The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1862-10-28
MASAoEMEsT OF PAS
TUREs

thts Ftgson e sest The PTaesieAbilsty u
the system &c ars about 10 recon
mend, bas ne, nevertheless. feel fully
persuaded 10 cur own mind, that Il
oaASot, u systematically and rigidly
carried out, be followed b. other than
The beat results. Every farmer -
Awsfs that successful process IN the
Labor Of sHr,ching soils is ,ha, Of
@tarssing d'en oas to pasture and
that soils which have been lLus treat
ed, and allowed 70 recopcraie during
a settles d years, are found. on being
agAin plowed add subjected e c,::.:..:..
ton 70 be snde:s.i wnh principles Of
.ertllay sometimes equal 70 those
which they possessed in their priIni-
tive o. virgin siate. This. we con-
jscsurc, wosld be the common result
o. the system when thoroughly car
ried out, ard we know 81 no In
stance IN which lands that have been
depasiared for a series Of years--no
msiier hO~ carelessiy they may have
been erOpped--have been injured by
Il. On the contrary, many exhausted
fields from which all the industry
and skin Of tie cuhisaicr we're mad
equa.e TO secure q remuneraling crop,
have been restored to produciiveness
in few seasons, simply by stunning
them out"
This was once very common
opinion In some Of our Oldest agricul-
iuraI districts. No sooner did a field
that had been robbed Of It's fertility
by Icing course Of severe and inju-
dicious cropping fail TO produce Iiber-
ally, than II was @iurned out TO pas
ture.' What the precise operation
Of natural laws upon the land is, LEFT
IN this condition, We are not able 10
say with certainty, but have no doubt
that il may be fairly imputed to three
causes: the annual decay OF the veg
ctabIe matter which grows upon the
surface, which serves as top-dres-
sing, thougl, !, may be very slight
the effect Of the solar rays in attract
ing mineral matters from below, up
ward, nearer the surface, where the
roots Of plants may readily find them,
and the fertilizing influences Of the
atmosphere, that great ocean of light,
moisture and quickening gases ever
spread over the soil and descending
upon h, TO feed and perfect the vege-
iatioa that covers the surface of the
earth. We are inclined to think that
the principal advantage received BY
land in q state Of exhaustion, is from
the latter source.
When land Is thus partiallay or
wholly restored TO a state Of fertility,
VIC too often find little in subsequent
details 10 recommend. Afler having
repossessed himself Of a portion Of
valuable soil, almost the first step Of
the proprietor is to s-Gdopt the pre-
else system Of management, in crop
ping. by which Il was originally made
poor Instead Of carefully husband
ing his re-attained wealth, he goes
Immediately and blindIy to work to
dissipaie and destroy il.
The plan We have to suggest Is
ihis Let the poor fields be at once
'aturned out !" let them lie two, four.
or sin years, rs the case may seem to
demand, and until the soil has re-ac-
quired It's former vigorous and healthy
tone, and then, without the intersen-
ton Of any grain crop, or Il the OBJ
jet i grass exclusively, without any
crop whatever. let them be laid down
TO grass. The period for blowing
shouId be that in which vegetation Is
In iu Creates, vigor, although we
should, if the land Is naturally thin
and weak, prefer sowing the seed the
subsequent spring.
II thorough improvement is con-
iemplaied, the grass may DO turned
in, 10 June. and a crop Of peas, millet
or buckwheal sown to be turned down
as 8 green dressing, and q few bush
els sf ashes and gypsum sown, either
before or after blowing.
In no case should a ripe crop be
taken, nor should the young grass be
fed by cattle until il has thoroughly
radioased or taken strong root.
In plowing care should be taken TO
lei the plow run a little deeper, If
possible, than in previous plowings,
Ia order to turn up some Of the sub
soil, and completely to inhumc shat
ever q soluble matter OF vegetable