The Cecil Whig., 1856-10-18
Asrirutural.
From the Germantown Telegraph.l
LAYING DOWN GRASS LANDS.

LAYING DOWN GRASS LANDS.
Mr.. EDIToR,-Sir Isaac Newton on being
complimented on the extent of his attain
ments, replied that TO be sure he had succeed
ed in cleaning few pebbles on the shore but
that the great ocean of Truth lay uncxplorcd
before him. What beautiful comment is
here afforded on the modesty of wisdom. It
is we'll known that, in the search for Truth,
the mightiest intellects are frequently COM
PEELED to revoke previous conclusions. Every
step we advance in life, either dispels or con-
firms theory. So in the progress of agri.
cultural knowledge, what we religiously be-
heve true to-day, we discard and denounce
10 morrow; at least such is the fact in relation
to many things and perhaps the surest index
that can be had ofa progressivcmnd. is that
it never remains long stationary or fixed in
relation to those points Of science which are
not by common cBnsent, clasSed in the rank
of esta blished facts. John llerschell, Pope,
Byron, and many others, afford instances Of
the verify of this observation. Farmers, like
all other men, are subject to error; they FREE
quently form wrong conclusions, and are mis-
led by their own Judgment, which Is not in
fallible, but liable to be illuded even in min.
or matters, by false lights. In relation to
laying down lands to grass the opinion for-'
merly was in very many sections, that the
soil must first be exhausted by long and se-
we're cropping; that so long as grain or weed
ed crop could be drawn from'it, it was too
valuable theatre of operation to be relin-
quished, and that the only proper time to lay
it down was when it required rest, or could
be made to produce nothing else. Many an
intelligent man has practiced upon this plan.
until he has been confronted by ruin in its
most ap palling form, and has been compelled
to remove finally from the wreck ofwhat was
once valuable estate, to commence life anew
in some far-F wilderness, under all the dis
abilities which poverty so surely and mcr.
cllcssly entails upon it's victims. Like the
daughters of the Horse Leech, his cry was
"give, give" umindful Of the fact that there is
always a limit beyond which even the impor-
tunities Of avarice must be unavaiiing.-
When farmer wishes to derive profit from
his grass lands, the better the condition in
which they are laid down, the better. No
sapping-no extraordinary demands upon
theif productive energies-no emasculating
manipulations should precede the crop to
which it is to be ultimately devoted, but rath-
er the reverse. In some localities we find
that the practice of laying lands to grass i'm
mediately after removing weeded crop, pre-
IL
onlw S' srns a" one, @ After The notato or t,,rnin
crn1 70 drown srread IN rom one To twp
cor5s ~ old thorauohlv dacon,nosed comnost
st"hi. - @ ha;,s toLap tn snra.d !,
as ouo,i~ a : nro ct;ca yieNond work tbe land
r;,h % .hs ,roe cnl,va tar o. be.vr ha rrnw | t;lI
l. Il raduccd 70 = f;ne t;ltb and sow vonr seed
VIA, oross Good i sown in tho snr;na With
smai, 1ro;.s II. Is nerbans well kno1n 70
mnst ~ vo"r readers Who have had anv ex no.
r;cncs ~ she business that nor more than
ona',i,;rd ~ ,hoIf ,.,ar ,,or,n;rotos avar
,.,har. ~, GOOD ;s nood TR;s ros,ltS fro,.
tha sood Il" mo- CO small that = does NOT uat
coversJ to a snfi;c;ent denth n insure ;ts eeT.
,n;no,;on ~ ;f Grows 70 afFord a reo,lar
aud sufficient sunnlv of mo;stnro to snsto;n
ths omhrvo nlonts
n, so;r;,, i, Tho fall tb;s hfscp,tv 10
wholly oh,;o7ed After tbe sod ;s souyn Gov.
~ ~ .,,;th hrnSh o. I;nht +. rro,v aud .en;sh
off y;tb tho roll In r5e snr;na ;nmea,tev
after thu d;ssolnt;on of The snow COW on one
barrel n nondrett to or o1ano to The ocre. A
Iess onort;ty will do Il The land ;s ve,v rich
MoraaeJ d9 ~ ih;s wov Won ~. CONTAIN "a
aood eron ~ grass for :. veraI yoars or ,nt;l
enyu c;rcnstpnces n.sp NAV render i axnedient to
,,or,, tto culture Wbers corn nrecedes the
,ha5 sounn on Of ar.ss Sod = i adv;sahl i; bar.
yestinr the crep. to puu the stalks from the
crommd This can easily be accommodated