Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-04-09
Aarilnltural.
[From the Germantown Telegraph.

From the Germantown Telegraph.
AN OLD FARMERS EXPERIENCE.
Or, How 10 MAKE A PooR FARS RIcH WITHOUT
MUCH MONEY EXPENDED.
The Barn-Yard should be protected
by buildings or sheds on the northwest
and north east sides to break off the cold
winds and storms; and fenced with a
good post-and-rail fence, but not wall
on the other two sides. The bottom
should have gentle descent from the
barn, SO that when the yard is empty,
there will be no cavities for the water to
stand in. There could hardly be a worse
form devised for barn-yard than to
make it hollow in the middle, like dish,
and tight enough to hold water; this
hollow will gradually become filled with
water, and the manure that is put into
il will lie there soaking and souring till
it is carried dripping to the field. No
fermentation takes place under the wa
ter, nor would the manure be much ben
Gifted BY hcaping it up, unless cartei
away to some dry place; even then the
fcrtilzing properties of it would not be
near so great as.if it had never been
soaked.
GREEN CRoPs 1t is of very great i'm
portance in the Improvement Of land, to
pillow in green crops Of some kind. My
experience is that clover sod, together
with all the weeds that will grow on it,
from the first of July till the twentieth
Of August, carefully turned under, is the
best green dressing for a crop of wheat
Other kinds, as orchard grass, timothy,
herd grass, blue and green grasses, make
a valuable grass in the Improvement of
land, which, when plowed under is equal
to a moderate coat of manure. When
the land is sowed broadcast with any
kind af grain, it should at the same time
be sowcd with grass seed, in order to
produce a sod as often as possible, to
plow in; as without a liberal use of grass
seed, the progress of improvement will
not be near SO rapid.
FARM SrooK.-Stock to a moderate
extent is beneficial to farm; but many
landholdcrs have entertained a very in
correct idea on this subject, in believing
that keeping a large stock will improve
the land much faster than a small one
so it would, if kept in the yard or stable
the year round, furnished with plenty of
good food, and dry litter TO lie on; but
as the farm does not produce sufficient
quantity, the balance must be bought. or
the system abandoned, which | should
recommend even before it is began. -
Horses, if they have enough to eat, will
do well if kept in the stable the year
round cattle not so we'll My plan is
10 keep cows enough through the sum
mer to supply the family with milk and
butter, and keep as large a portion Of
the grass ground for moving as possible.
After the first crop of hay and grain are
taken of, there will be more ground to
pasture, and will bear some increase of
stock; but this increase should not be
such as to eat the pasture down close,
and leave the ground nearly bare when
vi z When the pasture Pstsstsf
becomes short in the fall put the cattle
in the yard; the cows that give milk
should be put in warm stables at night.
and have plenty of good food; the dry
cattle will do well in the yard, having
sheds to run under at nights and i'll
stormy weather, with plenty of rough
hay and corn fodder, ard good water in
the yard for drink, whenever they want
it. PRAcTIcAL FARMER.