The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-07-14
From. The Geasscs Farmer.
EShsEP asfa slower on Lfght
Sails

ing a judiciops system OF cropping, kept
ap the fertility Of his farm, and rendered
il more and more productive and himself
more wealthy, while hla nesghbors, IN
lheir hurry 10 get rich, were running their
farms BY successive grain crops, till many
If them became little better than blowing
AaId, and their owners had to sell off for
next to nothing, and move to new loca-
sions. His farm, as the time we saw it,
~ 1851, comprised some 400 acres under
cultivation, the soil sandy loan, with
.he exception of 100 ceres surrounding
.he farm buildings, that were of clay
loam, aud including some 80 acres of wet
meadow used as pastgrage for COWS and
soung stock, The Balance of the these
100 acres Of heavier soil was devoted ex-
alusiyely to raising hay, oats: corn, &c
tpr the winter keep of the animals on the
farm, and the use of the family. Tie
800 acres of light soil were devoted ex-
rlusivcly to the pTodsctlon of wheat, and
WHICH was almost the only crop sold off
the farm, the stray Of the wheat being
consumed by the yosng stock in winter,
and the manEre made was applied to the
crops on tho heavier soil of the farm. The
stock raised, hoWeyer, was OF a very su-
Eerior description, and included some fine
Devon cattle and superior young horses,
adding largely to the profit of the farm.
For greater convenience ID WorklBg,
She 500 acres were divided into six large
fields of from % to rs acres each, 100
acres were always kept in fallow, 100 &erea
in RheGt, and 100 asres in clover, in reg
par rotation, thss giving crop of wheat
every year from 100 out Of three hundred
acres of land. The wheat was sowu early
IN September, and the clover seed scat
tered en- the surface, at the E&se of 10 lbs,
an acre, as soon as the wheat was we'll
narrowed in; and thus the clover had
chance to make good growth before the
winter set in, and get an early start mex:
season. BY the time the wheat was cut.
the clover had thickly covered the ground,
aud almost hid the wheat stubble. Sheep
and Jopps stock we're pQE turned into
the stubble in moderate numbers, so as
not to ess down the young clover too
much, and were gemQFed early in Qcto-
Der to let the clover get good top as a
protection from tbs fF9sts Of winter In
June of tho following year, a number Of
sheep were turned on the clover to fatten
either purchased, to resell to the butch
er, or allowed the run Of the c9oger at so
much per head per week; and as fast as
they are fattened, they axe sold, and 9TH
ers took their places. About 30 heavy
Leicester ewes were kept as breeding
stock for early lambs. and these also were
put into the clover. Enough sheep we're
kept on the clover to keep it from run
ming to blossom. BY October, all the
fatteniug sheep had passed into the butch
er'S hands, the breeding ewes were turned
into other portions of the farm, and the
clover was now turned under with the
plow, ready for next years sumner fal-
lowing.
The third year, the land was thorough
ly fallowed, receiving three plowings be-
sides the one Of the fall before, and by
seeding time was In as fine tith as a gar
den. Under this system, the crops OF
wheat obtained we're magnificent, the
yield that year 1851 averaging 45 bush.
els per acre.
The tillage was not deep, the plow not
penetrating below six inches but the
droppings of the sheep, the turning un-
der of the clover in rhe fall, thus prevent,
iug the ammonia derived from them from
being washed away during winter, COM
bined with thorough summer fallow tc
kill all weeds, rendered the soil particu
larly clean and adapted for wheat. The
profits derived from the fattening of the
sheep more than paid the two years rem
Of the land while in clover and fallow
thus leaving the wheat crop to bear only
its own expenses Of cultivation, &c.
But the farmers wife was one of thos'
hard-working, getting beings tot
often met with among the old settlers
She ruled the family, and made the boy
work hard. She kept the girls at tn
dairy and spinning wheel, and secuted th
lQea ol seuuing IueuI W SCIlool dS uSe
less waste of time.
Last year we saw the place again, bu
change had come over the scene. Th
farmer had now grown old, aud for som
years past had relinquished all the land
but few acres round the old homestead
to his youngest son and some of his sons
in-law. They, thinking the system pul
sued by their father too troublesome, an
wanting in that education that would hav
elevated their ideas, had sold off or SWAP
ped all the fine stock the cid man ha
been at SO much pains to raise, and ha
let the farm in small portions on shares
and year after year it had been croppe
and re-cropped with grain, till it was fas
becoming as poor as the surroundin