The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1837-08-29
AGRICULTURAL.
STUMBLE FIELDS.

AS soon as possible after harvest, It VIII be
good economy to plough your stubble fields
This ploughing will be more beneficial when the
stubble is large, and the grain has been cut with
sickle, instead of cradle. But, if the stubble
be permitted to stand till it is quite dried and its
Juices have been evaporated, it will then he of
little use to plough it into the ground. Likewise
by ploughing nthe stubble soon after reaping,we
may prevent the ripening of the seeds Of many
weeds, with which the subble lands are apt to
| be infested.
DR.. Deane observed that with poughs OF COM
mon construction, the ploughing of stubble ground
is disagreeable work, neither can it be we'll per-
formed. The plough is so apt to choke up. that
it is more than one man can do to keep it clear.
Ploughs for this work should be much deeper
built than common ones. And this work might
be greatly facilitated, If heavy roller were pas
sed over the stubble to lay it flat to the ground
before ploughing. When this is doing, great
care should he taken to pass the roller the same
way that the plough is to 60. BY means of this
the coulter will but seldom be clogged with the
stubble. If the rolling be neglected, a small
roller annexed to the fore end of the plough
beam, in place of foot, or even foot itself will
greatly help to clear the way for the coulter.
But in the Georges of Virgil, and in some
other works OH agriculture, it is asserted that
burning off stubble is 10 be preferred to plough
ing it under; being more beneficial to the sue
ceeding crop, and having greater effect in fer
tilizing the land. Judge Peters of Pennsylvania,
was of the same opinion. He observed in sub
stance, that if straw and rubbish, be spread over
land, and then burnt off, it would be of more
service to the soil, than if the same Tstraw and
rubbish were suffered 10 rot on the ground.
When stubble is on stiff and strong land, it
has been recommended. to NOW; collect and
cart it into the farm yard, there to rot and be-
come manure.
An English writer states that I" Mr. w. Curtis
of Lynn, Norfolk County, England, found very
beneficial effects from burning the stubble of OATS
which were left eighteen inches high for that
purpose. On field broken up from old pas
ture the same year, he afterwards sowed wheat
and oats in succession on the same ground, the
stubble of both of which was burned off in the
same manner. The ashes were, in every case
ploughed in to small depth, and the verges of
the field moved to prevent accidents. After the
third crop of grain, all of which were abundant
and remarkably free from weeds, the field was
laid down with clover and grass seeds and the
ensuing crops, both o f hay and grass, proved in
fntey finer than those before the ground was bro
ken up. Another piece of land was cropped for
three successive years, in tie same manner as
the first, to which it was similar in every respect
OF soil, aspect, and previous arrangement, but in
which the stnbbe was ploughed n instead of
beng burned; the produce of each crop OH it
was much inferior to that of the first experiment.
ana The weeds increased SO greatly, that in laying
1t down to grass, they quite overpowered the
grass seeds, so much so, that it became necessary
to renew it; and ever after, while Mr.. Curtis held
1t, the grass and hay produced were coarse and
full of weeds; and consequently inferior both in
value and quantity to those of the other field in
which the stubble had been burneds'
In burning stubbe fields the danger which is
to be apprehended from the spreading of the
flames, may perhaps be obyiated by tracing y
furrow round The field, and setting fire to The
stnbble oil the inner lurrow. 1T will also be ne
cessary to choose calm as we'll MS dry dov
| for the operation. NE, Far,s,