Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-04-13
AGRICULTURAL.


I have long been trying, by precept aud
examnle to get the farmers Of the cOun
try to believe that the clover plant, stimu-
lated by gypsum, whenever 10 is proved
that gypsum does aid In its growth, Is the
most valuable manure, when we tske IN
to account its cost, chat can be had. In
my reports on the county Of Onondaga, L
said, The agriculture of Onondaga coun-
ty is based on the clover plant, and now
[ repeat that assertion. Yesterday far
mer. living within two miles Of Syracuse,
called on me, and while passing over the
farm. remarked that he would not draw
manure from the city to his farm if it was
given him. preleTring to manure With clo-
yer and plaster This was the opinion of
a man who had spent fifty years of his life
in earning handsome fortune as work
ing farmer, and whose knowledge Of SCI
entiiic matters is quite limlted--in short,
a man who is governed entirely by practr
cal results He knows just the value Of
barn manure, for he has made and used
large quantities every year on the farm
where he DOW lives and has lived tor thlr-
ty years Nothing was said by me to
draw out bis opinion. 1t was given un-
prompted. and having long since learned
to value the opinions of such men, was
very mucb Qratifed at hearing his views
Within the last four weeks i have seen a
heavy crop Of clover ploughed under, and
the harrow and drill TO SOW wheat 40 once
put into operation. The farmer expects
to get good crop with this single plouGh-
ing, and to enrich bis land lot Iutpre
crops.
How could he do so much for his land
in any other way at the same cost? He
has cut one crop of hay. and from the
middle Of July to the middle Of Septem-
Der the grass had sOagrOWD that it was
hardly practicable to get it into the fur
row. The crop Of hay has paid the in
terest on the value of the land fully ten
per cent?, and the crop of wheat will
probably pay still better. Now what has
this manuring cost Do your own fgur-
ing. Do any of you Eastern farmers ma
nure as heavily as this They pay more
money, but do they manure as highly?
Let us look at the future Of this land,
The wheat will come off next year and a
quarter Of bushel Of clover seed sOWn
next spring-havIng put timothy grass
seed on when the wheat was drilled in
the butts Of the bundles of wheat will, at
harvest, be full of the tops Of the grasses.
A little pasture will be had next fall, If
the season is dry if it is wet and warm
the clover will blow out before frost.
The following year corn, or perhaps bar
ley, will be soWn on the new clover and
timothy sod, or hay may be cut that year
in july, and a crop Of clover seed taken
off in September, and corn or barley the
next year. IF barley, wheat will be soWn
on the stubble and a like round Of crops
be repeated. / thought, as l saw this
man turn under the clover last month,
that he was ploughing in from one and
half to two bushels Of clover seed to ths
acre. that he had better cut and save, and
put his land iptO barley next Spring, fol-
lowing with wheat next Fall. But he
took his way, and by doing as be did he
has clover seed that will be coming up in
his crops for years. VIII this manuring
with clover last? I can only say that it
has answered for at least sixty five years
on field on my farm. This fields histO-
ry is known-it has been cropped con
stantly with hay. pasture, corn, barley,
oats and wheat, manuring with clover and
plaster only. No signs of poverty yet,
but, on the contrary. increasing fertility.
Barley was harvested from it this season,
and it Is now in wheat Hon. George
Geddes