Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-04-18
FARMING OPERATIONS MADE PROF
TABLE


fFror The TsW England Furmer.l
r. HoLBRooK, Esq.,-Dear Sir: II you will
not consider it too much OF an intrusion upon
your time and patience, would esteem it a par
t;cular favor if YOU would advise me as to the
hest mode of proceeding with some of my farm
inc operations. The matters about which l
need information arc not new; indeed, | fear
YOU have already given the advice which re-
ou;re so many times as to be quite "a-weary"
Of the applicants Still, If there are many who
have profted by the experience of others, or
been lucky enough to bit upen a course them
selves with which they are satisfied, there are
surely thousands now in the field, and vet to be,
who desire to be piloted by those who, like
Yourself, are well versed in all that requires
mind and experience for successful agriculture.
Wi YOU therefore allow me, an indication
of the kind of information desire, 10 PROFOUND
the following interrogatories, a reply to which
at your convenience would crafty we much.
/. have a field Of several acres of green
sward that needs to be plewed up, and design
it for a corn-feld the coming season. Last All
gust had large quantity Of muck dug from
the swamps, and dumped in large heaps on the
nearest dry land The muck could be drawn
directlyto this field with much less carriage than
if it was first taken to the barn-yards. How
will il do to haul the muck directly to the field,
and draw manure there from the stables and
yards, and mix them in compost heapsP What
proportions of each should be used, and will
the heGps have sufficient fermentation before
planting time? How shall the compost be APP
piled, and in what euantityP
g. My muck bed embraces several acres the
deposit varying in depth from one to four or
five feet Judge it might be made valuable
source of fertility for the farm. In what ways
can | manage this muck to advantage for the
improvement of the armP
8. always had fondness for farming, but
circumstances in early life turned NE into other
pursuits. At length have resumed my favor
lite occupation, and desire TO make pleasant
rural home. have means to farm it as please,
but still, as business man, and on principle
too, wish TO so manage to farm for profit,
and set useful example to others. l am will
ing to make any judicious investments in the
improvement of the soil itself, that will, as a
practical business operation, pay fair return.
With this brief preface, | would say that the
tillage land of my farm has been rather super
fcially cultivated, and the surface soil is good
deal worn. | have not much practical expert
,ence in regard to soils, but it has seemed to me
that the -subsoil should be taken into account
in Judging of the character and capacity of land.
] have examined the subsoil in various places,
and find it to be mostly stiff and close brown
'or yollowish loan, and usually packed down
hard How shall proceed with this land what
kinds of blowing do want, how deep shall l
pillow, how cultivate afterwards, and in short,
what plan of improving husbandry shall pur-
cue to make it productiveP
1. | have thirty or forty acres of land near
the buildings which l desire to convert into
productive pasture, principally for mich cows.
The landis somewhat uneven but sufficiently
level for blowing 1t has been impoverished
by occasional grain crops, and in the intervals
between them by overlooking with stock. The
soil has apparently never been stirred more
than four or FIVE inches deep, but the subsol
appears to be pretty good, and tolerably free
from stone How shall l manage to make a
good pasture Of this tract of land
8. Can I'make profitable use of Peruvian
guano, either as a sole fertilizer of land, or as
an assistant to fertility on land otherwise well
MANFRED, and If so, to what crop or crops can
it best be applied, and it what quantity?
6. i have lowland meadow of fifteen to
twenty acres, subject to overflow by freshets
setting back from the river. Though the flow
ing usually occurs in spring yet it some times
happens in summer or fall, and therefore grass
is the only safe crop to raise. The surface of
the meadow is nearly level, but in places there
are certain slight depressions, and on these por-
lions the water remains so long after the subsid-
ence of the food that it stagnates upon and
chills and poisons the land Coarse water grasses
are therefore the only product. The soil is a
deep, stiff loan. 1t appears to me that the
flooding of the meadow, together with the sed-
iment brought on thereby, would be beneficial,
provided the surface water could be disposed of
quickly. or made to pass off with the falling of
the stream. Now, if | have succeeded in con-
yeying an intelligent impression of the lay and
condition of this tract of lowland, will you
please advise me how to proceed to make it
good sweet moving land?
Z. have in another place few acres of what
is called bog meadow, which l wish to improve
for moving lapds, it being desirable to make
all the hay crops | can for winter use. This
piece of meadow was imperfecty drained years
ago, but the muck being in some places quite
deep, and the cultiyation difficult, the produc-
tions have now become mostly the coarse wild
grasses, ! have already drained the meadow
thoroughly, cutting off the springs that flowed
in from the higher land. | now wish to intro
duee upon al better quality of grass. How
shall | manage to convert this land into good
moving by the quickest process?
As hetore remarked, am sure that the in.
formation asa now seeking to obtain from you
would he interesting and useful to many others
who, like me, need advice Therefore, if il
would he agreeable 80 you, should be pleased
to receive your reply through the New ERglal,o
Farmer, as | am constant reader of that pa
per, but in that case | should prefer to be 'in.
cog.," as to name and residence, feeling too in
experienced in farming pursuits to appear by
name in print.
Very respectfully and truly yours,
-, Feb. IL, 1861.