cattle, or both, VIII cepeno
upon the market, and The peculiar circumstances OF as
farm, as well as the Judgment OF the proprietor. Sheep
are destructive TO recently set grass, and therein inju-
rious TO the LAND, hut profoga'o:S Of tpri, and de-
cidedly improvcIs 10 land on old pastures. Turf on good
land, bears the hool ard the tooth better than weeds,
briers, or bushes, and the lands will be cleansed, and
not impoverished. Lands that are disposed to pu, up
pushes and briers, Will require 10 be moved with The
p.amlb!c scy,he once n year, 10 keep them frcm destoy-
ing IKE grass. This can be done al leisure, in TIE Fall,
Winter or Spring; il is best after Ike bushes have pu,
out; and if commenced the year after corn, when they
are small, it will be found, that The labor OF moving the
whole farm every year, is much less than %gru5bing ore
field, if left nnmoles.ed from crop 10 crop. Hard iead.
ing is the best preparation for wheat; ii gives a com,
pactness 10 the soil, which is necessary 10 insure c good
crop. The Green Spring and Jefferson lands ere the
stifest, and best wheat lands in the State. Lands IN
New York that ere reported 10 produce from 30 10 90