The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-05-01 00:00:00

e oruspoubena.

PRACTICAL AGR/CULTURL

Lrrrco No.

ON THE MANAGEMENT OF LAND &EMI Times ;
THE BENT CROP TO Es.CCEED THEM; /6IID WET
90 DUST FARMERS FLIL IN TWIN RisteicT.

To gigs Editor of the Dorset ("minty Erprees and

A gricrifin al Gazette.

Dorchester, 31)th April, ISGO.

SIK,--I have no doubt you are aware that there
are many opinions about tare.; some farmers say
they are good for the land as well as the stock, but
there are many who say that tares ruin the soil and
render any succeeding crop unprofitable. To the
latter of these I will more particularly address my.
self; %MI as it is always a bad plan to beat about the
bush for a conclusion, I will tell them at once that
this difficulty in the succeeding crop is entirely
owing to their own bad managenient ; for I know,
from experience, that nothing will benefit laud morn
than a good crop of winter tares, fed off in proper
season under judicious management.
The common custom is, to plough the land these
times after the crop is fed. This I must decidedly
condemn, for it makes the soil too light and takes
too much time at a season when labour is most vale-
able.
Another common plan is, to plough the soil once
only, which is the quickest way ; but I must con-
demn this plan also as being worse than the former,
for this reason :—A crop, perhaps, of turnips will
follow, when, more than likely. some floe morning
the owner of such a crop will find, to the astonish-
ment of his weak nerves that half his plant has
vanished, and the other half is anything but flourish

ink
This is caused hy a variety of slugs and insects,
which have lived many a long day unmolested in
the tares, the one ploughing having merely turned
them under for a time, without doing them any
particular damage; and, Mr. Editor, you can
imagine these little things will he tolerably
hungry by the time the new crop appears, and
quite ready to attack the young plant on all sides is
full force. Then what follows? Why, the farmer
who does not try to sift out the cause and the cure
of these things Jumps at once to the conclusion that
the tares were the cause, and that they have mud
the laud. _

how, Sr, I will lay down a plan that I have
never known to rail; it is this :—Feed the tares
early so as to clear ever) thing close to the ground,
then follow immediately with the plough and roll
rafter it before the soil has time to get very dry.
This must be done as shallow as pot
it must be borne in miad that this rid•
tering is intended for no other ptirpoise than
to destroy the insects. Here is a secret oi
which I will venture to say feu if any of our Da-
-1 sistabire men are aware ; and I feel certain that if
they carry this shallow faltering after tare• let•
Practice only to destniy insect life, there will les
time when many of the natives will in their hearts
I thank the columns of the bored County Erprrss fe
this hit of information.
• The land must be well harrowed and rolled. awl
if there is any rubbish it must be all taken id
cleanly, for if any remain to be ploughed down there
will surely be plenty of insects and the utility of Lb?,
plan defeated. Now, one good deep-ploughing iklu
he all that is required, and if no time hat been lost
there will be no reason for anxiety as to the futs"

Lrop.
Now, Sir, I think the best thing to succeed tut"
will be rape upou light lam' and swedes or turful*
upon hey aids, although upon laud in a high Into
of culti%ation, where the most unproved
are carried out, a crop of wangolil worse! usay
ceeil tares and will lie most profitable. But Liub_,„
will apply only to superior management and enT
, feeding. If tares are late. mustard willsuccevilacU:
and be a good preparation for wheat, but this ou
not he very profitable aud should only be adolOd°
a case of necessity.
I think I have said enough to show why
generally tail in the inanagetnent of land after u'r:
so I will merely add that if they are not too slug'
d tb
themselves all the slugs may be destroyed. an ‘
cause of failure will he no longer a question, but go,_.
Ise clear to everyone ; and the result will. I
be enough to make farmer Old blush for shame"'
having lived so many years in the world wtb:si
kuouing that tares are a better preparation for TS
than fallow or any other plan. As I shall WO'
similar subject next week, I will not neon g
uith too lung an epistle, but conclude by earg
I continue to be
Yours respectfully,
PROFITABLE AGRICULTURE.

[My_ Letter, No. XII., will be on SoirMA,l3l
after Tares ; why a little Itay•grass geed "P"..-01
added ; why the common plan of mamillwg pro.
being expensive is absurd ; an 4 why tho Cr°P.
perly uumgod, must be prollable.l

very

Printed said published for the Proprietors bFtn,
llswerr, Jun. of Trinity &reek 13",..5e:
Printer. at the dike at The burset 6'l'o Tia
ell!rob-strest, Morawfrar. —Tespia, Mel 1.