Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-03-14
AGRICULTURAL.
Farm Work Gor s1nrct.

OATS.
Al things considered, the earlier the seed
can he gotten into the ground after the frost
has left it the larger will be the yield. The
soil must be in good order and must CON
tain those organic and inorganic substances
winch constitute the appropriate food of
this particular plant.
The principal constituents OF oats arc pot
ash, soda and lime; and where these are
deficient it is absolutely necessary that they
should be supplied The means of doing so
are fortunately very simple and easy attain
able. II Is only necessary tc add to the
harnYard manure or compost heap. ten BUSH
els of wood ashes, fwo Bushels Of bone, two
. bushels of salt ttnd one bushcl of plaster per
acre. All Of which may either be plowcd
lightly in together or the manure may be
plowed Under and the additional substances
recommended above be broadcastrd subse-
quently and narrowed ill., We prefer, how
ever that these should be compositcd for a
couple Of weeks before using and spread on
the field and plowed under, but not to too
great depth as the spring rains will speed
lily supply the lower roots of the plant with
soluble matter contained in the fertilizers so
distributed. Another formula may, how
ever, be adopted with equal and perhaps
superior advantage. 1t il this
Two hundred pounds manipulated guano,
ten bushels wood ashes, one bushel salt one
bushcl plaster mixed together and plowed
lightly under.
For several other formulas see the Rurh
Register Of last month.
PREPARATION or THE SOIL.
The ground should be plowcd as soon rs
it is in proper condition to the depth of
eight inches the furrows carefully turned
and the entire surface narrowed and cross
narrowed until fine tilth is obtained.
QUANTITY OF SEED TO THE ACRE.
Not less than two bushels of oats should
be seeded to the acre, and on good soils
two bushels and Il half may be sown to adj
vantage.
SEEDING DOwE TO CLOVER AND GRASS.
Sow the clover seed lengthwisc of the fur
rows at the rate of peck to the acre. Now
follow with the orchard grass cross-wise of
the furrows at the rate of one bushcl to the
acrc-a less quantity would suffice but in
this case the orchard grass IS apt to grow
coarse and bunChy, and the object to be
gained is n close, compact sward Bush or
lightly harrow all in and then follow with
the roller.
MEADOWS.
IF there are meadows that are running out
and require to be renovated, this may be
successfully accomplished by thoroughly
narrowing them as soon as the frost is out
of the ground and spreading over the field
ten bushels of wood ashes, one bushcl of
lime and two bushels of bone dust to the
acre. Broadcast also to each acre one gallon
of timothy seed and roll all together. \
similar top dressing will be of equal benefit
to the herbagc of old fields. =
EARLY POTATOES.
Those who desire to have carly potatoes
must plant early. Indeed, with adequate
protection in large portion of the middle
States, potatoes might be planted in the fall
and would thus be ready to start their
growth as soon as the frost was out of the
ground But fall planting, owing to our
uncertain winters, is not sufficiently sure to
render it generally commcndable. But as
soon as the ground can be put into first rate
order, and the deeper it can be plowcd, the
less the potatoes will suffer from draught,
and the cooler the soil will be be-which is
q great desideratum with the potato. As
suming then the land to be deeply powcd
and narrowed, and cross-harrowed until the
requisite lightness and communition Of the
soil has been obtained, the next thing to be
done is to run the furrows six inches deep.
strew along them four inches of manure
plant the potatoes ten inches apart and dust
them with mixture composed of four parts
Stacked ashes, one part lime also Stacked.
and one part refuse salt. Throw the burrows
together with two bouts of the plow so as
to cover the sets well to guard against the
influence of late frosts.