The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-02-16


derived, are first The pasture for his stock,
second, preventing the land from washing.
third, the vegetable matter which is left
upon the soil to turn under when plough
eddown. To improve the soil, you must
have manure, TO make manure you must
have stock; to keep stock, you must have
grass. Therefore, il is considered that
the cultivation Of grass is of as much, If
not more Importance, than most of The
crops we 90 cultivate. 1t is said by some,
who laugh at the idea Of sowing grass
seed, that we have plenty of grass with
out sowing. The grasses, however,
which we want, are those which come
early and continue late. Such is the rcd
clover, red top and orchard grass; of the
timothy, we cannot speak from experience.
Having said this much, by, way of intro.
dnrtion, we will now speak Of facts.
The facts reported, have been the eX.
perience of one Of Your Committee.
In the month of February, 1887, about
thirty acres Of ground, 'nen growing
wheat and rye upon it, was sowcd with
red clover seed. The seed was sown up
on the ground, and permitted to go down
with the snow aud rains. The method
adopted in sowing was, to mix the seed
with ashes, made moist, as much seed
to the bushel of ashes as was intended
for one acre, which was about eight
pounds Of seed. The clover grew up in
The spring, and at the time of cutting the
grain was generally about six inches high,
some spots of it twelve inches. The
summer of 1887, it was pastured, after
the crop of grain was taken off, with
hogs and small cattle, and some times
horses and mich cows. The summer of
1888, no stock was permitted to GO upon
it, until it was in bloom, about the mid
die of June, to the first Of July, when
about fifty hogs, between forty and fifty
cows, and horses, were permitted 10 pas
ture upon il, until the crop was eaten off,.
The stock were then taken of, and the
clover then grew up again, and made very
good fall pasture, thoug h not So good as
the first. The spring Of 1880, abou: hf-
teen bushels of plaster Of paris WAS put
upon part of the field, about one bushcl
10 The acre. The crop Of clover was not
so good this year as the crop of 1888, but
made very good pasture, and was treated
much as il was in 1888. This year salts
fed the proprietor of one fact, Of which
before he had doubts, vlz: that the red
clover will stand our summer heat and dry
sea,uus.- II wIIHsr06d The dry seasons
of 1888 and 1880, we may expect it to
Withstand our ordinary dry seasons. The
fall crop of 1889, was permitted TO 60
TO seed and ripen, when the whole was
turned under, with large two horse
plough, brought from New York for that
express purpose. In the last of Nnvem-
ber and month Of December. as the sea-
son would permit, The ground was again
sowed with wheat and rye, and better
crop was taken off it, at the harvest of
1910, than ever was on it since ii became
what is termed old land. The clover at
the time of harvest was generally from
eight to twelve inches high. No stock
was permitted 10 60 upon i'-untll the clo-
y.r was blooming: at this time it was gen.
erally eighteen inches high, and some
stalks measured two feet. 1t was then Il
sight wei! calculated TO satisfy any one,
that it requires butto try and we can grow
clover. The spring Of 1871, the clover
came on as usual, but The weeds sprang
up and smothered ilso that the crop was
no, So good as either of the other crops
II is intended to fall OH the ground this
winter, and plant corn on it the next year.
then SOW again in wheat and rye, with
view TO see whether sufliciency Of seed
| is in the ground to stock it again with clo-
YER, of which a doubt is enterialned.-
The land upon which this clover grew, is
stiff soil, original growth of timber,
hickory. post.oak, blackjack, black jack
and some few pines. The location is up
ON the south f,rk of Fishing Creek, in
Chester District, about iiflecn.acres of the
land has. been cleared upwards Of forty
wears, the remainder about twenty-five
wears. There has been no manure put
upon it al any time, except about one acre.
and that but very ,rihing. Ihe cost OF the
clover seed was few cents under eight
dollars per bushel, delivered on the laF!a,
SO that each acre had about one dollar
worth of seed upon it. That seed stock.
ed The ground for live years, and two hea'
w crops OF wheat and rye taken off it n,
the time, and after the first year, the
paslurage is considered worth more sthan