Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-01-26
Horticultural
Report Of the Department of Agriculture
for NuVemher. 1883

Tor November 1000,
From this report W. gather many statistics
Of great interest to all farming communities
The number Of acres Of improved lands in the
loyal States is nearly l05 600 900, or about
IS 900 900 more than in 1850. This ia aboutiVe
acres to every inhabant which is undoubtedly
much larger amount than in most other coun-
tries. And in this connection the report con-
demns the practice OF exhausting lands by cnlti-
waiting more than can be thoroughly manfred
Even at the West, where it was thought the
rich prsis lands were inexhsustible, farmers
begin to awake ~ the necessity Of strengthening
the soil; and by rotation of crops by passurng,
by ploughng in drops Of clover, and by put
ting on their fields every load Of manure they
Can obtair, WORKOUT fields have been restored,
to their pristine froitluluess. Lime and plaster
are being largely used as fertilizers, and in many
States the demand for them is increasing to
considerable amount. Az an instance Of what
can be done by this system Of fertilizng, We
copy from the report the following statement
muuc ny pcucthi Jill lubclllgNuh dhu oub'
Cssslul farmer OF Laporte county Indiana. who
gives the result OF his experiment as follows;
I" The field contained thirty seven acres was
Of light, oamv soil Of medium gray ty had
been covered with scattered trees Of burr oak
and hickory, with frequent patches OF hazel
was brought into cultivation ten years ago had
produced three crops OF wheat, two OF corn,
ore of oats, aud in March 1858, was sowed to
clover among wheat, all without manure Ii
was pastured in the TALL OF 1858, and up 10
the first u Jun,, 1854, when every thing was
turned of, and on the 10th and | lth Of June
we sowsd six barrels Of plaster on twenty eight
acres, leaving nine acres without Two barrels
were OF the Oswego and four of the Grand
River plaster. The clover grew well all over
the field, but best on the plastored part, and by
the 10Th OF July that on which The Grand River
piaser was used was all lodged that on which
the Oswego was used, but partially 80 while
the upholstered part stood up and was much
lighter than either OF the othsrs. The whole
was ploughed under six inches deep, between
the 20th and last Of July, aud the ground well
narrowed over the first week IN September The
wheat was all sowed broadcast. two bushels to
the acre, and well narrowed in, between the
10th and llth OF the same month Tie Geld
had been carefully divided, before sowing, into
three parts, across tho plastered and upholstered
paris two contained twelve sores each, and
one thirteen acres. Twelve acres were sown
with the Hutchinson (white) wheat, twelve
acres with the S1ule (woite) wheat, and thir.
teen acres wIh the Mediterranean The nY
made it's appearance on both varieties OF the
white wheat last fall bul was eonhned to the
parts not pastered, They appeared again this
spring ali over both varieties of the white wheat.
but the wheat greS 80 strong where it had been
pls tered. that it WAS well advanced in filing
before their effect began 20 show itself. rhe
heavy winds and rains at the commencement
and during harvest 30 Frustrated the affected
part that we were unable to gather ii, aud nv
best Judgment is that three to four bushel. per
acre were left on the ground. The Mediterra
mean was sgntly injured In few places, but
not to materially afec its yield We gathered
and threshed the different varieties separated, .
and that which g.ew on the plastered parts
separate from the upholstered part. The result
was as iollows The Hutchinson whoa, produce
ed l-3 bussels per acre On tn. part not plas
tered, aud 10 4 bushel, per acre on the part
plsstered Soule wheat produced 8 ! bushels
per acre On tbs part not piastered, md Is /. 10
on the part plas,ered; while the Mediterranean
proiaced 10 bushels to the acre on the part
NOS plastered, and 20 | 3 bus els 60 the acre
GU the part pisstered | had used plaster fire.
qarntly beIure with marked success, but had
never noted ts efscss with the saln. care as on
the pres ut occasion Therefore, from the facts
NV 'efOre me, draw the following conclusions.
/. That thfee-iourths to one bushc Of plaster
per acre 90 lands when have produced gram
Tor number vi years IN succession applied on
well'sct growing clover crop, at some six
inches high, and ploughed under when tne seed
balls have all termed brown, will add fifteen TO
thirty per cent. ~ succeeding wheat crop over
the same clover tn ned under without plaster, z
That the vgor impaI led g. the growing gram by
the use OF plaster will, In great degree, ore.
vent the rsyages OF the ay on such varieties a.
the ay works most upon. 5. Tuat clover and
plaster, on most Soils are the cheapest manure,
that the farmer can use, yst be should not neg
iect the use OF any Others within his reach. "
This experiment Of Gen. Orr fully tests tn,
value Of plaster as a manure. on fields devoted
to wheat or course this fertilizer is NOR,
sought ARR where barn-yard nanurts are leo
abundant than in Vermont, but it is importan
to know lie value, Us there are lew farms ever
here which would NOT be Immediately ben, fitted
aud much increased in fertility and strength o
soil, IN the long run, by the use of more ma
nores than are produced ~ home.
We have no space to sllude further 10 thi
report this week, bu. shall call sttonlon 10 i
again ut another time