Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1859-05-14
.atmers' Qtpattmtnt.
WORK FOR MAY.
CORN PLANTING.


The preparation of the ground will now be
pushed on as urgently as possible. Bear In
mind the necessity of closer planting than is
usual, to give you full crop of corn. While
FIVE feet square will give about LOO hillseI
four feet each way will give 2,100 and three
and half feet each way, more than 3,700
hills. With manure enough and proper
working this number will grow as well with
out firing aud burning as that first named
But you must not put of working it until Ju-
". You canro' 60 with plough or cultivator
into corn six to eight feet high-the roots
branching through every inch Of the soil
without doing it irreparable damage. We
say therefore, again work your corn before it
is planted, and work it Immediately after it
is planted, plant closely, and ''lay by" early
if you expect TO make full crop. Get on
quickly now with the planting-rolling the
dry corn in tar till each grain is coated slight
ly, and sprnkling with gypsum or dry ashes
to separate the grains.
CLOVER FIELDS.
If you wish the land to have the benefit OF
the clover crop, be not tempted to turn in the
stock until it comes into bloom. The great
est benefit to the soil is obtained by turning
into the field, when in full bloom, stock
portion of il to the ground. the clover is
TO be cat for hay it is not thought to be sut-
iiciently matured until about half Of the bios
| SONS have turned brown.
POTATOES.
! This crop is constantly growing in Importance
! AS to kind, we should plant always good
variety of white potatoes. We have not met
/ with yellow potato that any animal above a
! hog should eat and it is amazing to see the
variety of. miserable roots with which the
market is glutted, called potatoes. For the
main crop, the Peach Blow stands high as to
quality and productiveness. The Foxite
| (whitel we know by experience to be excel
| lent in quality, and much more productive
! than the Mercer The Mercer is on old ia-
vorite as to quality, but poor producer
! There are several other varieties which are
highly spoken Of north Of US By their several
advocates, as the Prince Albert and the
| Bvck. eye, which have not been tested with
us. The Carter, though good potato, has
declined in popularity -,
| The crops should be plapted in rich well
| turned sod il it can be had though any well
worked, well msnured ground will do
| Where rot is feared, it is very desirable we
think the manure the sod sufficiently in the
! fall by top dEessing. and to apply only mo-
derate dressing of ashes and plaster at the
time Of planting. We are in the habit, how
ever, Of using all sorts Of msnures with sue
cess in immediate connection with the plant
ngs Peruvian GuauO is very good put IN
the drills at planting. Stable and other long
manures We put on top of the paintings be-
fore covering. 1t acts as q mulch, and what
is very important TO this crop, preserves e
uniform temperature.
Time Of pianting,-Nuch difference Of
opinion exists as to he time Of planting ro-
tatoes for the main or late crop. The almost
universal recommendation Of the agricultural
journals is to plant early As early even as
April and the beginning Of May. 1t is sup
posed that the early planting eXempts the
crop in measure from the liability To rot
We doubt very much the correctness OF this
theory, aud think it should not be considered
in determining the question. Our drouehts
are most likely to take place between tie
middle Of June and the middle OF August -
| 1t is no advantage to the crop to have the
tubers forming at Ony time during the period,
II il begins to bloom by the middle OF An'
gust there will be time enough TO matsre IN
this latitude. aud the growth OF the tuher Viii
he going on during period when the tenn
Iperature Of the earth will be more corgeninl
and when they will he most likely 10 have
sufficient moisture. One of the largest crops
We have ever made was in season which was
unusually dry until fine rain come on the
10th Of September. With aSmarkable
fourishing growth OF vines, there was not q
tuber formed until this rain occurred Our
experience was the same in the past year with
a crop planted in July and just on, of the
ground by the 6rst Of August We never
made better crop. Our opinion OF the time
of planting is, that the middle of June is soon
enough. and we should not plant earlier un.
less as u matter os special convenience
Other suggestions TO be observed TO ensure
the coming up of the crop We defer I'LL uext
month.
sHEAP sHEARISG.
Sheep sheariug should be attended to 10