The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-03-15
Orr farmer.
From the .4mericdn Farmer.
WORK FOR MARCH.

on your UheW HefuS last Hioh'i, lhdh
this. But, if, owing 10 circumstances
beyond your control, yours is still I'M
sown, you may do so any time during
the current month. five had our choice
as to the precise time acden we would
do so, we should wait until the frost was
entirely out of the ground. We should
then harrow the seed tightly in, after
which we would roll the field with
heavy roller; and especially would We
subject the ground to these operations,
if the wheat crop showed any evidences
of having been up-heaved by the con-
tracing and expanding power OF frost
and heat. Great horror is entertained
of pulling the wheat plants out of the
ground by the teeth of the harrow:-in
this horror, however, we do not indulge.
The harrow will pull up many wheat
plants we admit; but then most of these
will be returned by the roller. The roll
lor will not only return great part of
the roots to the earth, but will also
bury many joints of the plants, the most
of which will take root, and grow into
wheat bearing plants: and thus, by the
promotion of tillering, will more than
compensate for any plants killed by the
operation of narrowing. We believe
that, for every plant pulled up by the
harrow, the roller, by the burying Of
joints, will cause two other plants 10 be
grown. This is not all; the narrowing
destroys grass and weeds, acts as cul-
tivatlon to the wheat plants, and, by adj
uniting the air into the earth, increases
It's temperature, and gives fresh i'm
pulse to its growth. These are not ideal
results--not mere theory--but the ac-
tual results of experience and practice
But whether you harrow and roll
your clover seed in or not, do not omit
to SOW it, as clover, in conjunction with
lime, mari, or ashes, forms the only sure
basis upon which the solid improvement
oflands rest. In connection with the
sowing of clover seed, we would remark
that the presence of calcarcous matter,
in every soil in which clover may be
grown, is absolutely necessary.
Quantity Of Secd.-l2 lbs. of seed
should be sown on every acre, and pains
should be taken to distribute it evenly.
Oats.-Clrculatng as our journal does
over territory of thousands of miles in
extent, embracing many degrees of lati-
tude, and presenting as many climates,
it is time to be saying something about
getting in oats. Now the oats is a most
notable and necessary grain; but we fear
it is too often put in under circumstan-
ces which forbid every hope of profit
Generally speaking, it is confined to
some exhausted field, whose fertility
had been wasted many years before, in
whose ungenial sollit finds neither bread
nor meat, or if any, in such minute
quantities as to be utterly insufficient for
its support. Such practice should not
be. The oat-crop, under favorable cir
cumstances of soil and culture, may be
made a highly lucrative one. Give it
wherewith to feed upon, and it will re-
turn you its 40, so, and 60 bushels Of
grain to the acre. Instances of much
larger yields than either of the figures
have been realized, and, what has been
done, can be done again; provided SINH
lar means be used to produce the same
favorable results. In our day we have
seen 2,40O bushels garnered on 40 acre
fcld-but again, the ground covering
10000 corn hills produce less than 10
bushels,-the soil Of the first field was in
a high state of fertility, whereas the
soil on which the last grew, was as de-
void of every element of fertility as is a
mercenary's heart of the lofty impulses
of disinterested patriotism.
Better is it, in our opinion, not to SOW
oats at all, unless the earth in which you
place the seed is such as to justify the
hope of a remunerating return; for it is
futile for farmer to toll, without the
prospect of reward.
Protesting, as we do, against cultiva-
ting oats on lands where there is moth
ing to feed the plants, it may become us
to prescribe some provisional Jormula,
not costly, and of easy obtanment, by
which remunerating crops of oats may
be secured, and this we here attempt;
promising, that the quantities named OF
each, are for an acre of land.
1. Ten loads of stable or barn-yard
manure, bushel of plaster, and . BUSH
els of salt.
Q. Ten loads of mud, from river,
creek, or marsh, mixed With 20 bushels
of ashes.
3. Two hundred pounds of Guano,
and one bushel of plaster mixed together.
4. Ten loads Of woods mould and
leaves, 9 bushels of salt, $ bushels oflime,
and bushels of bone-dust.
S. Ten loads of mould of any kind
10 bushels of ashes, and 2 gallons of oil.
6. Two bushels of bonc-dust, 2 bush
els of salt, IS lbs Of Nitrate of Soda, -
lbs. Nitrate of Potash, and gallons Of
oil, we'll mixed together.
7. Ten loads of marsh mud, and 90