The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-10-02
Farming, &c.
From the Farmers Cabinet.
Dialogue between Father and
Son.

~ N l
c,0pogcd Conversation Jet,Ceen a providenL ana
ijamoudcm Farmer, and HeH respective Ciops
,oli Stocks, Sc.
FRANG.-Well, father you see the book is
righG "noling is impossible" When shall
YOU be ready 10 give us tho other side of that
picture which you yesterday drew for farmer
Gmbb?
FAruER.-The twin brother of the above
proycrb is, "nothing like time presently
means Of both, We may perform prodigics;
so let us try ut once. We will take our neigh
Dor Sykes for the converse of the picture, and
suppose him going into his fields 10 "nedi-
tate at cventide."
No. /. WHEAT.-Ah, Farmer, | am glad
Wcc you; tits not often that you are absent
atwo evenings was afraid you we've sick
SYKEs.-Why, you sec had promised my
wife to attend TO some little alterations about
.he house and that has prevented me from
seeing you rs usual-we must take care of
Inc women, or they will not take care oflls-
but y0u look well.
WHEAT. Yes, thanks to your bounty.
am now feeding OH that magnificent coat
ofmanurc which you gave 10 the young
clover last Spring, just at the time too when
ills needed, for if you will examine the plants
on your left, you will find that the eur Is all
ready formed in the blade, and that they arc
all frc chcSterS, too.
SYKES. That's capital. Now that comes
orbcing kind TO the soil.
WHEAT. Aud now. will you cast Your eve
over the ridges, and say ifyou see any piece
oIwhcatin the country so uniform and reg
,HIar in its growth. The color of the plant
ON The sides OF the ridge, is, if anything, of
n decptr green than are those on the top or
crown ollhc rldge-a sure prognostic, at this
season olthc wear, of heavy crop. The
field Just below is wheat, sown nfier whole
ycurs iallow, with dung; but there the order
isreycrScd for the plants which are nenr the
burrows on the sides ofthe ridges, are weak
mdycow. And only trace the rows Of
green spots, in straight lines right across the
Hed>, They were occasioncd by the heaps
ofdung,which remained unspread for weeks,
until they were overgrown with weeds, upon
what was termed fnllOwl The weeds now
are sturdy Witnesses that the cultivation and
dung have done much more for them than
for the wheat yet il is probable that farmer
Gnbb expects to reap profit from his crop
SYKEs.-l do not think he will have either
arcop or n profit. Your present appear
aUce warrants an early harvest. by the bless
ing of good season, and am delighted with
tie prospect Can do anything more for
You;
WHEAT. No, but there is something shat
You must do for yourself-you must increase
the size Of your stack yard go for nothing
less than forty bushels per acre.
2, Corn. SYKEs.-Well, lam glad to see
Won looking so much better; your first appear
mrc was very weak and sckly, and my
rclghhors wanted 10 persuade me it was be-
c't>c sowcd the seed with Buckminstcr's
drill, but knew that could not he the cause.
for never saw any machine operate better;
lonIy wish the handles were Il little longer
and lower
Cons. My sickly appearance was owing
loEoar own good management.
SYKES. Why, how could that be?
CORN. You know that you are in the hub-
pIoughing lecRe deeper every time, and
thus a small portion of the sterile subsoil was
brought to the surface, and in the seeds were
sown; and the roller ofthe drill passing over,
0capital invention) pressed them SO close
y INTO the clay, and rain falling Immediately
after, and following the track of the roller,
the surface became so hard and dry, it was
with difficulty that / could penetrate it, and
Tor few days | know looked iniserabIy: |
However soon got TO the manure beoW,which
YOU had so bountifully supplied, and now !
feel rs though could mount TO the height of
ten feet fthc season should be favorable,
sou may put me down for 1 10 bushels per a
ere. am in no fear of the weeds which |
see springing up around me-you'll take care
oIMem, | know.
3 Potatoes. SYKEs.-WeIl, the progress
which You have made in growth during the
last two days surprises me! But never for
moment have doubted the fulfilment my
most sanguine expectations respecting this
my tavoritc crop.
POTATOES. But you have left us nothing
10 do but to grow: your labors began last all-
iItnn, when you ploughcd the land deep, and
Nld 1t high and dry for the winter; and before
others could get on their land in the spring,
you nad planted your crop. Then again,
your JudIclous management in not moulding
US Up-we have only to go to maturity,while
,he crops of those who keep moulding never
know where to be, or what to be at; for just
as they have discovered the height at which
10 form the bulbs, comes the hoe, and buries
them so deep as 10 ruin them: they are there
lore compelled to begin to form their bulbs
higher, to be within the influence of the sun,
leaving their first formed bulbs 10 their fate;
nut exhausted in n degree by the double eX-
eItlon, they are weakened so as not to be
Die to bring the higher crop, any more than
We lower, to perfection, and so both arc
much reduced, both in quantity and quality,
HaV'hg many small and useless bulbs; happy,
however, if they escape a third and even Il
lourth moulding. Men are very silly TO sup
pose that potatoes don't know their own bus
mess best; they fear, that without moulding,
!.hey would form their crops on the surface,
- very childish: why, even they themselves
Tou'I not be guilty ofany thing so thought
,Iss Their desire is only to find the spot where
uley shall be within the reach of the SUMS
a1IyS' and men need not fear that they will get
above It, All the crops that are not moulded
uh are free from those half formed bulbs, or
SSNrty eXcresences, which are so apt to de-
,orh those which have been nurscd into the
tr.oNGts; and there are very few small bulbs,
~! :or the rooot is not anxious to form more than