Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1863-03-11

FRIEND Lutte My attention having been
I called, short time ince. to an article in the
Journal headed Thoughts for Farmers"
would ask small space in your paper, that |
may add other thoughts for farmers.
Believing the writer TO be correct in theory,
! that the resting, manuring and summer till
! ing are all of great advantage to the soil vet
believe part of his theory is not correct in
practice-or in other words, not practicable
If farmer, during the winter, works the
amount of straw into his yard that he should.
he will find in June that his manure is, to APP
pearance, nearly all straw. Now should he
spread this straw on the land to the amount
that would be required in order to realize
much benefit from it ard should he succeed in
blowing it under slightly, as recommended, |
again, as it should be, that season. This straw
partially or slightly buried would gather in
front of the plow. and throw it out continual
ly. and think the plowman' patience would
give out before noon. Nevertheless, | think
his suggestions in the main are good.
Will other farmers give us their views on
the cultivation and improvement of the soil.
and l will try and give mine, together with
some of my experience. | have been farming
in Pierce county, and on the same piece of
land, for thirteen years. For the first half of
the time l followed the usual practice (shal-
low blowing excepted) cropping mostly with
small grain but for the last few years have
been adopting regular system Of manuring
and rotation OF crops. will try to explain
my system by supposing man to have so
acres under cultivation. First, always keep
one-half of it in timothy and clover, (and |
attach great importance to clover,) then he
would have 40 acres of each divide each
part into four pieces now in the spring
to timothy and clover (say DTS of timothy
and or 4 lbs. of clover seed to the acre. the
piece he had corn on the year before, and in
| September break up that piece that has been
longest in grass. Next year SOW wheat on
| the new breaking, and oats where wheat grew
the year before, and corn, with ground well
MANFRED, where oats grew the year before
and wheat, with timothy and clover seed,
where grew the year before. Do ] make
myself understood If not. I will say, first
crop after breaking, wheat second, oats );
third, manure we'll and plant to corn fourth,
wheat, and seed to timothy and clover Thus
you sec he would have 40 acres OF lass 90 Of
wheat, 10 of oats, and 10 of corn on larger
farm III same proportion.
VOL 4J.,t ~
cannot raise wheat ON Timothy sod. Well,
friend, no doubt you think SO. One thing is
pretty certain. if You crop your land to small
grain until it is pretty we'll run out, and then
seed it to timothy TO let it rest, Gas some of
you say J you will find it pretty sure TO rest
for all raising much grass; and when you break
it up and sow it to wheat you may think it is
resting again. But, brother farmer, let your
! grass, and be sure TO get on the clover, which
will keep increasing until you break it up
again, and then the ground will be full of
clover roots, and l reckon wheat viii
| grow some if put in early.
| But a word about manure-its proportion
and application. Stable manure may as well
be drawn out and spread on the ground in the
spring, any time after the frost is out so it
can be got out but yard manure. let it lay
until July, and be careful and yard all the
! stock on it every night and by that time the
top will become fine. aud the strawy part I'M
derneath will retain all the liquid part that
might otherwise be wasted In July, at odd
times, fork it over and throw it into heaps or
rIcks, and if it can be thrown under sheds all
the better By the time yeu get through har-
vesting aud stacking it is ready to draw out
1t will not fire any, like horse manure. |
think the best method is to spread as fast as it
is drawn out, and pillow under lightly then
IN the spring. before planting, pillow again as
deep as possible. There, gentlemen have
given you my methed-one which / have
practiced for several years past. | find my
farm not growing poorer, or running out, but
growing richer and [ expect it will for years
to come, for have not practiced this system
long enough yet to receive but small portion
of the benefit yet expect to. If any of my
agricultural friends dissent from my views
let them give us theirs, and shall have at
tanned one object of my writing this article.
ANOTHER CLIFTON FARMKR