Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-06-03
Asrieul
sheep as "a Means of Improving worn
out Land.

sheep as Il Means Of Improving wOrI
out Land.
That it might be possible to improve
field Just capable OF earring 100 sheep b.
turning into it IA flock OF 300 we VIII no
deny. But how would it be with the sheep
We have heard of grass growing two anC
three inches in d single night. but it was not
upon land such now under discussion anl
are afraid that long before the grass had
been SO far improved as to feed the extra
sheep, there would be no sheep to feed
That few sheep added to cattle pasture,
may sometimes actually enable it 10 carry
more cattle, we do not dOub.. A the SAINT
time, We do not believe this is the bestsys
for improving pastures. We would prefer il
possible, to stock heavily with sheep for a
short time, and then allow considerable
period of rest in which tine land might re-
cover And in this case the scythc and the har-
row ought to assist the sheep
Unless we adopt the system of purchasing
artificial fertilizers "a system with which we
have not much sympathy-the first object in
any attempt to improve the soil must be to
obtain food for stock, whether that stock be
sheep or any other kind. We confess to a
fondness for sheep We believe that they
are not half appreciated in this country as a
department of ordinary farm stock The ma
nure of the sheep Is peculiarly calculated to
improve soil by being merely dropped upon
it. Those who care To examine sheep drop
pings after they have lain Il few days on the
ground. will find that they have begun to
dissolve on the under side, while the upper
surface remains perfectly sound, being de-
Tended by a thick coat of minus. The soil
thus receives all the matter which the manure
is capable of atfDrding- At the same time it
is spread over the soil in manner very diff
ferent f. ON that in which the manure of the
horse or the COW is distributed. Schwartz
calculates that, in the course of a night.
sheep will manure something more than
square yard Of surface, and Boussingault
found that the quantity of land which was
well MANFRED in one night by single sheep
was equal TO four square feet lie gives the
details of one experiment follows Two
hundred sheep were folded for a fortnight
upon rye stubble Of extent which gave as
nearly as possible four square feet of surface
per sheep per night
The manuring thus effected was found TO
produce a maximum effect upon the crop of
turnips which followed the rye. In Scot
land 1t is popularity believed that sheep enrich
the soil by merely living upon it. But in
order to secure the advantage which may be
obtained by pasturing sheep, we must first
secure food for the sheep, and the question
thus comes up: How shall the farmer of
small means attain this end?
One of the most valuable prece' pts of modern
agriculture is 10 enrich the surface soil at
the expense of the subsoil. Every transfer
that We can make in this direction is 50 much
gained If then, we cannot afford to under
take deep and thorough culture, we must en-
deavor to secure the assistance of plants pos
sessing powerful roots. and of these we need
hardly say that there is scarcely one that
equals our common red clover. Make every
effort to introduce clover into your land, and
If YOU succeed. the after process of ameliora-
ton will be easy. Every one knows that
this is accomplished most easily by good cul-
ture. the application of lime plaster, and
pretty thorough seeding. We presume that
the farmer has no manure TO begin with. and
IS not In a condition to obtain any Ii, owing
to the nature of the ground, good culture is
impossible, then apply a good harrow, SOW
clover seed and top dress with plaster. In
this way, we have seen fair crop of clover
obtain rather rough hillside, where il
was considered that plouShing would not pay
Having succeeded in obtaining a crop of clio
yer on rough land, the best use that can b,
made of it is to feed 1t to sheep. | know
that certain wiseacres tell us that it is mos
economical to plough it under but this, W,
deny in toto. In the case we are considering
ploughing under is out of the question but
even if it were convenient to do so, we agree
with Judge Buel, who declared, nearly hal
a century ago, that such system argued q
very low state of the art of agriculture. W.
need scarcely add that we have much more
faith IN Judge Buel than in Scion Robinson
In a short time the clover will have brought
up good deal of plant food from the subsoil
and deposited it on the surface and, wha
Is fequal consequence, it will have carried ;
good deal of plant food from the air down
into the subsOil and will thus have opened
way for the roots of future plants. In THU
way we can make beginning, and after {
series of years we may convert as compare
lively worn out pasture into one of consider
able value, especially, if we feed our stock oil
care or grain, and thus add to the riches o
the manure which is deposited.
For land which cannot be thoroughly cul
tivated, we have no doubt that the system
here described is the best that be adopt
ed. 1t is not necessary to undertake the I'M
provement of the whole farm at once. W.
may commence with few acres, and grad
ually extend our operations.
But for land which is capable of high cul
ture, we consider that such system is bu
sIipehod makeshift. In such cases, w
must adopt the intensive system of agricul
ture, if we would realize fair profit on ou
investments and our labor. We believe tina
the obtaining and maintaining of a good dept
Of fertile soil is the only way to carry ou
high culture. Give us this, and all cultur
suitable to the climate becomes easy With
out 1t, we meet with difficulties on ever,
hand. We further believe that there arr
unfortunately, many false IDEAS current in re
gard to this subject and if the readers of th
County Gentleman will bear with us. W
will present our views on the matter.-ARl
TOR, m County Gentleman.