Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-03-10

fuTn'sh the necessary food 10 sustain the
growth OF the plants to nurture, and ma
ture their fruit; for as we have often had
occasion to Misunderstanding cannot Be
made out Of nothing. As we'll nigh, man
expect tailor to make a suit Of clothes
! without necessary materials, as to expec,
| the soil to yield good crop, unless there
be in 1t the necessary food TO sustain the
plants that may be attempted to be grown
in it.
"1he Oat-crop is uery erhausting
one"-is saying, that has been handed
down from father 10 son, until it has been
received as ,ruism, and universally believ-
ed but, for The life of us, we never could
give it our credence 10 any bu, limited ex.
tent. Why should it be more "erhausting'
than any other crop? Does it abstract
more from the soil !? We have vet to see
the proof that such is the case. If ANALYSIS
does not reject such conclusion, it shows,
that it is but partially so. Bu. then says
some believer in this saying" Other crops
do not groac kindly after oais - This may
be the case; for, generally speaking, oats
are grown on The poorest field on almos,
every farm, and nine times out Of ten, with
out The leas, particle Of manure being sppro-
priated 10 The crop.
Although oat-6elds are mostly too poor
10 grow any.hing-yet, if the season be q
good one, distinguished by frequen, show
ers, accompanied by lightning, we frequent.
lv find tolerabIy fair crops as the result
This does no. show tha. the plant is inor-
dina'ely exacIing in its appetite; but that,
among other things, i, requires moisture,
and The existence Of condition Of The al
mosphere, calculated to contribute 10 its
sus'enance-calculsted to provide, in part,
and prepare Its food.
There is no plan. more susceptible to the
influence of drough, than is the oat, and
hence the land in which i, may be sown
should always be ploughed deep, for The
.wo-fold reason, that moisture and ferliiz-
ing elements may be economised from the
air, as bu. little nu.rtive matters are to be
found in those soils in which oats are most
ly grown, as, by previous improvident crop
ping, their virtues have been we'll nigh ex-
hausted, and especially is such the case,
where shalloao ploughing for long series
of years have been pursued. To ensure
aespi p1opghlng mdds1 mddss1 oe rezotsed 10; io,;r'
deeper the bed, the greater will be the de.
gree of moisture ,ha. is kept up, particular
ly so in seasons Of drought, when its chief
source Of supply is from the Transportation
of the earlh-a process iha. is always going
on, and it's volume regulated, Of course, by
the depM and quality Of the surface soil, as
from the general induraled condition Of the
subsoil, bu, liule is derived from that source.
Preparation Of ihe ground.-We have
before shown, why the ground should be
ploughed deep, and we will say, tina. if the
land be sound-not 1oel-it should be both
ploughed and subsoiled. Ifploughed only,
the (urrow should be 8 inches deep. Ifsub-
s.iled, also, inches surface ploughing will
answer, with the same depth Of subsoiling.
The practice of merely ploughing 3 or 4
inches in depth, is killing to the land, and
injurious to the pecuniary interest Of the
farmer-for, as a consequence, he exhausls
the soil, makes short crop, and decreases
his profits.
After ploughing, or ploughing and sub
soIing, the land should be thoroughly har-
rowed, and rolled, the seed then sown and
narrowed, or cultivated in and the job finish
ed by rolling, and sowing thereon bushel
of salt and bushel Of plaster per acre.
With regard to the manures, we weie SO
full last month upon this subject, as not to
need repetition. But 10 those who have no
other resources, we will say, that by mixing
their barn-yard manure, with woods-mould
leaves, and pine skaters, in the proportion
Of one Of the former. to three Of the latter
layer and layer about, and by mixing
bushels of sal. with every 20 loads Of the
mass, will have manure that will ensure
them good crop Of oats, provided such
compos, is permitted TO lie in bulk two OF
three weeks, before being used, 10 excite
decomposition IN the more dormant maieri-
ais. And we will here make The remark
that poor soil, unaided by nulri,ive ma
nures, and ashes, canno. grow large crop
of oats.
Quantity of seed pc, acre.-On any soil
fit 10 grow crop Of oats, we would no'
sow less than bushels of seed per acre
If the land was naturally very rich, or had
been highly manured, we would SOW 3 or
4 bushels 10 the acre.
Draining .Marshes.-lf you have marsh
on your farm, and there is inclination sutfi
cienl to carry off The water, have it di'ched,
and drained, compost the dirt excavs'ed,
with your barn-yard manure. Next August
if your draining shall have relieved the
marsh of It's water, SOW it in timothy, or
red-,op, according to its condition, or both
combined, and lay the ground work of q
good meadow-of resource for hay and
nss,ure. 10 securing these things, you will
also promote The health Of your farm, protect
your family from au.umnal diseases, and SCI
an example 10 your neighbors, whose benefits
will be SO manifest, as to make them follow
suit; and thus, through yourPublic spirit ane