Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-02-24
amerisan


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DaSss
The season for sowing oats, says the Louisville
Courier, viii soon be at hand There is cCnsidera-
bic diversity Of opinion as to the best time at which
to commit this grain TO the esrth. Convenience
also has good deal to do with the period Of seed
ing il. Commonly, it is put in all through the
month Of March; early in the month 1.-THE ground
Is dry enough to work; later if it Is nos. Some Of
the heaviest yields ever obtained in the northern
part Of Kentucky we're from February seeding
Coed crops have also grown where seed was put ia
a. late ss the Sd week in April aud fsr crops from
sowing the middle Of May, One large crop that has
been reported to US, was soEn in February sEoE,
Z the field hsviBg been plOwed the previous fall.
Seeding oats is among the earliest Of the fiTmers
spring employment. Il is veil 10 have it done as
soon as possible, that il msy be out Of the way Of
other work. If February will answer, that will be
sconveaient time; ami if narrowing in upon ground
plowed in tie fail, should be found, CT has been
fouad as favorable TO 3 large yield as sowing upon
freshly ploEed ground, another point Is gained
We intend to Try both Of these experiments the
present season-of course in a small way. No
prudent farmer will risk much on one two e1per-
tai as was the case with those 10 whiqhw NC base
referred. We intend TO divide couple of acres
PloKed last November, iutO two equal parts--soving
one half the last week in February, the other hsf
the second week in March. VIII net Others among
our raIishiOners, make some experiments, and re.
port the result to us, that may publ n them for
ths benefit of the whole parishf
Orchard grass and red clover are very commonly
sOvn upon oats, lightly brushing or sliding the
ground, to cover them, after the oats have been
narrowed in This sgain, makes early seeding Of
oats desirable for both the grass and the clover do
well soWn in February-if upon light snow, Inc
better In this case the use of the brush CT slide
may be omitted
= Thorough preparation, we have always believed
was essential to success IA raising any good crop
Fall blowing, however, in the rough, is NOT ''thO-
rough preparation, yet ii has given heavy yields
in certain instances. Perhaps the disintegration,
or melting down, of the clods, by the winter and
springs frost and thaW, with the narrowing at the
time of sewing, is equivalent to thorough prepaIa
tion in the srst instance. Ifso, fall blowing not
only enables the Oat crop to be got in early, but al
so saves good deal Of labor and that at season
when time is money to the farmer.
But the cat crop has been found to do well, not
only when seeded on faI-plowed ground, but also
when Gown upon corn stnbbe, without any Flowing
and covered by means of coarse, heavy drag. "A
successful farmer in Ohio, couple Of years ago,
stated that this the regular practice in seeding
oats, and that he always had good crops. These
statements were made through the Ohio Farmer
We do not dispute the facts he set FORTH of course
hut should be 10th to recommend bis practice TO
others.
Rotation we have always supposed to be as neces-
sary to the cat as to any other crop. Yet it is not
an uncommon practice nowadays, in Virginia, on
land of second or third quality to follow oats with
oats, once, twice, or three times This would hard
ly be done, even in the Aoeomac District, "Where
never a newspaper has been printed, unless found
to snsWer a good purpose. Nay-we remember
that the editor of the Virginia Planter two three
years ago, stated that, E wellmanaged plauts-
tiOn, Of secOnd>rate land, part Of STeguar sys.
ten, crops Of oats were taken from field for FIVE
successive years, the last crop being good the
first Such facts puzzlng; yet common expert
encs shows them to be so exeepionalin their char
sstsr, that they should be permitted tc leave in
Aaenes, beyond that Of inducing experiments in a
very small way, to test their truth falsy ap-
poabe TO other localities than those which they
refer.
Option and practice IS to the quantity Of cats
which it is best TO to he acre, vary in different
States, in different sections of the same State,
aud even in different parts of the same neighbor-
hood bushel and half to two bushels is the
most usual quantity, even second rate land the
higher measure being very seldom exceeded. That
this is smaller quantity than it is advisable to SOW
upon such land, experiment has often indicated.
Ca such land, two bashelsiss good seeding because
upon such land the cat tasrs great deal On poor
land it tillers much less, and burns out not little
in dry seasons; and hence upon second and third
rate soils two aud half to three bushels should be
soEn to the acre. Where the object is lay the
land down to grass or clover, the l1wer measure
may be safely taken in each case.
Oats intended TO be passed through straw cut
ter, in the sheaf for horse and cattle feed should
be harvested low before the grain sDiiIely passes
out of the milk, and while the Is yeg or
less green. This makes the straw pllatsble
and nutritious, without more than Iercepdbiy dimin-
ishing the weight and value Of the grain When
harvested in this way, lie curing in The sWath or
il adv