Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-03-15
agricultural.
WORK FOR THE MONTH.


MARCH.
Although the severe winter through
which we have just passed, may have
operated to delay field operations for
some weeks, in those parts of our wide
spread country where its intensity may
have been most severely felt; yet there
are portions where, to delay active field
work, would be disastrous in the extreme
to the future hopes of the agricultural
list; and, as the time has come, when
all should have completed their arrange
ments and matured their plans of culture
when all should have secured their
supplies of manure, seeds, and whatever
else that may be calculated to promote
their success the present season, it be-
comes us to point out, in deferential
way, some Of the most important things
that should claim attention, and that
promptly. But before we commence
naming such matters, we would, in the
most friendly spirit, admonish our read
ers, that system, order, regularity and
perseverance, are among the best means
can call to his aid, in the prosecution of
his labors. Every particular piece of
work that may be begun, should be done
before another is taken in hand. To
secure this result, the master should
give his personal presence while the work
is in progress, see that nothing be done
slightingly, that it be done in the right
time, and in the right way; half-done
work, in farming, should never be tole-
rated, as it can only end in disappoint-
ed hopes and diminished products. -
Every culturist should studiously avoid
cultivating more land than he can prop
erly attend to, and nourish the crops
that may grow thereon. All, lands that
require it, should be supplied with ma
nure, as every exhausted, or partially
exhausted acre of land, that may be cul-
tiyatcd without this attention being paid
to it, will undoubtedly act as a drawback
upon profits. And here let us remark
that nothing but the most imperious ne
T cessity should induce any one TO put iii q
crop of corn, unless the land be very fer
tile, very rich, in all the elements which
enter into the food of plants, without
thoroughly manuring it, Corn, ase every
practical corn-planter knows, is a croE
that requires the most bounteous feeding
such is its voracious appetite that you
cannot well feed it to safety. Hence
then, none should attempt to put in q
crop of corn upon any but rich land
without giving it liberal, a generous
dose of manure for if he do, and he
indulge in the hope of remuneratine
profits, he will assurcdly reap harvest
, of disappointment.
Nor should the corn-planter be less
! careful in the preparation of the soil
its ploughing, narrowing, and rolling,
should be thorough and complete. Hall
: executed preparation of corn land i,
q mockery; the culture of the crop after
' it is up should be judicious and clearly
as the plant has an utter aversion to the
companionship of weeds or. baked
/ surface.
With these preliminary, observations
! we shall proceed to call attention to such
{ matters as, in our opinion, require inn
r mediate and particular attention on the
a farm.
r SOWING OF CLOVER SEED AS the in.
e clemcncy of last month prevented mos
: farmers from sowing clover seed, we ad
: wise all who may not have done SO, tC
c sow as soon as the frost is out Of tho
ground, and horse can be safely trusted
y on it without danger from poaching tho
: soil. On each acre in aoten, II lbs. Of
: clover seed should be sown. When
0 sown, roller should be pressed over thu
t field for the double purpose of covering
c the seed, and forcing the wheat planti
y into the soil, thereby encouraging tiller
: ing. Indeed, if the wheat crop should
appear to have suffered from winter
] killing-as the term is--we would pre-
s cede the roller with light one-horsc
G harrow.
a We will here improve the occasion t.
: say, that we hold it to be an agricultural
n truth, that no soil can be preserved in {
n state of fertility unless clover or grass
forms a portion of the system Of rotation
e of crops, with the view of returning tC
o the land the materials for forming mould
r to replace that which is taken off by the
4 crops.
{ In connection with the subject Of sow
] ing clover seed, we will remark, that oul
opinion is, that both the hay and pasture
would be improved. if besides the guam
g tity Of clover seed per acre which We
C have named, bushel of orchard grass
b seed per acre were also sown. Glover
4 and orchard grass blossom about tho
0 same time, which render them proper
c seeds to be sown together.
If the field on which clover may be
sown is supposed to want lining, drcs.
; sing Of ten bushels Of Stacked lime--and
the longer it may have been Stacked the
better-fvc bushels Of Stacked ashes
and one bushel Of plaster per acre, may
. be very advantageously applied as sooI
= after harvest as possible. Stock Of al
kinds should be kept off the field tho
: first year it may be set in clover, and
!. every spring thereafter, it should receive
Z dressing Of one bushel Of plaster pei
.. acre.
MEADOWS. If your meadows be tight.
o bound, and yielded indifferently last year
4 harrow such as soon this spring as tho
G frost is out of the ground, spread there
= on five or ten bushels of ashes and one
# bushel Of plaster or lime, per acre, ant
finish BY rolling. Five bushels Of ashes