Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-01-23
THE - - FARM.
ON THE PROPER TREATMENT OF
MEADOW LANDS.
BY JESSE RYDER,

What I mean by meadow land, is that
which, from the nature of the soil, is more
natural to grass than grain, SO much so, as
10 make il desirable to keep it all the time
IN grass. 1t a,so. includes the .;s..:. f'c!st
soil which is good for either grain or grass.
As pefmaneat meadow land, the same
treatment applies TO it all. And be it un-
derstood, have reference 10 upland merely.
TO such land as, when poor, or the grass be-
comes thin upon tits covered with red moss,
and frequently mouse-ear, being reduced 10
the production of bull's-eye, or white dali
sy, all of whish are the effect and not the
cause of the absence of grass.
Those temporary meadows on dry lands,
which come Of rotation Of crops, where
the grass is renewed after tlage, and re-
mains in but short time, do not come with.
in the purvicw of this article. The very
dryness Of, soil, which compells frequent
blowing, increases the profit Of the farmer,
his land Is enriched by the easy means of
seed and plaster, in conjunction with the
manure of the farm, and, as general thing,
such is the most profitable of all lands.
But far different system should be adop.
ted with land, which is too heavy and wet
for grain, without manure.
From the naroIe Uf ,i."es !. .ssioiros
nuring highly 10 insureIa crop OF graia, and
the fertility Of the soil cannot be maintained
in ,illagc husbandry, by the cultivation OF
clover, as is that ofdry land.
Where the soil of farm is all of that ma
ture, there should be no more plowed than
can be MANFRED sufficiently to give good as
surance ofevery grain crop sought to be OBJ
tanned ,herelrom. Consequently, that por-
ton of the farm under ,illage should be
small in comparison with that of dry land
But with the treatment which such land
usually receives, the amount Of manure
made from the produce of the farm is too in
significant 10 maintain, much more to in.
crease its fertility. The common practice
is to pillow it up when the grass runs down
and take from it several meagre crops o
grain, before It is again laid down to grass
then succeed two or three middling crops oil
grass, before 1t degenerates to the old stand
ard, again inviting or compelling the owner
to renow his impotent efforts TO increase it
fertility
But such management is all wrong. Thu
attempt to manage heavy land the same a
though it was dry, in order to renew thu
crop of grass upon it, necessarily involve
Gaqu blowing. with the application O
little or no manure to the greater part Of it
from the insufficiency of the supply conse
quenlly the land, grows poorer and heavie
by the operation. For soils which ar
naturally too stiff, bu, have been lightene
by vegetable matter, speedily degenerate un
der tillage, and becomes less porous as tn
vegetable matter works out leaving !. com
pact and heavy, and uniting it for II
growth Of plants so that ii requires yer
) successful now seeding with grass, to agai
tighten it up and restore it to its former goo
estate. Such system, then should be adopt
ed with such land, as will not diminish tn
amount Of vegetable matter upon the surfac
, of the soil. Fit is desirable to pillow til
! land, lie, 1t be up but one season as a sun,
mer fallow, and sown early with wintt
) grain, and seeded with timothy in the fal
and clover in the spring; That enables tn
young grass TO feed up the old, so that
! the time the old roots are decomposed, an
appropriated 10 the use Of the new crop,
n more luxuriant crop is obtained, and til
n amount of vegetable matter in the soil il
e creased, or in other words, its fertility {
. power of production is increased, whic
I must be attributed to the large share ,
:, nourishment which plants derive from ii
). atmosphere, (being according to Liebil
y nine tenths Of the whole,) that makes the oil
d roots basis for nine times their weight (
vegetable matter to grow upon, or IN III
!, soil. This new estate can be maintaine
e without manuring, as | shall show herea
); ter. Such, in my opinion, is the extent
which land no, fitted for a succession I
grain crops, may be plowed.
% But far better way than blowing exist
in my opinion, to renew the grass upon o.
y meadow lands. There are two ways
a which it may be done without blowing, on
d through the agency Of red clover, and ii
other by ,op-dressing with manure, of whic
d tho one most important 10 be understood
/, because The easiest and cheapest, is th
!, which is effected by clover.
Strange as il may appear to some, Glow,
Il is, to stiff clayey soils, when kept constant,
1t in grass, and rightly managed, the san
'e source of fertility that il is to dry land in
y ludiclous rotation Of crops.
Nd Although il generally succeeds but poo
:. ly on such land 10 a new seeding, after ,