The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1857-03-21
agricultural.
SPRING WORK.


SowING CLovEE.SEEp Had the weather
permitted, it would have been better to have
sown clover seed on your wheat fields last
month. than this: but if circumstances have
occurred to prevent you from doing 50, you
may safely do so any time during the current
month. But if we had our choice in the Sc
lection Of the precise time, ,rhen We should
SOW our clover-seed, We would wait until the
frost was entirely out of the ground. We
would then sow the seed, lightly harrow it in
| with light harrow, and following the har-
rowing by heavy roller, the heavier the bet
ter. And especially would We subject the
ground to these operations, if the wheat crop
showed any evidences of having been up-heav-
| cd by the contracting and expanding powers
Of alterations of frost and heat. Now we are
aware that many entertain the greatest hor.
ror at the very idea Of pulling the wheat
plants out of the ground by the teeth of the
harrow: in this horror, however, we do not in.
dulge. Experience. observation, and rtflec.
ton, teach US better. The harrow, to be sure
will pull up many OF the wheat plants this
we freely admit. But, then, most Of these
will be returned by the roller: the roller will
not only return great portion of the roots to
the earth, but will also bury many joints Of
| the wheat plants, the most Of which will take
root and grow into wheat bearing plants: thus
by promoting tillering, it will more than COM
pensate for any plants that may be killed by
the process of narrowing. We believe that,
for every plant pulled up by the harrow. the
roller, by the burying of joints will cause two
other plants to grow and bear kernels. This
is not all: the narrowing destroys grass and
weeds, acts as a cultivation to the wheat
plants, and by attracting and absorbing the
atmospheric deposits. fertlizcs the soil, in
crcases its temperature, encourages the growth
Of the wheat plants and increases their yield
| ing powers. These are not ideal reSults-not
mere theoretical opinions, but are the actu-
al results Of experience AMI practice.
Whether. however, you harrow and roll
your clover seed III upon your wheat crops,
or not. as to you may seem best, do not, we
heSeech you. omit to SOW it, as clover. in con-
junction with lime, mari, or ashes. forms the
Surcst basis upon which the improvement Of
| land rests.
| In connection with the subject Of sowing
clover seed we would remark, that lime should
| be in every soil on which clover may be
grown. as the analysis fits ashes show. that
in every loo parts there are upwards of IS
parts of lime, and that the proportion of or
ganic matters capable of affording heterogeneous
substances to be found in good clovcr-ley, is
more than competent to supply the demands
of full crop of wheat. besides all the mineral
| substances it needs, cnd hence il is, that. the
season permitting. we always find an abun.
dant yield oiwheat when grown upon a clo-
vcr-ley, when properly prepared.
Quantity Of seed per ntrc.-Not less than IL
lbs. Of clover-seed should be sown on every
acre-and pains should be taken to distribute
it evenly.
As our journal circulatcs over a vast cx-
tent of territory, embracing many degrees of
latitude. and presenting various climates, it
is we feel. time to say few words in rcla-
lion to this crop. Now, every good farmer
| will admit. that the oat is a most notable and
necessary grain in the economics of the farm
but admitting this. we fear that the crop is
too often put i'll under circumstances which
forbid every hope ola profitable product.
Generally speaking. it is consigned to the
poorest and most exhausted field Oh the place
| to field whose soil had been reduced to
condition Of utter impovcrishmcnt by long
course Of impro,ident culture, in whose soil
it finds neither bread nor meat, or if there be
any therein, they exist in such minute guam.
titles as to be utterly insufficient to nourSh
the crop. Such practice should not be. The
oat-crop. under favorable circumstances of
manure. soil, preparation Of the land, loca-
ton, and season, may DC made to be highly
lucrative one. Give it well prepared bed Of
soil and wherewth therein to feed upon, and
1t will return you its 80, 40, so and 60 bush.
els Of grain to the acre. Instances of much
larger yields than the numbers named have
been realized, and we maintain, that what has
been done, may be done again; provided the
same pains be taken to produce similar favor.
able results. In our day, and in our imme-
date neighborhood, we saw 2400 bushels of
excellent oats raised on a 10 acre field.
1t is somewhat singular. but no less fire.
quent. that we hear farmers say that the oat-
crop is an impovcrishing crop, and that 10th
ing will grow kindly after it; forgetting to
consider, that there was no food. or but little,
in the field whereon they grew their crop of
oats-or rather their apology for an oat.crop,
and hence, that the unkindlincss ofthc grow tn
of the crop succeeding the oats, was not as.
cribable to the oat.crop, but to their own bad
management, III having previously robbed the
soil Of nearly everything edible, or convertible
into food. The oat-crop is not more exhaust
ing than other kindred crops: but STILL every.
thing that grows must be fed.
In view Of our opinion of the oat-crup, we
say in all candor. that, unless the soil he
good, or il not good naturally. made SO by
manure, it is useless. with the view of profit.
Of sowing it in oats, and this truth will
hold good with every other crop that grows
aud bears food for man or animals. Feed
your soil. and it will feed you. Starue ii, and
I we leave you to draw your own conclusions
as to the inevitable result. Am. Farmer.
! One TOO MANY FOR THE WIDOw.-Thcre
is good story told Of handsome Yankee
pcddler who made love to young widow
| dowD in D.,nncy lyop;. la occo,pni Oh .fl hi