The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1852-05-26
RENOVATING EXHAUSTED SOILS
PASTURE LANDS-KILLlNG BKl.
ERS AND BUSHES.

IkENOfAIlNO EAhAOol Ell cohhC
PASTURE LANDS-KILLING BRI-
ERS AND BUSHES.
EDS. O. CULTIvAToR:-The first settlers
of this State, particularly in Washington
and the adjoining counties. by continued
succession Of exhausting crops. have very
materially impaired the fertility Of that
part of the land which has long been un.
der cultivation. 1t has therefore become
a question of great interest to many ofus,
how we may best renovate such land. SO
as to renew its original fertility. In order
10 encourage others to give their expert
ence, have concluded 10 write out for the
Cultivator the method which. after a good
deal Of experience, appears TO Inc best
calculated for that purpose.
In the first place, summer fallow the
field which you wish to improve, as deep
as the nature of the soil requires, (and
have often found thorough blowing about
8 inches deep will do much of itself to rem
ovate many worn out felds,) then sow it
early with wheat and timothy, and the
next spring with clover. to remain in pas.
ture for three years. But in order that
laying in grass shall have its full fertilizing
effect, it must be properly fed off. have
known several farmers, who after giving
clover what they considered fair trial,
pronounce it all humbug; contending
that it was as exhausting crop as any
they ever cultivated, and in their hands it
was probably so. Stock was turned on
it early in the spring. as soon as the tender
leaves make their appearance they were
nipt off by the hungry cattle in waiting. SO
there was little to give the land fertility,
unless having the whole face of the field
turned up naked to the sun and broled
and baked for three summers in succession
would have that effect; for very little vege-
table matter would be produced, as plants
can no more grow without leaves than
without roots, and you can kill a plant as
effectually by depriving it for length Of
time of leaves, as by depriving it of roots.
This is the manner in which sheep and
cattle destroy briers, alders and other
bushes.
In order to derive all the benefit from
pasture which it is capable OF producing,
it should not be fed off till the clover be-
gins to bloom. The leaves will then have
returned to the roots full supply Of elab-
GRATED sap, the roots will be fully devel.
oped, filling the earth with their fibres.
containing the materials for future leaves,
when the present ones shall have been re-
moved. Then turn on stock enough to
eat the pasture close TO the ground, and
also to strip the briers and bushes of their
leaves in week or ten days. If there
are many briers and bushes, which is gen.
orally the case on worn out land in this
country, after it has been pastured as close
as you can with cattle and horses, turn in
sufficient number of sheep to pick off
every green leaf in two or three days, leav-
ing the briers and bushes bare as candle
rods. This can be done readily when the
leaves have attained nearly their full size
in the spring, and it will do the sheep no
harm to be pretty hungry for the two or
three days Blu, should the field be SO
large as to require week or two, it would
injure the flock; for though sheep will eat
leaves freely for day or two, yet they
will OF live on them long without suffering.
The grass should then be suffered to
grow till the leaves on the bushes have
again attained nearly their full size. The
clover will by this time be nearly ready to
bloom, for the grass will start Immediately,
but the bushes will have new buds to form
before they can again put out leaves, and
there will not be near so many leaves pro-
duced the second time as there was the
first, and the sheep will destroy them much
sooner. Continue to destroy the leaves in
this manner as often as they appear through
the summer, and neither bushes nor briers
will ever put out again. In this manner
have frequently destroyed large thickets of
briers and oak and hazel bushes much
more effectually than it could have been
done by grubblng. This mode Of pastur.
ing will not only destroy these pests of the
farmer. but much more grass will grow on
the same ground. and it will likewise con-
tain more nutriment than the weight OF
grass before it is fully matured and ri.
pened
In order to obtain the greatest amount
of pasture from the ground, care should
be taken not to suffer the seed to come TO
perfection, for as this is the ultimate object
of growth, the plant will make repeated
efforts TO attain this end, but when once
attained, growth will cease for some time.
To manage pasture land as have pro.
posed it will be necessary to have it divi-
ded into several fields, that the grass may
be growing on the others, while each is
being fed of. After the land has remain
ed three years in pasture. plow in the lat
ter part Of winter or early in the spring
about one inch deeper than it was ever
plowed before, harrow it well, and when
the ground becomes solid in the spring
spread all the manure that can be spared
on the poorer parts of the field, plow it
| SECOND time about the first of Nav two or