Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-06-06
FREENGA N. MONTPELIER. VERMONT 1850.
Christian missionaries, ths they caused it to
be hunted and killed by te peasants.
Agricultural.
Ploughing in Vegetable Matter.

E1ouShLnS III VeSetdle AMaCCer.
Mr.. Editor I'm Professr Norton's AID
dress before the Hampshire, franklin and
HamPdea Agricultural Sociey, while spea-
king of the benefits. arsngGrom turning
down green crops, he observes:
"Some excuse themselves b saving. that
so large crop cannot be got lpder; but it
is not so, for this can be done BY going over
the surface with heavy roller in advance
OF the plough; the clover then lies fiat, and
the plough with a sharp coulter has no diff
flcully turning it over completely. Others
recommend heavy chain hung from the
plough beam, SO as to drag the clover down
before the plough. share reaches it, "
Now, with all Difference to such authority,
, must be permitted to remark, the custom
of going over the crop of cIver with heavy
roller in advance of the plough has long
since been found of more injury than good,
nor will, even then, the sharpest couture be
found to cut through the rolled crop, with
out dragging and checking, and creating
much difficulty in turning it compleately in,
while the use of a heavy chain hung from
the plougli-beam, so as to drag the clover
down bhfore the plough-share reaches it,
will not at all aid the eperotion. Allow me
to relate what follows; was some time
since, sojourng with a farming friend in
Manchester Co., Pennsylvania, aud wen,
over to a neighbour field of 40 acres, to see
him turning in first and second crop Of
clover as dressig for wheat; which crops,
in such fine, heavy sol, were, to say the
leaet, enormously stout, and quite as high
as the knees oftheir Conestoga horses, which
measure sixteen hands in hight. Here.
three of these animals ARREST in long, iron
plough were following heavy roller, that
had been used for the porpose of dressing
down the clover, the coulter having been
GROUND sharp as knife, but all would not
do; for at every twenty or thirty yards the
plough had to be dragged back to free her
from the clover accumulated under the beam
nor was there third of the crop efectually
covered, after all this outlay of strength and
continuance, and with log chain appended
to the plough-beam to boot. After witness
ing their Intellectual attempt for haIfan-hour
proposed to make trial, provided | could
have my own way, with plough then had
at my friends house, beIeivcing that could
perform what they had despaired of accom-
pllshlng. The offer was accepted, and ia
king two ofthe horses, and tying the thirc
to the fence, put them to Prouty & Mears
S 10 plough, and commenced operations il
the most difficult part of the field where
the crop of clover was the strongest ant
with the aid Of light trace. chain only. al
tached to the plough-beam at the standard
bolt, and made fast to the ring of the furrov
end OF the singIe-tree; thus dragging aon!
the open Iurtow, and rising on The elevate.
furrow"sllce, SO as 10 embrace the crop o
clover, swept it under the falling fulrow a
neatly and eflectualIy as it could have beef
done by hand But the most astonishing
part of all was, that | preferred to operat
without the use of the roller, by which al
choking was prevented. Here, furrow
seven inches deep and fourteen inches wild
was turned without turning hair of tn
horses coats, althoug but two of them wer
in use, while the whole of the clover wa
completely covered and hidden from sight
without the use of roller or heavy drag chain
- Correspondent of Boston CaHi0atOr.