, 1861-08-22
agriculture.
cotenna land With straw.

Eminent agriculturists recommend GOV.
ering grass and clover lands with straw or
othaF hbrous litter, the benefits Of the prac.
tiosshOWing themselves IN q very marked
manner. Every farmer has observed that il
. bush is LEFT lying in a field Of grass, the
vegetation beneath it will soon look finer
and fresher than any around it. Such little
facts are sufficient 10 impart instruction to
those who seek to learn. The fact is known
10 every one, but the agency by which the
increase Of growth is brought about involves
Q principle which has not been sufficiently
investigated. For the present we will con.
tent ourselves with the fact, and proceed to
give the results Of some experiments, which
We have gathered in the course of our re
searches on the subject. Part Of q field of
giass which had been placed under this op-
Grafton for one month, had increased in
weight, over the remaining portion left IN.
covered, at the rate Of nearly three 70 one.
The green grass from the part untouched,
euf a. athsy end Of the month, weighed two
thousand, two hundred and seven pounds
per acre; that Of the portion placed under
the operation weighed Eve thousand, eight
hundred and seventy pounds per acre. The
grass was weighed as it came from the scythe.
During this period there was no rain, and
guan0, lime, and .wood-ashes, and other man.
ures. tried against IL, produced, during this
period, no sible action. In this expert.
ment thecoPeriug vas laid on the 18th Of
April, and lhe grass cut and weighed the
10Th Of May. In another case half hay
field was covered on the 2nd Of May, and q
nu.r,fh "A =. il...k ,,,,.es..n. II A.. A-II -.
cut and weighed: and Il was found that the
grass from the covered portion weighed
$3.50 pounds, while the other weighed only
070 pounds. It was found on converting
The two samples Of grass into hay, that the
proportionaie loss Of weight was the same
n each parcel; and the difference would be
that IN one case the yield would BE- three tons
70 tba ncie, and In The other only one. An.
other important circumstance in the case was,
that when certain quantity of animal manure
would double the quantity Of grass 10 given
time, when laid on in the usual way, Il would
increlss it Sin times when perfectly treated
with . covering OF straw. -
These are certainly very curious expert.
menis, nd they have been repeated success
fully hy various individuals. They al gave
unllnFm results, when conducted fairly.
Some used TOO maeh covering, but generally
TOO little. All these experiments show that
tho action was general, and that the difference
h ihoincPaas u growth, IN q given time, WAS
In proportion 70 the nalufal fertility Of the
soil These facts clearly indicate the prac.
teal benefits to be derived BY making this
disposition Of the refuse straw on the farm,
which he oWper onentimes hardly knows
whal 70 DO With. II there Is any vegetation
o. he land. however stunted, whether IL
he natural or artiicial grassesl It's growth |
vii Be greatly increased, and the land pro-
porlionalely improved. Aud frequently, in |
lh1 llnl 81 dlodih. The young clover, which |
he been seeded in the spring, has to 20
through severe ordeal IN the next summer. |
Ihs covering recommended would secure II
from perishing, probably ninety-nine times
out ol . hundred "A very slight sprinklina,
ray two wagon loads 10 the acre, or even less,
would oleclually preserve Il
HE| ~ N 81, 81