Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-10-11

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with four hundred pounds OF bone dust per
acre, two acres with three hundred pounds
Peruvian guano to the acre, and two acres
each with twenty bushels Of unleachcd ashes
and the land Immediately stocked down with
grass for pasture, no grain crop being taken
off. Having spoken fully Of this field in
communication to the Farmer four years
ago, and again two years ago this present
month, [ need not now go into particulars
about it, Suffice it to say, that the land has
afforded excellent pasturage, ever since it was
thus dressed and re-sCcdod and the COWS ap-
pear to be very fond Of the herbogo, for they
keep it cropped as short and smooth as
newly-shayon lawn-indced, any one acre has
been more valuable for what it has produced,
than have any five acres Of the adjoining
land not yet in like manner taken in hand
for improvement. The contrast between this
piece and another Of about equal size lying
beside it, but not yet assisted by cultivation,
is so strkingly favorable to the former, that
l wish every reader Of these remarks might
have been with me to day to observe it. Il
may be remarked in passing, that, while each
Of the three fertilizers used on this field rave
good results, the bone dust appears TO be of
the most lasting benefit 10 the land.
Another field Of about ten acres was
looked at, which two years ago bore o re-
markable crop Of potatoes. II was manurcd
in tho hills WITH mnck and ashes, and planted
and cultivated ia manner similar to the if
teen acres first mentioned in this article
After harvesting the potatoes, the land was
plowed again, and smoothly narrowed, and
the following spring ora year ago last April,
it was stocked to grass fer pasture, no grain
being sown. The grass came up well, and
the land is now covered with very thick
sward, composed of hcrdsgrass and red.top.
and red and white clover, yielding the best
Of pastur0ge. The color Of this field is of
SO deep green as to make it at once distin-
guishable at as great o distance as the eye
can discriminate shades Of color at all.
The next land visited was field belonging
to my friend, Richard Bradley, Ed. 1t was
plowcd up year ago last November, and, in
the following April planted with potatoes,
manuriDg them with ;hoyclfuI of compost
in each hill. The compost was made Of
muck and ashes. Last April the land was
plowcd again, five hundred pounds Of bone
dust sown to the acre and narrowed in, then
twelve quarts Of herdsgrass, one bushcl Of
red-top, twelve pounds Of rcd, and four
pounds of white clover seeds sown to the
acre, and the field rolled. The grass has
made a great growth, and full swath might
now be moved
Then came a smaller lot Of Mr. Bradlcy's |
completely run down by previous owner
with shallow blowing, and frequent crops Of :
rye. The course Of cropping had been to
plow the land four OF FIVE inches deep, as Of !
ten as it would bear five to eight or ten
bushels of grain to the acre, sow it with win
ter rye, butomitting grass seeds, ard after
harvesting the rye, leaving the lard to cover
itself with such vegetation as it could,
whenever it could. Last year at this time,
the land was covered mostly with moss, with
here and thcrca few bushes and feeble grasses.
Last November it vas plowed o foot deep
with the sod and subsoil plow and an entire,
ly new soil brought up to the surface, fine
grained and salyy. In April last, it was
dressed with five hundred pounds Of bore
dust per acre, together with two hundred
pounds Of Peruvian guano, to give immedi-
ate action to tho newly .turnod'up soil, then
narrowed fine, and soWed with one and a half
bushel Of orchard grass, peck Of herds
grass, half-bushel of red top, eight pounds
Of rcd and four pounds white clover seeds
to the acre, and the surface made smooth
with the roller. Here, too, is superior
catch of grass, giving tho land a very differ
ent appearance from what it had a year ago,
and showing that much can at once be done
for the Improvement Of such land.
The last field examined was q tract of
some six acres, which Mr.. Bradley is now
blowing. This land has also been much re-
duced by shallow blowing, and frequent crops
of rye. The sod and subsoil pillow, drawn by
four oxen, is turning the land ten inches deep
bringing up a different soil from the old sur
face one that has never before been exposed
to the day. The plowing is done in capital
style, no baulks or impclfections of furrow
being anywhere allowed. About the first Of
September, atom Of bone dust to each acre is
to bo sown on the furroWs, and also about
one and half bushol Of winter wheat per
acre, and the two narrowed in togethcr,.--
The sod and subsoil plow prepares very
level, mellow surface, and so cracked aud
opened wthal, as to make a very superior
gccd-bod, in which the bone dust and seed
wheat can be we'll covered by the harrow
Then one ard half bushcl Of orchard grass,
peck of hcrasgrass and bushcl Of rod-top
seed are to be sown to the acre, and the land
rolled. In the spring, the land is also to
receive red and white clover seeds-the de.
sign being to secure thick sward Of vari-
GUS kinds of grass. The land lying high,
j l.. IL. .nll.n.. ..,.lnnn