The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1855-01-05
AGRICULTURAL.

NJ u heetthP W he bOutu W "huubeio W
the Belmont County Agricultural Society,
held at the Clerks office, In st. Clsirsville,
December I'd, 1854; present, Neiswapget,
ScoRcld, Frazier, Pennington and Heaton,
the following reports were submitted:
Report of Com mittce on Parms.
To THE BELMONT Co. AG. SocIErY:
Your Committee have examined
the only two Farms which have been entera
ed for competition for the premium offered
by the Society, for the best managed Farm,
and herewith report thst-they first visited
that OF VIM. Sharp, in Wheeling tp.. we
find 20 be one of great excellence and beau-
ty. Being situated on the north side OF
Wheeling creek, has mainly u southern ex-
posure, is well Ibid off into fields of from
! 10 to l5 acres, and is finely supplied, with
good handsome and convenient buildings.
Taking a comprehensive view Of the natu-
raj advantages which are combined in this
| farm, we are OF opinion that few, If any, iE
the county can be found to surpass, or even
equal il in its attractions to the farmer e
I eye.
The proprietor furnished the following
statements, in answer to the queries as
published in the prize list OF the Socety,viz
J Farm consists Of $50 acres, 100 acres o!
which are woodland; principally limestone
soil and subsoi, but in small portion ot
the farm the soil Is intermixed with sand
aud gravel; ;considers that the best means ol
improving the soils are furnished by the ap-
phcaton of lime and barn yurd manure
Lime to be applied as top dressing in a.,
! nithor ~ a
should be poughed under. Applies from
l5O to 900 bushels lime per acre once in II
years--not more than two grain crops to be
taken in sue cession without seeding down to
grass. In seeding 10 grass, prefers timothy
and clover mixed, which he thinks furn ishe:
the greatest amount Of pasture and hay.
Cut for hay when the earliest heads oi
timothy begin to ripen their seeds. Is il
favor of deep ploughing, but never to ex
coed ten inches; prefers the double Mchi
gan plough for sod Deep ploughing hal
Invariably acted benficially on all kinds o
his land-has never used any other subsoi
plough Than the double Michigan plough
Mostly applies bis stable and hog-pen ina
nure to the corn crop In the spring,
what collects in the barn ward is allowed
remain there until after harvest and tt
applied TO the wheat crop.
Tills from co to 70 acres annually,
oats, corn, potatoes, rye, barley, and whd
about in the following proportions: Oats
acres, corn 80, potatoes 2, rye 2, wheat
acres. Sows oats as early in The spring
ground is dry enough towork well ;plants CD
from LIST to 10th May; potatoes immcdot
after rye;and fall barley, from lst to |
, September; wheat from 10th to 20th sa
month; prefers lime as fertilizer for a
kind of crop, because it makes the Ia
more mellow and pliable; keeps about n
; head horses, including 4 colts; about 80 h
cattle, Including yoke oxen and Gov
l80 sheep, and about rs hogs. Consid
sheep the most profitable. Keeps no fu
accounts.
The other Farm which came under d
notice, belonging to James Young, near
Clairsvlle, the committee learn came il
possession of its present proprietor
years since, in very delapdated and ov
cropped condition, so much so that he CO
not ruise more than half crop on any p
of il; the fences composed more of thiIket
than rails, and ho building of value on thu
premises.
Within this period the owner ofthe prem
ises has, manly with his own hands, eXcep
the carpcnter p0rk on itc Jaiidings, erected /,
comlnudlous farm dwelling house of brick
frame barn, and convenient ontbuildings
pi oduced order from choos in the fields, sub
siituted good substantial board fence fo
brars and thckets, ,,on principle part oitht
farm, and so far improved the fertility of hi
land al to enable him to produce respecta
BILE crop; and THIS as above observed, has
been principally effected by the proprietor,
own labor, for all which he is entitled tC
high commentator.
The following information was furnished
the committee in reply to their enquiries re-
specting his operations, by the owner:
Farm consists of 100 acres, Il Of which
is wood and waste land. On about ! OF The
cultivated land, the soil is an admixture Of
sand and limestone clay, the remande is
limestone soil. and tae whole underlaid BY
limestone clay; considers the best means o
improving his soils to be deep plcughlng
and the growing Of clover aided by the appli
cation Of what lime and manure his means
) enable him to command; thinks that subsoi
plough should be freely used; ploughs from
8 to lOinches in depth; deep ploughing has
been uniformly beneficial TO oil kinds his
soil.
Hos not used the subsoil plough; nothing
, peculiar in his mode of saving and taking
care Of manure; has always applied his ma
nure to the wheat crop, about twenty 4
horse wagon loads TO the acre and ploughrC
under; has never fuiled TO be highly benefi.
ciul both TO the grain crop aud the grass
ucceedng for several wears; tills from % t.
40 acres; cultivates corn, oats, wheat, bar.
ley, and potatoes; about acres wheat, l2
Lat Of nf1 4