Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1850-09-13

Mr.. BURGWIN's EXPERIMENTS.

AAANs 0O&%0 HLAA Os I
JACKSON, N. C. July 18th, 1850.
ToTHE EDITOR OF THE AMERICAN FAR
AER-SIR ALLOW me through the me-
dunn Of your valuable periodical 10 COR
rect two errors of print, which have
crept into the publication ofmy remarks
on the improvement of worn out lands
! am made 10 say-'from experience in
the use of both, ! think peas not inferior
TO CLOVER as a specific manure for
wheat It should be-'but LITTLE in
ferior TO clover &c. The long, rich
tap root Of clover by its decay, affords a
food for wheat which no part Of the pea
can supply. This tap-root operates bene-
fcially also, by penetrating the earth
deeper, and in decaying, leaves a vege-
table dePosite TO a greater depth, afford
ing what Col. Fremont would call al
cache" or hidden magazine Of provis-
ion for future plants.
On the next page, it reads" For
three years / have never fed my work
ing horses on grain or fodder from the
middle OF May till the clover fails; ! it
should be-'but ONCE a day. always
feed once a day on HoMINY, (preferring it
MUCH to uncracked corn,) turn my hor-
ses into the clover fields after their days
work, and they ale again put to work
the next morning, with no other atten-
ton than watering, having been eurried
at MIDDAY, instead ofat night, as is done
during the shorter days of fall and win
ter. Nature. by the production Of vEG-
ETABLE food for the lower animals in the
spring. thereby indicates a change from
the stronger and more heating diet of
grain, to be PROPER for them who has
not observed our cattle, turning from the
dry food of the winter, to feed on the
young grass which is yet not so strength
eningi II is very true, they must not
be allowed 20 feed exclusively on this,
If SO, they suffer from d~isordered bow
els; work horses particularly, must not
6e too much exposed to this temptation.
We see an entirely analogous case in
ourselves. Nature produces for Us a
great variety Of vegetables in the spring,
our appetites cause MS eagerly to enjoy
these, in consequence our blood becomes
thinned, our systems purged from the
grosser juices that circulate during the
winter, and we are better prepared fol
Che heats Of summer. Since writing the
piece referred TO, l have added the ex,
perience Of another summer to this plan
and though in consequence of the fresh
I'll in May, | had to replant 200 hundred
acres Of corn; and TO add to my corr
crop $50 acres more Of destroyed wheat
all Of which was followed with thret
horse ploughs. running 8 to 10 inches
deep, my team of 10 three horse ploughi
were enabled by this plan Of feeding, Il
stand the increased tax upon their endu
rance, with the exception of a few oftht
weaker animals. Thus / am more thar
ever satisfied with the plan. It is trut
my teams are strong, but he who keep
inferior animals on his estate, acts un
wisely.
While | am writing, let me give m,
testimony as to the capability Of our re
gion of country, for raising the fine
grasses: | have been seeding the follow
ing grasses for several years, and hav
never failed when sow on good sol
and that put in good order, to obtain an
retain a good stand, viz:-clover, time
thy, herds-grass, Kentucky blue grass
When proper attention is not paid to tn
selection Of a suitable soil, &C., &c., a
in every thing else, a failure, or onl
partial success in the result. My expt
Tience proves to me, that the month
September, or early in October, is tn
best time to SOW grass-seed in our cI
mate. If sown with wheat, and on Iic
land, it may by its luxuriance, affect tt
product Of the wheat, and clog the reaI
ing machines but your stand of grass
more sure. The result of myths year
experiment, may be interesting to 20
and, perhaps encourage Others 10 simil
attempts, | will therefore shortly sta
II. Having about $50 acres of my whe
this year, sown upon last years CO
land, and the land being rather light, al
not too rich, / feared lest l should f;
with my grass sown on this wheat, b
cause Of the two successive cereal croI
l therefore bought guano, mixed it wi
its bulk Of plaster, then added fine oh;
coal, the same, and to this mixture dou
lie the whole bulk Of deposite OF the RI
noke river, a rich %alluvial earth, a
sowed the whole broadcast in Febua
and March, and narrowed il in, on I
ofthe wheat. l sowed at the rate
200 lbs. Of guano to the acre; the val
Of this, no doubt, was doubted by |
mixture with the absorbents of the a
monia. as | was extremely careful,
the manipulation, to cover the qua
with several inches Of the plaster,
TO prevent the escape of the ammon