American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-04-27
The TURNER'S department.
From the dehe5ee faHuief.
Farm Work for April.

~
ayers, whose farms are divided by
common rail structures, after having
determined about how long they will
continue, say six years, divide their
whole farms into six parts, and repair
sixth each year-this keeps all in
good order without further trouble,
and without having too much to attend
to- in one season, ,and. but little another.
Board fences should be annually ex-
amined throughout their whole length,
and loose boards nailed tight. New
board fences shonld never be batten-
ed on the face or joints over the posts
as the practice tends to cause decay !;
but in the course oils or years, when
the ends begin to rot and become loos-
ened, battens will secure and make
them strong for several years longer.
If farmers are able to replace their
old worm fences with post and rail,
board or stone fences, they should be-
gin on one side and construct GER
tain amount each year, keeping reg
lister of the same. Then, in future
years, when repairs are needed, they
can go through the same way and in
the same number of years.
MEADows.-As soon as these are
dry enough to bear feet injury to the
turf, they should be careflly picked
of all loose projecting stones, which
might injure alnowing machine, and
then well rolled so as to make the
surface as smooth and perfect as pos
sible. Stumps should be dug or pull
ed out, accidental brush or other rub
bish removed, and small hillocks lev
eled down. The farmer who has seen
a moving machine broken at cost of
five dollars, and delay of day,
by stone that might have been re-
moved in five minutes, will appreciate
the Importance, comfort and economy
Of smooth surface. There is some
satisfaction in the reflection that new
farm machinery is going to compel
the adoption of smoother and more
perfect kind of farming.
Much is lost by the imperfect, thin
and uneven seeding of meadows
Bare spots and thin grass, amounting
as they very often do to one fouth of
the whole surface, would make a to-
tai loss of five acres in every twenty
acre meadow. The Importance of
thick and even seedingis not sufficient
iy appreciated. Thin or bare patches
in existing meadow with fine-t tooth
harrow the first pay the surface is
dry, then sowing a mixture of clover
and timothy, and rolling the seed in.
If the meadow has been top-dressed
with fine manure in autumn or win
ter, the narrowing will mix it with
the surface, and assist the germina-
ton of the seed, as well as its subse-
quent vigorous growth.
Meadows which were top-dressed
with coarse manure in autumn or win
ter, which was more or less spread in
Jumps, should be narrowed as early
as possible so as to break those Jumps
and spread the whole uniformity.
Cattle droppings, on meadows or pas
lures, should be finely beaten to pie
ces and we'll scattered over the surface,
as soon as the frost will admit, and
before the frost has all disappeared
from the soil. 1t is scarcely neces-
sary to mention that no good farmer
ever allows either his meadows or pas
lures to be touched by hoof early in
spring, while the ground is soft.
TEAMs.-Every goodmanager has al
ready taken care to have his teams in
excellent order for the heavy work of
spring-but as they have not been
much accustomed to hard and steady
work, it would be advisable to pillow
only half a day at time with them
at first, until they BECOME well accus-
toned to it, using them the other half
days for job work, light teaming, &c.
A little care in this respect will often
prevent sore shoulders and reduced
condition. The harness should be ex-
amined frequently, to see that it fits
well, and to prevent chafing. 1t will
be observed that when horses are plow-
ing the traces draw downward, and
when attached to wagon, horizontal
ly; the back-straps should therefore
be heightened a little when they are
removed from the wagon to the plow,
PLowING.-hght or gravely soils
which quickly become dry, may be
plowed at almost any time; but rich
loans should be taken at precisely
the right period. Ifplowing too ear
ly, while yet wet, they may become
poached and injured for the season.
If left too late, the spring rains may
have settled back what the frost of
winter have loosened. Flowing
WELLsaves much labor in subsequent
tillage. Marrow furrow slices, Except
with sward,) pulverize the soil more
perfectly, and leave beautiful mel
low surface. Burrows seven or eight
inches deep, and only six inches wide,
are easy for the team, and leave the
land in very handsome condition.