Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-06
suggestions to Farmers.

We find in the Memphis Christian
AdUocate the following article, from a
gentleman who is one of our most intel
ligent practical farmers. His objec. to
reduce the amount Of labor required
when adequate labor is so difficult to be
obtained, is of the first importance. That
his other object, to increase profits, will
also be realized by his proposed plan we
have not doubt If we have any doubt
it is as to the praciicabiity of using the
harrow at the time and in the manner
proposed, at the same time leaving the
corn crop clean at a period sufficiently
late for full yield. That attention to
grass here will pay eminently we'll is
sufficiently ascertained by the expert
ments of many. We have seen a speci.
men of grass from the farm of Mr..
Adams, which, if a fair sample Of his
ground, will yield two ions of hay to.the
acre. And we have also been shown
heads of wheat fromNhe same land, as
long and heavy as can be produced on
the continent The following is the ar.
ticle alluded to:
promised few days ago to give you
some of my views with regard to a plan
/ propose to adopt the present season,
aud by which / think | can retire from
one-lhird to one-half of my land, and
thereby dispense with nearly one half of
the labor / now require f
My plan is simply to use harrow in
laying by corn, in place of turning
pillow, so as to level the land, and in the
month Of September or October, to seed
it all down in herds grass and timothy
seed. This will require no additional
labor, as / will only exchange the turn :
ing pillow the last blowing for harrow,
and / do not care how much crab grass
may be upon the land when / SOW nv
grass seed, as it will be beneficial in pro-
tectng the grass from the sun, which |
sometimes kills young grass, If unpro.
tected.
BY this system, you will perceive, can |
retire large portion Of my land for five
or six years, and yet make it equally
profitable, and dispense with about half
my labor. think an acre of ground in !
grass is as profitable as an acre in COT,
ton, as the average product 10 cotton ia
about one-third of bale to the acre. |
and if you get one hundred dollars a |
bale for it, you have first to. divide your
hundred dollars with the labr ,rers. and
one.third of your remaining Fifty is only i
sixteen and two-tkird doll ars as your
profit On the other han' in grass, the
lowest calculation you or m make is. that
your land will yield ore ton 10 the acre,
which is always word from twenty TO
thirty dollars per tor. and the difference
in favor OF the grass will perhaps pay for
all the labor of NJ owing and stacking. |
In the cultivation of grass, the profit,
however, is not a. .one in the amount of
hay yohmay ge' from it, but it is chiefly
IN the seven mc,nths grazing it gives you,
thereby conve' ting your grass into beet,
mutton, pork etc and giving to all your
stock its bep .efts.
know there are many farmers in our
midst who. imagine we cannot grow grass
successfv lily upon our lands, but think
1t great mistake, as have seen as fine
grass and clover grown here as ] ever
saw anywhere, and l have myself cut
two and half tons to the acre here from
lands that had no fertility of any kind
upon 1t.
/ think all that is necessary here to
make this section equal to any country
that / know of, is, FIRST, to make our
selves self supporting, and to adopt the
same ways and means that other sections
do in developing their resources.
i have been experimenting for The last
ten years in grass, and find that | can
grow all kinds successfully except blue
grass, AID 81 substitute, | SOW orchard
grass in woodlands, which, / think, suits
our soil and climate very well, and grows
here'very finely.
1 shall, perhaps, in another article,
shortly, allude to the advantages, as a
country, we possess. in climate, in fur
nishing the North with early wheat, fruit,
vegetables, etc.
NATHAN ADAMS.
STANTON, Tenn, May u, 1863