The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1853-08-17

u nav raise; IL IL Is not so, IL has muc
70 do with It. for il can not be doubt
ed that thought has been active
In North Carolina one great i'm
provement has scarcely been entere.
upon. but there are are those who ar,
thoughtful upon it-this improvement
consists IN provisions for pastuage.
Iam satisfied that in the course oi 1 few
years an entire revolution will be ef-
fected in the mode Of raising and keep.
ing stock. The present system nurses
IN its bosom immortality and crime.
There isa population which is not con.
lined to the outskirts Of civilization. but
which is mingled more or less with the
body polite eyerywhere. and which is
destitute Of the principles of honesty ;
and are, therefore, ready, when oppor-
tunity presents. TO take what belongs
to. another. Cattle, sheep. and hogs
which are allowed to range the forests
have no security under the present
system Of pasturage. They are taken
and appropriated by the lazy and in
dolent. The fact Is well known, but
suchare the circumstances under which
these thefts are committed, that the
guilty always escape detection and
punishment. This fact alone will ul-
timately lead 10 the construction of
enclosures. This must lead to con.
traction Of ranges. The next step will
be TO increase the amount of food upon
the more limited areas. The planter
who has proper regard to the morals
OF his neIghborhood connot well pursue
a system which is SO pregnant with
evil. and which holds out opportunities
to commit crime under circumstances
which defy detection. Ii is true we
should entertain only feeble hope Of
a change, II it could not be shown that
pasturage isa feasible scheme, and can
be secured BY any planter or farmer
who owns fifty acres Of land, or even
much less than that. II a farmer owns
only fifteen acres it would be a good
policy 10 put one third Of il in pastu-
rage-by pasturagc l meana provision
to keep stock during summer upon the
better grasses, and not upon the wild
grasses and heritage of forcsts. Pass
turage cannot be securedin the south ex.
cept BY special means, unless il be in
the higher and cooler portions Of this
section Of the Union. Tlllage must pre-.
cede the formation Of pasture; it will
not growupofitselt. The special means
forthis objectare these:plowing, manur.
ing, and the sowing Of the proper seed.
The plowing should be deep, and |
would recommend dressing of lime,
mari, or guano, prior to blowing. The
burrows should be well laid, and the
surface will be greatly improved by
the roller; indeed, it is often a very
essential operation in order to secure
the termination of seed. The manur,
ing should consist of combination Of
the two nudes prevalent among far
mers. viz; the sowing Of a crop of buck
wheat. or clover, for the purpose Of plow.
ing it in when in blossom, and the free
use Of compost of mari or lime, and
peat.or any organic matter which can
be obtained from the plantation. The
green crop shoul, be well plowed in
and covered, and remain two or three
weeks. The surface is then ready to
receive dressing Of manure and the
mixed grass seeds, consisting Of orchard
grass. timothy, red top. Kentucky blue
grass and clover. The roller should
be applied alter the seed are lightly
dragged in. 1t may be proper to re-
mark that neither grass nor clover seed
admit Of being buried deeply. This
plan may be objected to from its ex-
pense; but when contrasted with the
present system, it is not only stock
saving scheme. but it is part Of the
only scheme by which stock can be i'm
proved. A planter may purchase
hock ofthe best Durham, Devon, Ayre-
shire or Jersey COWS, and turn them
upon his range, however good it may
be, and in less than one year the flock
will have lost its value, even if he has
succeeded in saving with cxtraordina.
ry care his original number. Forest
feed is Incompatible with improves
ment. | acknowledge that cattle of
these ranges do accumulate some fat,
but under the present system it is lost
in the winter; besides under this sys-
tenn they never acquire their proper
size. If the system of pasturage ever
takes the place Of ranges, several chan>
ges will surely follow. lst. Better
herds OF cattle will become common,
and the small lean kind will iisap-
pear before them. Gal. Barns and out
houses will be improved and adapted
to the kind Of stock which may be kept.
3. Fertilizers will be greatly increhsed,
and with them the means for the ben
ter Improvement oil the, PA tat:on
the fertilizers can then be saved >ItbI
Plantations which are excessive L.
will be diminished; it will be seen
twenty acres of corn well cnltiY
will produce more than forty =
feetly' cultivated, and wit ost.
Stock kept bvSasturage iLl kIsmmer and