The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-10-11
Cultivation Of Oats.

| One or the best articles on the CULTIVATION OF
oats which has appeared, is the Essay Of J. Row
landson, as published in the last number of the
(Britisl) Farmers Magazine. AS the same rules
Of cultivation will apply in great measure to
both countries, we shall perhaps render an &C.
ceptable service to our readers by giving brief
outline of the facts stated in that article SO far
as they may be of general application.
SoH.-Any soil in good condition will pro-
duce good crops Of oats they can be pro6tably
grown on soils too poor for other cereals, rye en-
cepted-and on all intermediate stages of fertili-
ty up to rich virgin land. Some rich, newly
drained l,cat soils have produced from 80 to 100
bushels of light grain per acre. With regard to
climate, oats will flourish under a very wide
range. The heaviest and best crops are grown
on soils the most productive Of ordinary farm
crops. For all seasons, friable loan situated on
broken limestone has been found best. Hea-
vier or more cloddy soils are apt to suffer from
drouth, to remedy which, SOW early and rather
thick. IF sown late and thin, a miserable crop
will be the result. On mary soil, the grain is
heaviest, being often As or As lbs. per bushel--
heavier crops, however, are obtained on rather
| looser or more friabe soils. The heaviest crops
on rich aud moist drained peat, arc raised du-
ring dry seasons, when the crop is sown early.
On gravelly so's, unless in very good tilth, oats
suffer most from drouth.
Charlottesville best preparation for luxu
RANT crops is freshly broken up grass land. The
only objection is the small pecuniary return for
so valuable preparation. III the warmer parts
Of England fine crops are obtained by a high
state Of tilth and early sowing these requisites
doubtless being still more important in the warm
er climate of the United States. Drilling has
proved quite successful, in the few instances
where this mode of sowing has been adopted,
resulting in ten to twenty per cent saving in
seed, and in additional product. Few crops de-
rive more advantage from rolling. Early sown
crops are invariably the best If sown late, the
chances are ten to one against a productive one,
as the young plants are checked by dry weather,
from which they rarely recover. The best time
for cutting is when a few of the grains retain
the slightest possible trace Of green color on the
er, as they will npen afterwards in the midst Of
hot weather. reason why they may be cut
greener in this country of hot sun, than in the
cooler climate of England. Oats are more liza
ble to heat in the stack than either wheat or
barley, on account of their more compact lay
ers, and hence should be left in the shock TIL
well dried. In dry soils and climates, autumn
sowing is recommended rs decidedly best.
The results Of many experiments are given to
show the comparative value of different varieties,
but that are here omitted as being not generally
applicable to this county.--Northern Cultirator.
H,HTs AS TO MASuREs-Hoofs, hairs fea,h-
ers, skins, wood, contain more than so per cent
of carbon, and from l3 to lS per cent Of nitro
gen, besides sulphur, salts of lime, of soda, and
magnesa. These substances hold, therefore, the
first rank, as it were, amongst manures and as
long time is required for their decomposition,
their action may often last for seven or eight
years. They yield excellent results, especially
when made into compost for potatoes, turnps,
hops, hay, and generally, on meadow land.
Hairs spread upon meadows are said to augment
the crop threefold; and the Chinese, we are
told, are so well aware of the great value Of that
manure, that they carefully collect the hair every
time they have their heads slavcd-and sell it
to their farmers. Now, the crop of hair which
every individual leaves ut the hair cutters year
ly amounts to about half a pound; reckoning,
therefore, at 100000 the number Of indi-
viduals who in Great Britain and Ireland are un.
dergoug the process Of shaving and hair cutting,
we have a production Of about 5000 tons of
hair-that is, Of manure Of the most valuable
knd-since it represents, at least, 100000 tons
Of ordinary farm yard manure, which might be
collected almost without trouble, but which, on
the contrary, such is our carelessness or indo-
lencc in those matters, is, ] believe, invariably
swept away in streets or sewers and utterly was
ted.-Farme''s Manual Of Agriculturat CAcm-
isty.