THE BRITISH AMERICAN.

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fully biossouied, that the full Juice and nourish- ment ofthe plant may be retained in the hay. By the adoption of this system, the hay is cut in better season, it can be more easily secured, and is much more valuable. Nor is the strength of the lant lodged in the seed, which is often lost. he great advantage ofconverting under ripe herbs e and grass into hay is now begin- ning to be nown. There is much more saccha- rine matter in it and it is consequently more nutritious. A crop ofclover or sainfoin when out in the early part of the season, may be ten per cent lighter than when it is fully ripe; but the loss is amply counterbalanced, by obtaining an earlier, a more valuable, and more nutrio tious article; while the next crop will propor- tionably be more heavy. The hay from old herbage will carry on stock, but it is only hay from young herbage that will fatten them. ' When the stems of clover become hard and sapless, by being allowed to bring their seeds towards maturity they are oflittle more value as provender, than an equal quantity of the finer sort ofstraw ofcorn.’

The mode ofmaking clover hay, and that of all herbage plants, as practised by the best far- mers, is as follows. The herbage is cut as close to the ground and in as uniform and perfect a manner as it is possible to aecom plish, by the scythe kept constantly sharp The surface having been in the preceeding Spring freed from stones and well rolled, the stubble after the mower, ought to be as short and smooth as a well shaven grass lawn. That part of the stems left by the scythe is not only lost, but the after growth, is neither so vigorous nor so weighty, as when the first cutting is taken as low as possible.

‘ As soon as the swath or row is thoroughly dry above, it is gently turned over (not tedded aficattered) without breaking it,soinetiines this

5: one by the hand or by a small fork; and s e farmers are so anxious to prevent the swath from being broken, that they will not permit the use of the rake shaft. The grass, when turned over in the morning of a dry day is put into cocks in the afternoon. It is impos- sible to lay down any rules for the management of hay after it is put into cocks; one thing is however always attended to, not to shake out, or scatter or expose the hay oftener than is neccssary for its preservation; N. E. F

Weeds.—Be careful not to permit any weeds to ripen their seeds on your lands. Ifyou have not leisure to dig them up by the roots you ma cut them off with a scythe or a sickle be ore their seeds are sufficiently grown to ve- getate. If the seeds of pernicious plants are never suffered to become ripe you will be 1sure eventually to destroy them. Even the Canada thistle which is very hard to subdue, ‘ will eventually disappear if you cut it down of- ‘ enough to prevent its seeds from coming to “ity for several years in succession.

Select the ripest and best seeds from

as are most forward and vigorous,

'mprove your bread of Vegetables,

nilar to that by which the breeds

improved by the celebrated

:rs of cattle. New and im-

wheat, peas, beans, 8m, 8w,

dueed by observing among

nme individual stalks, pods,

were distinguishable from

or degree of health, luxu-

ess, earliness, or some other

'n and preserving them

till suficiently multiplied irge scale.

Suiting—This is a term applied to the practice of feeding domestic animals on new mown grass, or other green crops, in racks, ards, stables, 6'0. Lorain says of this mode ofy farm management that ‘ The farm yard manure ac- quired by soiling, and that introduced by the roots of the grasses, create in the course of a single round of crops, such an immense im- provement in the soil, that after the hay har- vest commences, (which is great in conse- quence of the grass saved by this practice,) an almost perpetual harvest ensues until the corn is cribbed.

‘Each crop is heavy in pro ortien to the ground occupied by it. The abour greatly exceeds what would readily be imagined by those who have not observed the practice; still it may or ought to be partially introduced; especially by wealthy farmers, who have many workersin their own families. Also by those who have but little land in proportion to the labour they can readily obtain from their chil- dren, &c.

‘It should, however, be remembered, that success is not to be expected, unless a full sup- ply of green grasses, proper for this purpose, have been provided. Also, the very great trouble and perplexity oceasioned by red clo- ver,in consequence of the cattle and horses being;salivated by the second and‘ third crops of this grass.

‘ Every farmer should soil his working cattle and horses, whether he may or may not enter into thegeneral practice of soiling. A very small extent of ground will be sufficient for this purpose. This may lie so near to his barn, that the trouble will be little more, if as much, as going to the pastures after them. The grass and rich dung saved by this practice will be very valuable to him.

VEGETABLE LIFE.

The first point that should engage the at- tention of the enlightened agriculturest, is to ascertain the nature and situation ofthose mi- nute vessels by which plants absorb water from the soil and the atmosphere, and by which these principles are modified and circulated to every part of the vegetable, and are converted into the plant itself. So minute are these vessels, that even microscopic observation has not been able to detect all their intricacies. But their general structure and arrangement have been ascertained. And itis found that they bear a most striking analogy to these vessels of ani- mals by which nutriment is conveyed, in ceaseless circulation to every part ofthe system. In every plant we find one set of small vessels, running from the roots to the extremities, through which the sap ascends, while in its progressit is undergoing those changes that will fit it for becoming a part of the vegetable. These vessels resemble the arteries in the ani- mal system. When the sap is thus conveyed to the leaves and other extremities of the plant, it there comes in contact with the at- mosphere, gives off its redundancies, and absorbs water, and perhaps other principles essential to the plant. The leaves of plants, there- fore, perform nearly the same functions as the lungs of animals. A second set of vessels, ex- terror to the first and mostly confined to the bark, now conveys the food of the lant, thus prepared, to every part that nee s nourish- ment; even to the very roots from which it proceeded. These vessels correspond to the veins. Other vessels are found in plants, cor- responding, probably, to those similarly situa- ted in the animal system; yet too compli- cated for explanation on this occasiOn. Suf- fice it to mention, that in vegetable, as well

as in animal economy we find the principle of life, itself inscrutable—modifying and con- troling every operation and keeping the won-— derful machinery in ceaseless play. Hitchcock’s flddress.

SYMPTOMS AND PROGRESS OF THE ROT IN SHEEP.

In the first stage of the rot, the sheep is in the frequent habit of rubbing the upper lip againstthe fold, or its own fore legs, or any hard substance; also of drinking agreater quantity of water when at the sheepfold than those that are sound, and showing a disposition rather to lick off the moisture from, than to crop the grass. In the second stage, the lips, nostrils and throat become swollen; the animal is feverish, insatiably thirsty, and almost incessantly visited by a sort of dry cough. In the third and last stage, the eyes become sunken ; the eyeveins, small, discolor- ed and nearly bloodless, the eyeballs lived and dim, with whites exceedingly pale, the burrs of the ears swollen, and free from wax; the li- ver, lights, and throat ulcerated; and the pas- sage of respiration being stopped, the 'animal is suffocated. ‘ Iwas led to this experience,’ says the writer, when very aunt; in business, by an old shepherd who ha been more than forty years upon the farm. Pointing to a sheep rubbingits lip against the fold, and acting otherwise in the manner above described.—

rot. The best thing 1 can recommend you to do with him is, to take him home before he is too far gone. give him some ground oats, and make him tidydish meat and kill him.’ I did so, as sheep will thrive upon oats for some time after they are first affected: and when 0‘ shee was opened,I discovered that the l_i:_ was full of things resembling plaice, and it»; lightsjust beginning to become ulcerated. The next sheep I found in the first stage as above inentioned,l suffered by the way ofexperiment, to take its chance, and it died, by suffocation in the third stage, as above stated, which was the result of at least a dozen experiments. .N'. Y. .Memoirs,

HIGH CULTIVATION.

It is not an uncommon complaint among farmers ‘that the times are hard.’ Is it wonderful that with some they are so ? They are ‘ hard' because their crops are ,‘ small, because they fail to bestow the proper cultivation upon them. Concentrated action is efficient action ; and it is this only which gives large agricultural results. But to this an obstacle presents itself nearly insu mountable. Onr farms are in general too extemiv and the labour of the farmer is spread over too exten ded a surface. And yet, instead of selling a single acr most ofour farmers covet many more. If farmers he ever, would thrive, they must change their policy; the must concentrate their labour; they must give to fe acres the care, now usually bestowed on many; and i necessary to this, shey must diminish their farms M any an acre of corn, and many of rye, now yield only IO or 12 bushels and even less. Many an acre is mowed whose burden—if it may be called a burden—amounts . to scarcely half a ton. How much wiser—how much ' more grateful. to give to these acres a proper cultiva' ‘ tion and gather bushels for peeks, and nearer g?!“ $ hundreds! This, Iconceive, is at present, ti": lat error of our farmers generally. They adopt a» ' ' derultory mode of operation. which keep! poor, and themselves poor also. ‘ which the benefits of a thrifty, prod, can be enjoyed, is to change the preuht"

That sheep, master, said he is touched with the /

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ii!