The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1857-01-14

Exuberant, naturess better blessings pour
0 Der every land"
From the Plough, Loom and Anvil.
CLOVER AND HERDS. GRASS.
Messrs. Editors:-ln answer to some pro.
per suggestions OF yours, appended to our ar.
tlcle on Sheep and Farming" we can say
that clover. seed, s0wn in favorable seasons
and where It takes good root" catches
well'--it is one of our most profitable invest.
ments IN the line Of agricultural economy.
But you know all countries are not adapted
70 i; that It will very frequently heaye out ;
that roots are often seen in tic spring of the
year, nine or even fifteen inches in length,
lying on the top of the ground; and that,
therefore, seeding low, nucky lands with il,
proves unproftable while, on the other hand,
seeding sandy, chestnut soil with clover seed
renders its use profitable in aa eminent de.
gree, as experience has very frequently
shown. Now, when we sow her,ls-grass in
this part Of the State Of New York, say in
onondaga county, also in Seneca. and in that
tier OF counties, we are generally very certain
OF getting growth of grass from our seed,
or the seed almost invariably catches"-it
does not iail SO often as clover seed and we
regard timothy hay as of more value by at
least sixty per cent. than that produced from
the sowing OF cloyer-seed But notwithstand-
ing this, clover has its absolute value name.
ly, u IS OF great consequence in making either
clay or sandy lands rich; it furnishes them
with manure. and thereby they are kept up,
improved in value. The roots of clover pc.
netrate deep into the soil, and hence bring
out, oruP, its slatent properties. Herds.grass,
we have noticed. seems to c0nfine itself to
the surface, and is very hardy. II will 10
well ON almost any kind Of land, though the
soil must not be too vet for il but its growth
is always governed by the strength Of The
soil, as matter of course. Ii makes excel
lent hay, as you well know, and is now ex-
tenslyely raised in the West, and in this
country. We would rather have a ton Of the
hay than two and quarter tons If coarse
| clover iodder. III ynn want e s.n-.
Pnvarishad candy snil, sow clover. seed, by
all means; but il your land is 10 toerlble con-
dition. and if you have horses aud milch-cows
to feed, sow herds.grass, and when YOU feed
the hay, you will be satisfied that you are
throwing out a good deal Of substance. Cattle
will gain on it $50 will sheep and horses. We
are OF the opinion that more and more of il is
being sown every year, for farmers are be.
coming convinced Of its value.
There j. good deal ia cutting herds>grass
in the right period Of its growth II it stands
too long, its substance will eYaporate there.
lore, II should be cut early. when the stalks
are quite green, and then il will retain many
Of its most valuable juices. Farmers do not
sow timothy-seed enough; they should sow
more, and help the prOductiyeness of their
lands. Put on one round peck TO the acre,
and seed i with as much care as you would
your wheat lands, SC. Money expended in
the purchase 6f grass-seed is we'll laid out
Only look at soil which has never been fed
with herds'grsss, and your attention is called
70 the fact that something is wanted to cover
the land, TO enrich il, and make Il what ma
ture really designed il TO be, namely, produc.
tive and lively in its character.
We are now getting from the West much
herds.grass seed which is not pure il is
mixed up with foreign seeds Of one kind and
another. SO that Eastern farmers do not feel
safe at all times in purchasing il. We should.
therefore, raise our own seeds, and not de.
pend upon poor Western counterfeit seed for
our use. Raising The seed IS profitable busi.
ness. il you uonly have the right kind Of soil-
Tree from ioulness, &c.
In favorable years, il will turn out rtmsr.
kably we'll, aud satisfy the husbandman in a
most remuncrati,e manner.
Very respectfully. W. TAPPAN.
BaldwinssiIls, N. X December is. 1856.
We are exceedingly pleased with the dis.
crimlnate character Of the foregoing. The
writer seems to us TO be keenly accurste
observer Of nature and that we always hold
is the first requisite for good farmer. Ma.
turally acute powers Of observation, sharpen.
ed byreading and conversation with intelli.
gent men, will 20 far 10 supply the place Of
learning in farmer or, what Is nearer the
truth, will make him learned man, IN time,
in bis profession. Hence we have often said,
that when we have little time 10 study
scientific agriculture, we love to get alongside
Of an old, reading. thinking, acutely obsersant
iarmer-one who has iCorked the farm aud
watched nature half century. The only
reason why the farm Is not the only aud the
sufficient school Tor the education of farmers,
Is, that knowledge obtained 10 this way comes
too late in life. Too many blunders aud
losses are made from a want Ot II earlier.
Many farmer, when life is ebbing, has oc.
casion to wish be had known at twenty. five
what he does At sixty. Hence. We think. is
one great advantage Of scientific schools for
agriculture-nct TO make the practical farmer
profoundly scientific abstractly, but to give
him an insight into nature, to create a taste
for scientific reading, 10 quicken the powers
OF observation, and 10 give the farmer the
benefit ofall this while iile Is vet young and
fresh, and while be has many years 10 reap
the benefit Of Il.
As TO our sulhor's idea that the nutritise
properties Of herjs-srsss esporais bs lie