Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-02-28
Field Operations, &c,
A. W. NJ.

As you have now begun new year. a few
remarks with regard to your field operations,
your farm economy, and the general manage
ment of your affairs, may not be amiss
Should the field yOn intend for corn next
spring be tenacious clay land, and opportunity
should offer through the winter, have il plow-
ed, so as that IFS texture may be moderated
by the frost if such land be sound, that is,
not wet, plow it at least inches deep. Law
your burrows at an angle of about As degrees,
in order that they may lap, and thus expose
the greatest possible surface to the action OF
the weathe-. In the spring, rs soon as the
ground is sufficiently dry to permit your team
to 20 on it without danger of poaching by the
horses, have it rolled, then apply your manure,
and cross p.ow il in about inches in depth,
then roll it, and harrow until you have a fine
tilth Recollect, however, that clay soils should
never be plowed while in wet state, or when
very dry, but when in a moist condition.
AS corn requires TO be grown either in
very fertile soil, or if the soil be Rot naturally
fertile, that it be heavily manured-as it re-
Qures much food, it is almost vain to expect a
good crop unless there be in the soil the means
of sustenance. And as such is the case it is
well not 10 permit the ambition of having
large fields of corn toinduce you to put in
greater extent of acres than you can manure
well, unless your land te really rich. To cul-
tiyate corn in an Impoverished soil, unless il
be generously manurtd, SO far as the prospect
of produce is concerned, is illusory. In laying
out your work for the year, see TO II that you
do not over crop yourself. Let the crops
which you may pu; in be within the ability of
your force to cultivate thoroughly ard well.
Make your calculations TO get in 10th your
oats and corn crop timely, IS nine times out Of
ten these crops, when early pitched, succeed
| best. When we speak of the early planting Of
1 corn and sowing OF oats, we do not mean that
either should be put in before the earth is sufh-
cienty warm to encourage the prompt germi-
nation of the seed but we do mean, that as
soon as the earth is sufficiently warmed TO
/ caused the seed 10 sprout and yegetate, that
both crops should be put in. You should ex-
ert your utmost efforts to manure every acre
: that Won may cultivate in a spring crop. II
! the supp!ies of your barn and stable yard are
not equal to this, add TO them sufficient guam
. tity of woods mould, pine skaters, or marsh
river or creek mud to give you 20 two horse
loads per acre form the whole into compost
and let II remain in bulk three weeks when
decomposition will have sufficiently taker
, Mace to render the mass available to you
rrops. If barn yard and stable supplies ar,
not eompetent to enable you 10 add the requi
t site number of loads TO give you twenty tw'
. horse loads per acre, add 100 or $50 pounds o
Peruvian Guano, and / bushel of plaster, 4
every twenty loads that you put Into the com
post and we risk nothing in saying that shouh
: the season prove ausp:ciOus, you will have
d large crop of both corn and oats, provided tn
former be cultivated judiciously and well, an
q the cultivator and hoes be used instead Of th
q plow in its cultiyaton.-AD'. Farmer.