The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-16

est land and without manure. But little OIL
the little seed comes ; and what comes the
grain chokes or takes from 1t its food, SO
that there is a struggling growth of young
clover, scarcely perceptible when the grain
is harvested, and but a thin, neven cover
ing when fall comes, so that spring finds
almost q bare field, the frost having thin.
ned out what was already too thin to be
remunerative. Plaster brings what there
is left but necessarily it must be q light
crop. And the few roots correspond with
the scant stems.
OF course, this will not do. The land is
not enriched, or but slightly, and the crops
correspond, often scarcely paying for har-
vesting I; and in the great majority of cases
but a single crop, and that cut when hard,
is taken in a season..
Now, clover is of such a nature that to
start it and give it aid from plaster, it will
grow a thickset, heavy crop, just as well as
a scattered n having but a quarter or
half the stems. This is because the
strength is taken from the atmosphere
mainly. The thing has been fairly tested
here. But the crop must be started. A
good catch can always be secured by q
spread of fine manure when the seed is
sown ; and a thickset by thick sowing.
Thus there is the desirable start, the good
catch (; and plaster will aid the growth,
particularly since MANURE has applied.
Manure will have a chemical effect as we'll
as a mechanical upon the mineral matter
of the soil, and will ard in curing sc clover.
sick" land.
In this way, land in q few years can be
entirely renovated fifty acres will yield
what a hundred yield now and the proper
ton will even be greater. Will not this
pay to keep machinery? Will it not pay
largely to raise such crops with so little
expense ; identifying the land, the country,
enriching and encouraging the owners and
their sons? Nature has gwen us a chance
to do this--the air above us, the soil be-
meath. Shall we let this wealth in the air
pass by unappropriated? And the soil,
with its mineral treasure wanting to be de-
veloped, permitted to lie idle, running to
weeds and to desolation?
The Jersey and Long Island barrens have
been made to yield handsomely and profit
ably. There is a complete metamorphosis
"a garden where there wa a desert. And
this garden made so, pays. The soil
was there, the mineral, much of it, and the
iVot WAS Auucu, tulS uIouSiI lilo illueTal
into use. 1t was done at a dearer rate than
the New England farmer need do his. He
has altogether the advantages on his side.
Let him raise clover densely and feed it,
and plough under, and carry what other
means are favorable, and he will soon be
on a par, of profit, with Jul Long Island
and Jersey farmers.
His land needs, much of it, of all things,
ditching; it needs working deeper, to bring
up the new unappropriated material for
plant food. He has a good basis to start
with; and in the improvement meets all
expenses as he proceeds, with something
over, even in the start the first year; the
second year more; more still the third,
and so on-in a few years realizing heavy
and certain crops. Will he do it? Will
he attempt it? And as this is the case in
New England, so is it much elsewhere.
There are many means to recruit land, but
the cheapest and best, as we have found it,
is clover. But aid it with manure and give
it a close, thick set. g., IN Utica Hen.
nil