The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-04-07

+tta sEf.
work for April.
Spring tho busy season for the farmer has come, and
on every hand hustle and activity are mingled with
shouts Of rejoicing at the coming OF so welcome a guest.
In truth all classes Of people have cause for graduation,
not only that Providence has favored them With a Re.
~markably mild winter, bu. that spring has dawned upon
them SO much earlier than usual. And who let me ask
has greater cause to rejoice and be glad than the hus-
bandman, and with an unyielding confidence in the
promise made BY the Ruler Of the universe that seed
time and harvest shall continue until the end Of time
he prosecutes his labors with cheerfulness, committing
the seed to the earth, which produces FIRST the blade,
then the car, after that the full corn in the ear
presume that all, Or nearly all, of the farmers in
this county have formed their plans for the coming sea-
son what particular piece Of ground is designed for
the different kinds Of grain, how many acres arc to be
sown or planted with each, the quantity required per
acre, &C., &c. If this has not been done, it ought to
be attended to immediately, as there is no time to lose
and he who has not a we'll digested plan Of operations,
loses much valuable time in calculations and miscal.
culations, when the time for active service has arrived
\ general in conducting = war does not depend upon
the e~xigencies Of the case, when. he shall have closed
with the enemy, but natures his plans for the coming
campaign, while the leisure of the camp gives him am
pie time to do 50. So the farmer while the winter sea.
son gives him leisure, be ought to make all necessary
arrangements for the tillaec Of his farm. = 54 .aroy ,
In making these arrangements it will be well to bear
in mind that the same%ind Of grain does not do we'll
if sown the second time on the same ground, unless
the substance drawn from the soil BY That. Particular
ur,,p 10 rotvrroA "a - o~o;u h., ~nono rs uono Ho,t:1;~
ing agent. 1t is we'll known that wheat absorbs a diff
ferent element in its production from oats, or oats from
corn, &c. Hence the utility Of = system Of rotation in
crops. This is q branch Of husbandry much talked Of
but little ~practiced, at least in this section of country.
I have known farmers not a hundred miles from there,
to SOW wheat three seasons on the same ground without
manuring, (do not stare when | speak Of manure, no
land was ever yet so rich in its Wild state but that
manure would do it good and the result was an in
fericr quality Of grain. I was taught from my earliest
recollections that wheat would not do we'll after oats,
but I know that to be all moonshine, as I raised forty
bushels Of wheat per acre last year on land that had
grown oats the year previous. Another thing they
fold fogies) used to tell me when l FIRST began farming,
never SOW spring wheat until the dust follows tho har-
row. Now experience has taught me that the sooner
[ can get wheat into the ground the better, no matter
whether the dust flies or not, if the frost is out Of the
ground to allow of sufficient earth to cover the seed,
then is the time to SOW wheat. With oats it ia differ.
ent, some seasons early sowcd oats do best, and rice
versd. r .~ ...M -... ..e,- ,a
In preparing land for The seed, I notice some Of my |
~neighbors have 3 practice Of narrowing the ground be-
fore sowing the seed. Now this look upon as not
only labor lost, but by doing which the chances for "a
good crop, especially in q dry season are materially |
diminished. BY narrowing the ground before sowing,
all cavities arc filed up and the surface becomes smooth
and even, and the grain does not get covered as deeply |
as it ought to be whereas if sown without being first |
narrowed, the grain gets more depth Of earth and con-
sequently can stand the drouth better. It would be |
better still to pillow the grain in, and then roll it down
fat with a heavy roller. BY this means I think the
soil around the roots Of the grain would keep moist
much longer than by the usual way. "a 30 g1es@rtaI
Before embarking in any enterprise it is customary,
to inquire, in common parlanee, will it pay; when we
arc satisfied on this head, We drive on. A cursory
glance at the following statement, will give the reader
some idea Is to whether farming pays in Minnesota,
and what kind of grain pays best t.