Alexandria Gazette

Management of Farms.

From the Southern Planter.

Mr. Editor - Last summer I promised you to write occasionally for the Planter: and as it is a rainy and leisure day I have concluded now, in part, to redeem my pledge.

As it regards the management of farms, even among practical men, there exists a diversity of opinion. Some persons contend that grazing is often judicious: others, as "Fossil Shells," in your September, No., says, "Don't graze your land either winter or summer." Some farmers believe that it is better to manure a small quantity of land well: others, to extend it over a larger surface. Some, like Dr. Baldwin, advocate shade to renovate worn out soils; and others care not for the shade so they obtain the substance. Now some of these opinions are right, but require experience and good judgment to determine which to prefer at the time, with all the attending circumstances.

To graze arable land during the whole period it is not in cultivation is certainly to impoverish it: but judicious grazing is often necessary and advantageous: for instance, a farmer has a tract of high land which he wishes to improve, but it is thickly set in sassafras bushes, running briars, and other pests. Now I contend that hard grazing with both cattle and sheep, for at least three years, or until these pests are extirpated, is the most rational system; for if the land be cultivated before they are destroyed, they spring up with the crop, which is injured: and when the field is again to be cultivated, shrubbing and grubbing have to be resorted to, and sufficiency of labor expended to pay nearly for the land. Our rich land I think it is also advisable to graze clover of the first year as this will keep down the weeds and prevent their destroying the young clover. On spongy land, also, particularly such as has on it a heavy coat of vegetable matter, trampling the land by cattle is certainly an advantageous practice; but to graze clover of the second year, or land almost destitute of vegetable matter, if free from the pests above mentioned, ought not, in my opinion, to have an advocate.

Manuring heavily a smaller space, in preference to extending the manure over a large surface, is perhaps the better plan for corn and tobacco: but if for a top-dressing of wheat, or to secure a good stand of clover, covering a greater breadth of land is more desirable.