VOL. II. APRIL, 1835. No. 11. EDMUND RUFFIN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. CHICKAHOMONY SWAMP LANDS-BLUE GRASS removal of these, along with the dense stifling AND HERDS GRASS MEADOWS-GRASS HUS BANDRY. To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. Henrico, February, 1835. growth, through which a ray of summer's sun scarcely ever penetrates? The particular part of the valley of this river to which I allude, is about fifteen miles long, averaging, say, one and a half miles in width, excluding the bottoms of several tributary streams. All the streams in this whole region of the Although the general character of the soil, is as state, large enough to turn a grist mill, are border-stated; yet it varies exceedingly. The lands ed by low grounds or alluvial flats; varying in nearest the main run, and in depressed places width, nearly in proportion to their length. There farther off, are denominated mud lands. They is much difference also, in their soil, for that par- are different in color, but all rich: being composed takes much of the color and character of the of the washings from the highlands above, the lands through which the upper parts of the red, the yellow, the blue, and the white clays streams and their tributaries pass. The Chicka found on the hill-sides, and in the bottoms of the homony, for instance, rises in the "livery," slashy tributary branches and ravines. Independent of lands of Hanover and Henrico; and its low the supply of top soil and vegetable matter furgrounds are generally stiff, with a considerable nished by freshets, the accumulation of the last portion of white and party colored clay. Above ingredient, from the growth of the land for centuthe New Kent line they are comparatively nar-ries, must have been sufficient to fertilize it. The row, and more diversified in appearance-subject brown and chocolate colored mud land is better to inundation, and producing a remarkably thick than the gray and ash colored; being more friable, and tall growth of gum, ash, maple, elm, white- or containing sand in a coarser form. The latter oak, willow oak, and many other trees of the cli-is apt to bake and to crack open when dry--neimate. The growth depends, however, very much ther freely absorbing nor giving out moisture. on the liability of the spot to water. A large pro- Virgin cakes of it when broken, show thin strata portion, (and that much the most valuable,) of of different appearances, which would seem to these bottoms are yet to clear; and will probably indicate the tardy process of its formation. They remain a long time unreclaimed, as they are sub-are very productive in corn when the season is not ject to be often under water; and when the water too wet; but that is too generally the case, in the is off, remain too wet for almost any agricultural present condition of the swamp. Nor is it safe to purpose, until the heat of the summer has evapo- seed them in wheat; for it will be winter killed; rated the moisture. The river is narrow, very de- and if it were not, would be sure to grow too rank vious in its course; with low banks. Indeed it is and fall, or take the rust. I know of but few evident, that it has frequently changed its bed. instances of the success of this grain on these Some years ago a law was passed, granting a lands. It has succeeded pretty well with several lottery to raise the means of straightening and farmers on lands somewhat of this character; but clearing out this river; but owing to some defects only after they had been well reclaimed, and tendin its details, or some other cause, the act remains, ed sometime in corn. Oats do rather better; like many others, a dead letter on the statute book. though unless sown quite late, they are liable to Individuals have deepened and widened the old fall. The most congenial crop seems to be herds bed, for some miles, with evident benefit. The grass. When the ground is well prepared and water does not overflow to the same extent, nor properly seeded, the crop will range from six to remain so long as formerly; and the bed is wash-eight thousand pounds of cured hay. Timothy ing deeper annually, and injuriously, for the pre-succeeds well. The objection to it is, that it fires sent, to the lands below, where this operation has or burns up, in this hot climate, and will not, like not been performed. There seems to be fall enough, quite to the A grass has spontaneously sprung up in these head of tide-water, to take off the freshets, if a lands, and been propagated by several persons, vent sufficient in width and depth, were made. who esteem it highly. They call it the blue If the land owners were to unite with proper har- grass, from its rich glossy blue appearance, both mony and determination, this object might be while growing, and after cured into hay. It rises easily effected, and its benefits would compensate from three to five feet; stem nearly flat, and about the expense, more than an hundred-fold. Sixty the size of a goose quill; leaves numerous from top thousand acres of land at the least calculation, to bottom of the stem, and from six to twelve would be rapidly thrown into the most profitable inches long, half an inch wide near the boot, tillage. This could not fail to be the result, as the smooth and tapering. It puts forth a thread-like soil is exceedingly fertile, producing enormous flower stem out of the boot of every leaf, which crops of hay, and within a few miles of Rich-rises and branches off like the head of the oat, mond. Almost an incredible number of the trunks bearing numerous small seed. This flower is of and branches of huge trees, the growth of past a richer purple than the leaf or stem. I do not ages, lie to and fro, either entirely rotten, or fast know its botanical name, and if I did, it is probadecaying in the water and mud; giving out with ble that this plain description would suit my purthe annual contributions of vegetable matter, pose in describing it, even better. I am highly noxious malaria! What could be more conducive pleased with it, because it is said to delight in wet to the health of the surrounding country, than the land, conquers every thing else, even the bullrush VOL. II-47 herds grass, wait for the farmer. and the broom sedge. All the Chickahomony | demands of its markets, aided by some of its enlands, rich and poor, dry and wet, put up the sedge terprise and money, will convert this fancy into revery soon after the most careful preparation. ality. I have at hand, no means to ascertain how Meadows as thickly set in herds grass, as the many thousand bundles of northern hay, are anteeth in a card, become entirely overrun with it in nually sold in Richmond. The quantity is very a few years (say six) and require a hoe crop and great, considering the population. That article re-seeding. We all know what a pest the bullrush alone, will justify the reclaiming of the lands on the is! The blue grass makes coarse looking hay, Chickahomony! One acre adapted to meadow, though stock are very fond of it, and seem to eat and cultivated in the best manner, will not fail to the stem, as though they relished it as well as the make six thousand weight; which at seventy five blades. Never having cultivated it, I know no-cents, (the lowest regular market price, for the thing of a supposed difficulty in curing it, owing to best hay,) amounts to $45. Deduct $10 for cutthe size of the stem. Yet I can conceive, that ting, curing and hauling to market, and you have laying more open in the swath, as well as in the a clear income of $35. Now what is that acre of shock, the air would find a more free circulation land worth, which pays interest on $583? through it, and enable you to stack it as soon as fine grass. Every body knows, I presume, that air-cured hay is better than that cured by the heat of the sun. Not more than one-fourth of this bottom is, however, capable of this production, and then only, after much pains and expense in preparation and seeding-more indeed than its present cultiAnother portion of these bottoms, rather more vators have bestowed.. It must be confessed that elevated than the mud lands, is ash colored, stiff, the original clearing and preparing of the soil is liable to bake, and retentive of water. The crops laborious and expensive. This is about compenare apt to be very light either in wet or dry sea- sated though, by the value of the wood and timsons. Should the elements be favorable, and the ber, except where the wood is too distant to bear owner very industrious in keeping it clean and carriage to market. It is my opinion that about finely pulverized, it pays pretty well in corn. one-half of the whole body of low grounds (withBut it might do better in grass or pasture. It is in the limits alluded to) is capable of producing generally speaking less valuable than highland-three thousand weight of hay per acre; perhaps it and there is much of it in this valley. Putres- would average four; while the richest would yield cent manure will act favorably, but for a short time. about 8500. Only one crop of artificial grass is The pewtery mass soon runs together after being cut annually-the second crop has no chance to lightened, pulverized and manured. Nothing but grow until the fall rains and mild temperature very coarse sand or coal ashes will change its commence; for the first is mowed just at the comstubborn nature. The latter makes it rich. mencement of hot weather. Nearer the hills, and wherever the land is free from inundation, and not so retentive of water, the soil is light and friable; and frequently has an excess of sand. All of this on both sides of the swamp, has been cleared, by former generations. If we judge by its present crops, it must have been originally rich. Below the New Kent line the low grounds grow gradually wider, the soil lighter and more sandy. Of that part of the valley I know nothing. Considerable quantities of hay are made from wild grass which springs up abundantly in land that is wet. It is quite coarse, but yields two crops generally; and especially, when the first is cut early. It finds a market at fifty cents, and sixty two and a half cents. Some of it is pretty good. It seems to suit particular tavern keepers and keepers of livery stables; whether on account of the price, or of the certainty that horses are not so fond of it, or from both these considerations together, I do not undertake to say. Perhaps the flats on no stream in the state, present such diversities of soil as those of the Chick- The blue grass yields also two crops-both of ahomony- -nor are they, any where, so irregularly which put together, perhaps are greater than the dispersed. And the fields in many places, have best single crop of artificial grass. It, like the been cleared in a corresponding manner. When herds grass, will wait a week or two for the mowthe sluggish run (for it is not a river,) shall be well er-and I am disposed to think, it will take the opened and straightened, and the superabundant place of all other grasses on lands adapted to it. water conducted off, these inequalities in the pro- In fact it is rapidly springing up in meadows ductiveness and the value of these lands will be where it never was sown, and quite remote from lessened-a stimulus will be offered to the owners those in which it is cultivated or encouraged to to clean up and drain all the low wet spots, now grow. Orchard grass does not succeed, but the grown up and disfiguring their farms-the rich feather grass grows luxuriantly, though I think virgin land, now useless, except for timber and the hay light and chaffy, (to use that expression.) fuel, will be cleared and cultivated, yielding great A mixture of timothy and herds grass, seems to profit, and furnishing the means of enriching the me, to be well calculated for all the artificial meaexhausted highlands. When the whole of this dows in the lower country. The latter, when extensive valley shall be brought into neat cultiva- ready to be cut, is apt to fall, and would be greatly tion; interspersed with verdant meadows, green sustained by the stouter and stiffer stalk of the fields of corn and ripening harvests, what a beau-former, which in its turn would be less liable to tiful spectacle will it be from the lofty heights, to the eye of the metropolitan! From the centre of the city he may reach and enjoy it in half an hour's ride. This, for the present, is indeed a fancy picture. But when Richmond shall contain a population of sixty or seventy thousand, and its commercial capital be trebled and profitably employed, the burn or dry up, when shaded and protected, as it would be. In three or four years the timothy will be rooted out by the herds grass, and in this climate, the best meadow will not last more than six or seven years and be profitable. It may be well to say something about the mode of preparing and seeding an artificial meadow; and what I shall say on these subjects will be equally applicable to the whole of the country be not mathematically straight, they will suffibelow the mountains. There is scarcely a stream ciently guide the seedsman, who ought to follow in this whole region that does not afford some ex- just behind the operator, and while his mark is cellent meadow land; and there are numerous wet fresh. This will insure regularity. The sower's slashy spots, in the levels of the highlands that would produce fine crops of hay. Lower Virginia, though almost exclusively a grain growing country, is often, and particularly in some parts of it, very deficient in rough or long food for stock. Fodder (or corn blades) is the main dependence for sheep and horses; and shucks and straw for cattle. I have long thought that blade fodder was not worth half the cost of gathering and saving it; unless the corn be remarkably fine. And even from such corn, the weather must be very favorable to secure it with its nutritive juices. If I had no meadow, nor knowledge of hay, I might think otherwise. (This is a plain matter that ought to be fully discussed and experimented upon.) Land for a meadow ought to be rich and moist; or at any rate, retentive of moisture until the middle of June. The soil must be ploughed and harrowed until finely divided. The aid of a roller will in many cases, greatly facilitate this operation. But it ought to be complete, and the land made as level as possible, in order to lighten the labor of the mower, and enable him to get the whole crop of grass. The depth of the first ploughing should be regulated by the depth of the fertile soil. Deep stirring of the earth is necessary; for the deeper it be broken, the more moisture it will absorb, and the more it will give to the roots of the grass. All the roots, trash and tussocks must be carried off-they are the nurseries of weeds, and will be in other respects inju rious. hand ought to be held low, and particularly if there be any wind. It is better to sow the seed dry, because then they separate easily, and fall more regularly. Being white, they ought to give the ground an evenly powdered appearance, which is the only sure proof of good sowing, excepting always the appearance of the grass itself— and slighted spots should be resown by both of these indices. Herds grass seed are so small and light, that they are very apt to be taken up and thrown about and deposited in sunken places, if not carried off by the winds. To prevent this, the roller should follow the seedsman as soon as possible. In addition to this benefit, it beautifully levels and smooths such finely prepared ground, and leaves it, so that the grass knife passes over it without obstruction or jar. How interesting to the eye of the husbandman, is such a plot of land, thickly and evenly covered with a rich coat of grass, in full bloom! Then is the time to apply the knife, and handle the fork. An experienced and dexterous cutter will be enabled to shear it smoothly and evenly, and with as much apparent ease as the city barber wields the instrument of his vocation. The second crop, as already suggested, does not rise high enough in this climate to be cut. But it affords the best of grazing. In its growth it steals along, alternately freshened up by showers, dews, and cool nights; and parched and withered by the burning sun of summer, until released from this doubtful state of existence, by the more regular and genial temperature of September. Not till then, does it assume its gay verdure, and give promise of future vigor and value. A cer The seed ought to be sown after the last harrowing and before any rain has fallen. A bushel of herds, and one gallon of timothy seed, or rather less will be sufficient per acre, if sown in Septem-tain union of heat and moisture is necessary to ber, or before the middle of October. If sown in every sort of vegetation, and every clime is chathe spring or summer, half a bushel more of herds racterized by its peculiar productions. In the ought to be added. But there is no danger of temperate zone, we regard spring as the flood, and sowing too many seed; and I should never stop winter as the ebb-tide of vegetable life. Summer under two bushels, provided the seed were not too and autumn are the seasons of their vigor and costly. Though what is a little expense, com- maturity. But it is both interesting and instrucpared to a thick luxuriant crop, which shall en- tive to note the effect produced by the removal of tirely possess the ground, to the exclusion of every plants from one latitude to another, within our other growth? Grass when sown too thick, will zone. Some of the artificial grasses so called, (and only on rich land) thin itself exactly to that which preserve their verdure, in the northern point which insures fineness and the greatest pro-states, and even beyond our mountains, during the duction of which the soil and climate are capable. Many grass growers have labored under a strange delusion on this subject. It was the practice with some (of my acquaintance,) to sow only one peck on an acre. The consequence was, that they had to lose one year, waiting for the grass to spread, and supply the stinted seeding-cutting the first year a rank crop of weeds, mixed so sparingly with hay, that the produce was but of little value, except as horse bedding. The cutting of such a crop is heavier work than of good hay. And experience proves, that thinly sown meadows will always remain foul, and give inferior crops. We whole summer, die and are withered to the very The seeds having been thoroughly mixed together with the hand, are then sown in a dry state, by the hand also after the manner of small grain; the ground having been first marked off into six feet lands by using a hoe or rake handle. Unless the second crop, or aftermath, be grazed Horses ought not to go on the ground thus pre-down, it dies in the winter, and forms a th pared; and if the lines laid off, as recommended, covering of dead material that retards the early growth of the spring crop, impedes the mower, on the Hanover side, and abound more in gravel and injuriously mixes with the hay of the next crop, as it must be cut with it. On a new meadow, this covering in favorable seasons, will rot after the grass rises over it in the spring-but this is not often the case. It has been the practice, with many farmers, to burn it off early in the spring. The objection to that, is the probability of empoverishing the soil. But on the other hand, such heavy grazing as will be necessary to consume and trample it completely down, is attended with the pernicious effect of poaching, or making the ground too hard; and when that is the case, the crop becomes short and meager. When the ground is dry, grazing may be permitted, though never in wet weather, or when the hoof The soil of these hills is diversified. In some breaks, or much indents the sod. At the time, places sandy, in others gravelly, with an admixhowever, when the grazing of meadows, in this ture either of yellow clay or yellow sand; and then climate, would be most profitable, grass is abun-again, for a mile, on those the soil is a rich, chocdant enough in the fields. The plan of a stand-olate colored fertile mould. There is but little red ing pasture, with an occasional use of the mea- clay, but frequent hills of yellow or light brown dow in the fall, would seem most advisable. Still clay. The writer has found all these varieties to I am inclined to think, that burning once in three be powerfully acted upon by plaster, and especialyears, would be more beneficial than injurious. ly when applied to clover. Although the months of September and October are the best for sowing grass seeds, it may be done, in my opinion, any month in the year, provided there be no danger of the waters covering the land and removing the seed. When sown in the spring or summer, or too late in the fall for them to vegetate, the first crop will be more or less mixed with weeds. I sowed a few acres some years ago, with oats. The grass came up remarkably well. After the oats were cut, we had very dry and warm weather. I examined the fate of the grass, and found that before the heavy crop of weeds, which succeeded the oats, had protected it, the young grass had been completely killed. It had risen two or three inches; and though sown very thick, appeared to be entirely destroyed. The ground was as dry as it could be, and I could see no sign of life in the roots. This soil when moist, is as black as lamp-black; light, and contains much sand. Notwithstanding these appearances, the grass put up slowly in the fall, and in the spring, occupied the ground, to the exclusion of every thing else. The crop of hay was a good one, though much injured by the stalks of the weeds that ought to have been cut off in the fall. and clay. Some of them are quite steep and gashed by very deep ravines, in the bottoms of some of which, opposite to Richmond, deposites of fossil shells have been found, consisting of clam, scallop, oyster, and a great variety of smaller shells; so far decomposed that they may be reduced by the pressure of the hand, and when exposed to the atmosphere, fall into powder in a few days. Expecting that these deposites will be examined by the ardent and skilful Professor Rogers, I shall say nothing more about them, except that they have not been found in many places; and but few experiments have been made with them, as manure. Between the Chickahomony and the James River hills, the country is generally flat, but often broken by deep ravines and valleys, along which the branches pass to either stream. Several streaks or patches of red land, not unlike the soil of the South West Mountains occur. They are however, far from being as rich; yet are susceptible of high improvement. They suffer greatly from drought. There are similar portions, with a gray or ash colored soil, of nine or ten inches thickness, resting on a red clay foundation. The soil of these portions suffers less from drought, retains manure longer, and seems to have been originally surer in production, if not actually so rich. The top soil abounds in silex in a fine form, and I presume, had in its virgin state, a due proportion of vegetable matter. But shallow ploughing, a hot sun, and close grazing, have brought these portions to poverty, and made them the favorite spots for the poverty, or hen's grass. The clay from below, after being exposed to the frost and scattered and mixed with the silicious soil above, seems to be in some places almost as good, and I think has a more permanent effect than barn-yard manure. To dig up, prepare, and scatter this red clay, would be very expensive, though less so, than the raising and use of putrescent manure. This operation might be effected by the plough, but then without a good coat of vegetation to turn under in its green state, sterility would be the consequence for a year or two. Indeed the plough cannot be easily made to reach the red substratum and throw it up uniformly, without running a two-horse, directly in the furrow after a threehorse plough and few persons are disposed to incur this expense. There is a great deal of this sort of land in Virginia. If a sufficient crop of clover cannot be made to grow on it by Mr. Sampson's mode of lightly top-dressing small grain, at, or just before the time of sowing clover seed, a crop of peas, buckwheat or rye, might be turned under in a green state, by a double ploughing, as suggested. But from the experiments I have made, winter grain neatly put in and top-dressed with farm-yard manure succeeds well. The manure seems to be more beneficial in this, than in any other mode of applying it, and secures to a certainty a good crop 66 39 66 66 39 35 66 -sown too thick-though the field, more than ten for one of seed. -crop inferior, just worth cutting. 1830. Clover-crop inferior-cut but a few hundred weight, and that in spots. 1831. Clover-plastered like plot No. 1-clover almost entirely disappeared. 1832. Wheat-crop very inferiorhardly worth cutting. 1833. Corn-lightly manured in the hill with corn-stalk and farmpen manure-crop not measured -supposed about three barrels to the acre-and as irregular as the different parcels of manure. 1834. Wheat,lightly top-dressed with farm-pen manure, when frozen, or there was snow on the ground -crop about ten for one." of clover. The improvers of exhausted land in Plot No. 1. 1834. Rye-crop comparatively good every part of the state consider their work nearly accomplished as soon as they can get it well covered with red clover. Good ploughing, a proper rotation of crops, and non-grazing, with the Plot No. 2. 1823. Oats, clovered and plastered use of plaster, have seldom in such cases, failed to restore the soil to its original fertility. To go beyond that, requires, calcareous matter or heavy dressings of putrescent vegetable or animal manures. I have an old field of this sort of land that put up, when I took possession of it, nothing but hen's grass. The soil was originally very good; but it had been worn down to the lowest point of sterility. From the very promising appearance of the substratum, I thought that it could be renovated by good ploughing, and the use of plaster, so as to produce clover. It was accordingly ploughed from four to six inches deep, sown in oats, clover and orchard grass, plastered at the rate of a bushel to the acre. The oats were very inferior to what I expected, but better than anticipated by those who knew the land. They were, however, not sown until April; for I did not take possession until late in March. The clover came up very badly, and except upon some portions of the field that had been partially manured by the former owner, was an entire failure. The grass seeds sown on this field cost me $152. Having as much rich land as I had force to cultivate, and reclaim, I determined to let this field as well as others on the same farm, rest and take the chance of gradual improvement by time, and one or two ploughings, until I could take hold of it. In 1829 the whole field was first treated as above stated. It rested two years, and in 1832 was in wheat-exempting it from the corn crop intended for the crop very inferior, except where my small stock of manure was put-a third of the field was not worth cutting, and was left to rot on the ground. It rested in 1833 and 1834. The visible improvement that has taken place in the appearance of the land-the thicker cover of vegetable matter including strong and bold weeds-induced me to commence ploughing in the winter, to put it in corn this year, to be manured in the hill, with farmpen manure, ashes, plaster, &c. It has been unavoidably pastured, but not heavily during the years of rest. If, in 1829, the plaster had been sown before fallowing, or just before the harrow that put in the oats, the improvement would, in my opinion, have been greater. About twenty acres of this field have been kept under a different system, both for convenience and experiment-divided into two plots. No. 1. was the richest part of the field, as it had been manured slightly by my predecessor-No. 2. was quite as poor as the average of the whole. You will observe that the plot No. 1. has been in small grain the three last years, and has been tended four years in six. The whole manuring would be about equal to one good dressing of manure: yet the crops have been quite respectableand the clover is at this moment (23rd February) so promising, (without ever having been seeded, except in 1829,) that I intend plastering it, and whole field. Plot No. 2. was the poorest-has been four years in crop, and one à corn crop. Still the light top-dressing given to the last wheat crop, has caused the clover to appear (though sown in 1829,) so thick and vigorous, that, by a single plastering, I expect to make a fair crop, which will bear one cutting and keep the land improving until the whole field can be brought to the same point of improvement. These plots have been thus managed, because they are very convenient for the employment of the idle servants about my yard, &c.; and it was easy to use the manure on them, while more important and distant operations called for the use of all the two, and four-footed force, I could command. Another reason influenced this course: these plots had become excessively foul with highland blue grass, wire grass, running briers, &c.; and they are not half exterminated now. The plastering given the whole field in 1829 seemed to give a sort of magic existence to these pests. The running brier, or dewberry, is a great annoy Plot No. 1. 1829. In oats clovered and plaster-ance on this whole field. It is worse than the sas ed-crop a fair one, equal to safras: for that can be destroyed by cutting it down some inches above the ground with a brier knife twice in one summer, or by putting hungry animals to eat off the leaves and prevent the atmospheric elaboration of sap through the leaves, without which, plants and vegetables soon die. This brier, is not so, the plough does not go to the bottom of its root, and when cut off nine inches below the surface, it puts up three or four shoots instead of one, that will run ten feet in a season, and, with the least encouragement, take root, and propagate new nurseries. This is one of the evils of resting land, without grazing. But I believe that this |