Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-03-15

and as the land improves, the quantity
of lime is increased. The prc,@ling
practice here is to plough down the sod
or ley in the fail or early in the spring
harrow it once, and then spread the lime
previously Stacked to powder) prepar-
atory to ploughing the field in corn
Every field in rotation, receives this kind
of DRESSING and as our farms Are mostly
divided into about half dozen fields,
the dressing, of course, comes once in
six years, more or less, according to the
number of fields Some enterprising
farmers, however, give their fields an
intermediate dressing on the sod, after
they come into grass which | consider
an excellent practice, tending rapidly to
improve the condition of the land"
With regard to our own views as to
the application of lime, they are these:
Upon poor and exhausted lands, or
light sandy ones, we would apply twenty
bushels per acre, at the time Of breaking
them up, and repeat this application un-
til we had given the land one hundred
bushels per acre.
Upon medium quality of land, we
would apply thirty bushels as the first
dose, and repeat that quantity when the
land came to be ploughcd up again in the
course of rotation, and continue applying
the lime until we had given it one hun
drcd bushels per acre.
TO strong, fertile clays. well charged
with organic remains, we would give
them fifty bushels of lime at the com
mencement of a rotation, repeat the dose
at the commencement of the next rota-
ton, and then rest for IA years.
Upon old grass swards, where the soil
was of a stiff clayey nature, and fertile,
we would not hesitate to apply one hun
dred bushels per acre, in a single dose ;
and we think the most advantageous plan
Of applying it to such fields would be to
apply it to the sod, and harrow it in a
year or so before ploughing up the land.
After. all that may be said upon the sub
jcct, the great object is to get the lime
on and well mix cd with the soil and the
nearer we keep it to the surface 50 much
the better, us in that ease tsaction upon
the soil will be the more general.
WORKING oRN.-This question has
often been asked of us-How often should
corn be worked a? 10 this question our
answer has Uniformly been to the effect
that the number of times that crop Of
corn should be worked depends on cir
cumstanccs that the object of the cul-
turist must be to keep the soil open to
the action of the influences of the atmos-
phere, and the plants free from weeds,
from the time they first come up, until
laid by; that keeping these main objects
in view, no corn planter could be ut a
loss to determine when and how many
times his corn crop would require to be
worked; that the weeds as they presented
themselves should be eradicated, and
that in times of drought it was always
beneficial 10 work the crop, in order that
the soil might be opened and placed in
condition to absorb and condensc the
dews with increased activity.
OArs-As we were full in our remarks
upon this crop last month, we have but
to briefly allrde to the suggestions we
then made. The oat crop though ne
elected in this country, and, as conse-
quence sloycnly cultivated, it should not
be. BY only tolerably liberal manuring
thorough preparation Of the soil, and
early seeding, it may be made very
lucrative crop. We therefore, recon-
mend our friends to get their oats in
early--as carly as the ground can be
properly worked, Is the time to seed oats
in every locality. Even in our own State
there is difference of from four to six
weeks as to the time Of getting in this
crop. When the frost is out Of the ground
and the soil sufficiently warm to cause
the termination of the seed, then is the
time for putting in the seed. Those who
expect large remuncrating crops, must
put the soil in good condition to justify
such expectation. There must be food
in the ground for the plants TO feed up
on, and the ground itself must be put in
first rate order In this country, from
sixty to one hundred bushels have been
crown upon single acre, but such crops
are not to be expected upon fields oflarge
dimensions however, with proper care
the ordinary yields may be very materi-
ally increased Where such large crops
as we have named have been raised, every
possible care was observed in the prcpar-
alton Of the land, both as regards ma
nurc and pulyerization, as well as in
heavy seeding; from four TO six bushels
Of oats being sown 10 the acre.
Ordinarily, with us, less than two
bushels per acre, say one aud half bush
els but we hold it unsafe to SOW less
than two bushels, and believe that three
bushels per acre would be the most cligi-
bic quantity.
HAULING OUT MANURE. We have bo.
fore spoken of this branch of the subject
under the head Of preparatHr Of corn
grounds, but as il is very iavy job,
refer 10 it here under a distlh head "a
attract attention to it at an cah period.
LIME. We repeat here WHAT, have
often written before, that no land that
may have been exhahstedby improyident
culture, can be permanently improved
without being lined No one should
despair of accomplishing such object be-
cause Of the heayiness Of the outlay TO
enable him to put on one hundred BUSH
els TO the acre, tho maximum quantity
applied in this country, as for all present
purposes twenty bushels of lime per acre
will answer Just as well as will ono hum