The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-23 00:00:00

WORK FOR THE HOME FARM.

The management of meadows and pastures on farms
of all descriptions is year by year acquiring increased
imporFance, and on none more so than those of a
mcthrate size attached to country residences and in
suburban districts. Until quite recently, it was
thopght by a very large portion of the community
thal grass lands would yield satisfactory results with
but very little attention, but the course taken by Agri-
cultural events within the last few years has aided in
a material degree to bring out more prominently the
value of pastnres, and to show that they, like arable
lands, require to be managed in a skilful manner to be
really profitable. The exact time at which meadows
should be closed depends entirely upon the character
of the soil and the season, but it will be better to close
them before any new growth has been made by the
grass than to leave them open two or three weeks
too long. When the cattle have been removed,
a dressing of good farmyard manure at the rate
of from twenty to thirty cartloads per acre,
or of artificials at the rate of about three cwt. per
acre, should be applied. The most suitable artificials
are undoubtedly guano and superphosphate of lime in
the proportion of one cwt. of the guano to every two
cwt. of the superphosphate. Soils somewhat loose in
tex•nre will be benefited by a dressing of common salt
at the rate of one cwt. to the acre, in addition to the
other manure. Farmyard manure should be applied
at as early a date as it can be conveniently done' but
there is no immediate hurry for the artificials, as they
will be efficacious applied at the end of March as now.
In the application of farmyard manure, care must be
taken to spread it equally over the surface, and in a
fortnight or so after this has been done the land should
be bosh harrowed thoroughly, and then have a heavy
roller passed over it. But when artificial manures are
employed the bush harrowing and rolling should be
done shortly afterwards. It is, as a matter of course,
preferable to do this work in dry weather.

If there is any routine work, in the way of clearing
out ditches and waterways, and the mending of
hedges, still on hand, it should be seen to as soon as
convenient, for in a very short time work will press
heavily, and those who have hardly enough strength
for the proper management of the farm, will experi•
race considerable difficulty in keeping pace with the
many demands on the head and hands, if they allow
the work to fall into arrears now. For the same
reason, and to ensure the thorough pulverization of the
surfEv.;e soil, land required for potatoes, turnips,
cabbages, kohlrabi, tares, peas, and other crops to be
sown or planted during March and the month follow-
ing, should be manured and enriched with fertilizers
from the farmyard, and be ploughed; so that, with
no more preparation than applying a dressing of
some artificial manure and passing the harrows over
the surface, it may be made ready for the crop to be
sown or planted. Considering how much depends
upon getting in crops at the proper time, and the
chingeablenees of the weather during the spring
season, every effort should be made to have every-
thing in an advanced state, to enable the cultivator to
take advantage of favourable opportunities for the
performance of important operations. Gardeners'
Magazine.