Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1858-04-01
agrirultural,
From the Germantown Telegraph.
AN OLD FARMERS ExpERIE.NcE

AN OLD FARMERS EXPERIENCE.
Or, How TO MAKE A Poor FARM R1cH W1rH-
OUT Much MONEY EXPENDED.
The Barn-Yard should be protected by
buildings or sheds on the northwest and
northeast sides to break off the cold winds
and storms; and fenced with good post
land-rail fence, but not wall, on the other
two sides The bottom should have gen.
tie 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 worse form devised for a barn-yard
than to make it hollowlin the middle, like
a dish, and tight. enough to hold water; this
hollow will gradually become filled with wa
ter, and the manure that is put into it WIFI
lie there soaking and souring, till it is car
ried dripping to the field. No fermentation
takes place under the water, nor would the
manure be much benefited by heaping it.
up, unless carted away to some dry place;
even then the fertilising properties of it
would not be near so great rs if it had never
been soaked.
Green Crops.-It is very great import
ance in the improvement of land, to plow
in green crops of some kind Ny expert
ence is that a clover sod, together with all
the grass and 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 crop Of wheat. Other
kinds, as orchard-grass, timothy, herd gras;
blue and green grasses, make valuable sod
in the improvement Of land, which, when
plowed under is equal to moderate coat Of
manure. When the land is sowed broadcast
with any kind of grain, it should at the same
time be sown with grass seed, in order to
produce sod as often as possible, to plow
in as without liberal use of grass seed,
the progress of improvement will not be near
as rapid.
Farm 1lStock.-Stock to a moderate ex-
tent is beneficial to farm; but many land
holders have entertained very incorrect
idea on this subject, m believing that keep
ing 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, fur
nished 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 I 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 to
keep COWS enough through the summer to
supply the family with milk and butter, and
keep as large 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
winter comes on. When the pasture be-
comes short in the fall, put the cattle in tho
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 we'll in
the yard, having sheds to run under at
nights and in stormy weather. with plenty
Of rough hay and corn-fodder, and good Wa
ter in the yard for drink. whenever they
want it. Practical FARMER.