The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-11-14

appearances, because II was roo poor 10 pro-
duce anything else. On looking into mat
tiers little more carefully noticed certain
facts, and drew from them certain conclu-
sions not unimportant, considered in con-
nection with the present state of my rela-
tions with the public.
The first thing which arrested my atten-
ton was the circumstance that the NUMBER
Of individual plants in the circle mention
ed was very small. did not count them,
but feel quite confident there could
not have been over thirty-fve or forty
Of them altogether. These had sent out
from the crown of the robust as
red or white clover will do when al
lowed plenty Of room and left to fsesi :.
long, lateral off-shoots. rediating IN all di-
rections till meeting with those from otner
roots they interlaced with them ana became
matted together. Some of these oif-shoots
were at least eighteen 1nches long
less than Elk or eight. Tracing some OF
the longer ones up to their root, TOOK my
nocket knife and with pretty vigorous
efFort-for it could not have been much less
than q quarter of an inch in diameter
succeeded in cutting the root off Just below
the crown. T then drew up the whole plant
for the offsets had made no new roots AZ
thew ran after the manner of wire and
other pestiferous grasses-and was aston
iehed ut the extent of ground it had occu-
pied-a circle of not less than three feet IN
diameter. But what surprised me still
more was the vast number Of seeds on 1t,
hitting out from every tiny axil, however
minute, sometimes only one by itself, some
times two or three together. There could
not have been less than several hundreds OF
them-probably little, if any, less than one
thousand.
Now, the first lesson learned from these
facts was the Importance Of preparing the
land we'll by pillow and harrow for the seed
of this clover. Outside the circle mentioned
the nlants we're to be seen. but in very
dwarfcd and stnnted condition. Yet the
ground on which these stood was IN the
very same state rs to fertility-heing
part of the site of the same old coal-kiln-as
That on which the larger plants we're grow
ing. The only difference between them
was that the one portion had been stirred
and loosened deeply, the other not at all.
Hence the difference in the growth of the
clover. and hence only: for not the least
particle of manure had been applied to the
circle in any shape or form whatever.
But another and most important infer
epce to he drawn from these facts is the
very small number of seeds necessary to
set an acre of land so that by the middle
of the second season-say fifteen months
from the sowing in March or April-the
whole ground shall be covered with the
heritage. venture to predict that by the
middle of June next that circle of ground
will he one continuous mass of living green.
as beautiful as the eve Of man ever rested
on. Many thousands of seeds will have
sprung up, and the plants thus crowded
together will have assumed an upright in
stead of repent position, standing, in all
probability, from foot to eighteen inches
high. I cannot. think, be mistaken in
this matter, for 7 have seen enough to know
what the plant will do under such circum-
stances, if it acts elsewhere as it does here.
Now. I wish MI who have ordered seed of
me. in the wav furnish it or who intend
ordering it, to pay close attention to what
is here said. The position assumed by me
is substantially this: one peck of the seeded
dust will so set one full acre that in fifteen
months after sewing in March or April
provided the ground is we'll broken up and
whole will be thickly CO.
vered and where it is not so prepared, the
clover will be sufficiently established for
pasturage in the same length Of time. The
case above detailed makes good what have
several times asserted either in the pnhlic
prints or in private ietfers-viz., that if
but one seed should fall and take effect in
every square foot of ground, the entire sur
face will be covered thickly with the grass
in fifteen months. It appears from actual
Recommendation I have measured some of
them-that several Of the plants in the
large circle spoken Of covered each minor
circle of three feet diameter. Now, cir
Gle Of three feet diameter will contain
7 .O6S6 square feet. There are in every
acre of land A3, $50 square feet. Throwing
out fractions, then, and dividing by seven,
we have only G,222 square feet to be set by
every peck of seeded dustin other words,
if the peck shall con tain 6,222 seeds. it will
do the work / promise for it, and do it eff
fectually. Now [ venture to assert that
instead of 6,222 seeds, every peck of that
dust will contain from ten to twenty times
that number. This is not mere opinion.
1t is not bare onjecture. It is matter
of moral certainty, founded upon the evil
depce of my own eyes and upon actual ex-
pertinent on q small scale; for it was with
lust such material that sowed last spring,
and the plants came abundantly; it is ex
actly what l intend using the next spring,
who would gull the public. I am not trying
to get money out of them under what |
know to be false pretences. am trying to
serve them, and that on terms so moderate
that it is getting to be a question in my
own mind whether shall gain anything to
compensate me for time, trouble, and the
REIMBURSEMENT of another means Of living.
| want to live physically, as all men do
but want also to live morally in the eyes
and memories of men through the beautiful
fields which believe in year or two will
be clothed with vcrdure, where now nothing
is seen but dreariness and desolation. If,
when the purchaser comes to see this mate
rial, he feels disappointed because he can
see but very few seed in it, let him have
no fears. 1t is there. | know it from four
different experiments; and in due time
1t will appear, if my instructions ere
carried out. Let me further assure
him that there is no practicable way
of getting the seed, at all events for
the present year, if ever there will be, at
so little expense. l would not undertake
to get one bushcl Of perfectly clean seed
no1u for one thousand dollars. Next year
hope to have it tolerably clean for it seems
impossible 10 separate it from the little cap
sules or pericarps in which it is almost en-
tirely wrapped up without machinery ex-
pressly for the purpose, but l think it will
cost more than in this way. But enough