The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1857-10-07
From the American Farmers Magazine.
OLD PAsTUREs-How SHALL WE RECLAIM
THEM.
BY DAVID RICE, NJ. D.

OLD PASTURES SHALL WE RECLAIM
THEM.
BY DAVID RICE, NJ. D.
When | try to cure sick patient, i, in
the first place. study the pathology OF the
case, or, in other words. seek the exciting
cause Of the disease. The true nature Of
the complaint being found out, il is very
easy matter to apply the proper remedial
agents.
There is certain disease called chlorosis,
in which there is lack of one Of the ele-
ments of the bloOd-a loss OF a portion Of
its coloring matter-iron. The patient suf-
iering from it, loses the glow Of health the
light and life leave the eve; the roses upon
the cheeks are supplanted by the pale lily,
and a deadly pallor, almost like the touch
from the easel and pencil Of death, spreads
over the whole body. The exciting cause
here is a lack Of one Of the actual elements
Of the blood. rather than any foreign miasm
acting through and poisoning the llfe-iluid,
thereby communicating disease. We cure
chlorosis BY supplying the lacking element,
administer iron, aud Il almost always effects
a cure. -.
Old pastures that have lost their vitality
pastures that once luxuriated in yefdant
greensward - whose broad surfaces were
clothed with thick, velvet serdure OF green
blades and tender clover foliage, buthaye now
become dry, barren and sere, covered with
a garb Of sorrcl and whortlebury bushes.
such pastures are really sick. The disease
is a sort OF churosis. There is lack Of
some important element or elements Of vi
tality. The continual cropping Of the veg
etable life has deprived the soil faster than
the decomposition Of the rocks underneath
could supply Of one Of IFS sources Of fertility,
aud the fountains OF vegetable life are dried
or drying up.
Vegetable, as well as animal life, is de-
pendent upon the presence and operation ni
certain proper principles OF nutrition. ] axe
7 those away and life becomes extinct. Let
i the best pasture unless il has an inexhaus-
tibe soii1 be fed year after year. without
supplying il artiiicially with the necessary
! pabulum, and in the end il will become al
1 g old pasture" worn out pasture" j
will certainly die at last with loss Of VI
tality.
Can such pastures be cared /; answer
/ Yes. How shall we restore them and caus,
them again 10 rejoice in the green garb 2
youthful beauty, and to bud and blossom
again as 10 their pristine state
q We must bring about this reSiEiicatiol
by supplying them with their lost or lackln.
elements, or supply some element OF sub
stance that will by uniting with the alread.
existency aud present agents exact NOR
, rapid deGomposltions among them, and i
this way supply the loss. Por II is certai
that sometimes the application Of singl
substance like ashes or gypsum. will effect
wonderful transformation. In its aihnItle'
compositions, AMI deeompositiuns. and dOubl
! decolnposltinns will eDsue, and great man
! Of The real elements u vegetable life will
evolved and 80 the barren earth will re
joice in serdure and beauty, aud the hu'
bandman be compensated for his toll.
How shall we understand the true path'
logy of the case, or how shall We learn VIII
substances are lacking in order 20 apply d
proper remedy: There are two wa,s---lirs
by chemical analysis; second, BY actual e.
pertinent. 4 practical agricultural cheml
: by viewing aud analysing soil will readi
tell what are the most proper fertilizers
!, apply to worn out pasture.
= Actual experiment. perhaps, j. as good
way as any. Several substances-plaste
: lime, ashes, muck, bune-dust, guano, bar
= ward manure, or a mixture Of twO or thr
of these, can be applied separately 20 sui
cicnt quantities to small patches u pastu
II 4 single season. Tile result will tell VII
i. wanting. The want asccrtaincd, th
: apply IL. This will do on pastures, but q
: on patients. We can experiment on |
former 10 good advantage, but not On
latter. Let me tell you how an esteem
neighbnr Or mine cured worn out pasiu
pf his by the application % plaster. III
him. The gentleman 10 whom ! reier
Moses Field, Esq, oi this town.
Nv experiments indicate that Plaster
Paris improves old pastures, when the =
deriving rock is new red sand stone, Or
conglomerate or pudding stone. winch
made up Of rounded granite bouiders q
pebbles, cemcntcd together aud slow Of
composition.
"In 1851 applied 500 lbs. of plaster
Eve acres in Lescrett, northwest Of u
- plain, upon The lower slope 81 VT. Met
wampe, with marked results. IN two mon
the inpcriection uf the work ol sowing
indicated by waves in the grass as ,listin'
a. the waves in an uncsenly sowed piec,
grain. IN Ociobcr, 1881, sowcd =
acres. The effect was not visible Tie !
season, and not until The latter part of
second but AZ che third season the dil
(, ence on the whole was strikingly mari
On the more exhausted pasture lands, q
u the quantity TO thc acre Of plaster shoul'
about three hundred pounds. My pas