The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent., 1851-08-01


pasture in Winter in keeping his cattle in good
order; and all without deyoting too much land
to the purpose; think it can be done profitably,
whilst he improves his whole farm In the next
place, would advise care in the purchase of
seed; obtain it if possible from some good
scotsman on whom you can rely; if you cannot
do that. the smell is good criterion to Judge
by; if it is musty, reject it, if it smell Ike good
fodder, it is probably good, and if you have an
opportunityit can be tried by floating a very
thin layer of cotton in tumbler of water, and
on this sow aSew seed, which, if kept in warm
room. will germinate if good in few days.
Then see if there is any foreign seed, such as
cookie, or cheat, and separate them. A little
care here may save great deal of trouble in
destroying garlic, docks, or other things which
| are found great annoyances the North. These
had better be looked for after the grass grows,
and destroyed before they spread. If your
seed has to be kept any time before sowing, it
should be in dry place.
| The. kind of grass is another consideration.
This should be adapted TO the soil; and such
| adoption may cost great deal of time and
| labor, if you have no careful experiments all
ready made in your neighborhood tits pretty
| universal experience that clover will not grow
well on soil that has not good supply of lime
of some kind. Red-top, Timothy, and Musquit,
all grow well on moist land, and on good clay
upland; how they will do or high sandy land,
have no experience. | should suppose, that
in favorable seasons, however, they would hit,
andafter getting. well rooted, thrive as well as
onclay. We must not think that grass will do
Iwell, ,at first, on any kind of poor land. Lwould
advise the trial of an acre or two of really good
or well MANFRED land. If the land is poor and
worn; why, the best thing you can do is to pnt
| it into Bermuda and raise stock for year or
two; and while your land is resting, employ
your Negroes in some other business; the stock
will pay expenses, and if properly taken care
OF, afford great supply of manure.
i Good land however, may not always sue
ceed; it may be deficient in some quality requi-
site for the kind tried; or there may be some
native grass, or some weed more eongenial to
the soil which oyercomes the stranger. In this
case, the.time ofsowing must be so arranged as
to give this last the start at that season when
the native is least active. For instance, the three
grasses which have mentioned, grow through
the fall and winter. when crop and brnomsedge
are quiet. These two natives, which are un:
known at the North and West, viii smother up
any thing they get a fair start upon, which
makes it necessary that we should select diff
ferent time for seeding from that practised al
! the North, and which will enable us 10 estab-
lish our grass, by taking advantage of q. well
known principle, that two bodies cannot occu-
py the same space at the same time; for the
same reason it is not judicious to sow grass
with small grain, as they do universally at the
North. look upon this last as matter ofvery
great moment, which have not fully felt unit
this season. have found from the middle 0.
August to the middle of November the mos
successful time OF sowing. The best stand
have had, was sown without covering, imme
4 diately after the last hoeing of patch of rice
In other situations, would say prepare tht
land thoursughlv, as yen would for crop o
tornips: then mark Oft your ned IN conyen
inent lands both ways,and sow one way, theI
eross.sow the other way, thatyou may secure
proper seeding: then brush in as you woult
tHrnips, and If the ground is not too wet yot
may pass heavy roile over it.
After all this we are dependent on the direct
, ing providence of Con and if drought, o
wasting rain comes andblasts our prospects,w,
must submit to His will and act aswe do unde
other cases of the kni--re. plant; or as we dt
with turnips-try it again next year at anothe
OleluS HiOOH lDut you Have luoe a
mnch prospect Of snciess as with patch o
J turnips, in which case, do not kill the goose t
J get the golden eggs, but let it have a goo,
, growth tefore you BERN torpasture it; and al
ter you begin TO do SO, give it occasional rest t
| recover; and as soon inthe spring as your stoc.
t can get food elsewheh. let your grass grow
and NOV it when tits b blossom, for crop Q
seed will exhaust the sDil to the great injury O
: the next winters pasture. The after growt
will thus thicken, andmay be left for winte
| use, which, under these circums tances, will b
5 satisfactory. Although six quarts of clover, o
) eight of .the grasses, will sometimes afford
:, good stand, prefer putting double or trebl
, that quantity for the v5lue of the seed is sma
!, compared with the disadvantage efebare spot
: on which weeds will glow
fl To recapituate, in hevity: SOW a bouDtifu
supply of good seed in the fall. on good Ian
81 well prepared; pasture moderately the frs
winter, and you have good prospect of iull re
e muDeration.
i All this will be. looked upon in dfferer
5 lights by your readers, but am convinced
:. will be valuable information TO some Of then
= asst is the resultof Tong and thougbtfully col
I Quoted experiments, which would have bee
0 of incalcuabe servieeto me in the ebeginin
: of my efforts. hopeit will be looked upo
S favorably by any wholhave more knowledg
. in the matter, and hatit5may diaw,them OF
d to correct any errors they may perceive, an
t afford me, who am buta beginner, and other
e the needed information on this most interes
y ing subject. Yours, .
n A. S. ofOakwood Farm.
y RosueH, Cobb co. Ga.
e G"We have at least one precedent for b,
o admission, without going through territori