The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-08-02
FARMERS COLUMN.

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THE USE OF MACHINERY UPON THE
FARM.
One of the most cheering indication.
of the times is the rapid Introduction
of improved implements In husbandry,
especially of those that are moved by
horse power In this matter the West
is far ahead of the East, and the grain
growing districts greatly excel the
dairy regions Corn, where it is grown
upon large scale, is now very gener-
ally cultivated by horse power, with
out the use Of the hand hoe. Five
times cultivating is much better than
three times hoeing, and much cheaper.
Some drill in their corn, one kernel in
a place and one foot apart, by horse
drill, and claim that they not only do
the work at much less expense, but
get much larger crop. There is no
hand labor about it until you come to
the harvesting, and even this, we an
ticipate, will soon be done by machin-
cry. Potatoes are cut, dropped, and
covered, cultivated and dug by horse
power, and we think, will soon be bag
eed and binned in the same way.
Wheat is put in by the horse drill, and
cut by the horse reaper. The hay har-
vest is now all secured by horse power.
These machines are not indeed uni
versally introduced, but their economy
is so apparent, and they put the hay
and grain harvest so completely into
the power of the farmer, that no man
can long afford to do without them.
The manufacture of these machines
has become vast business, giving
employment to tens of thousands of
men, and the demand for them is con-
stantly increasing They are a pow
erful argument for the clearing out of
stumps and boulders, and for making
the rough ways smooth. The man who
clings to the time honored tools. and
the good old ways, will be badly beat
en- in the market.
WHEN TO TURN IN CLOVER.
In the regions where green crops are
turned under for manure, there is a
diversity of practice. Some pillow
when the crop is in its most succulent
state The rule for clover is when the
heads are about half turned brown.
The reason offered for this practice is,
that the bulk of the crop is then the
greatest, and it undergoes most rapid
decomposition in the soil. Others do
not plow in clover until late in Fall,
and after it has been we'll pastured.
The reasons they give for this practice
are: LIST, that turning in the clover
green, makes the soil sour, and has a
tendency to bring In sorrel. 2. 1t has
a bad influence upon subsequent crops.
3. In waiting until Fall, you have the
| adua nj 90 or nos I'm and ~ tha
| tie are kept upon the pasture. as they
should be. everything the field pro-
duces is returned to it. f. More car
soil. When you lose in tops. you gain
four or five months longer to grow
8. Better crops follow. Some of the
best farmers in Pennsylvania follow
this method altogether. Others still
wait until the following Spring, and
turn in the clover just as it begins to
| grow.
BUCKWHEAT AS A GREEN CROP.
Where this grain is sowed the 1st of
August, it will be in condition to plow
IN for rye crop the last Of September
We have seen rye taken from a field
four years in succession, with no other
manure than buckwheat turned in at
d. the time of sowing the rye. There
was constant increase in the yield Of
the grain, showing the benefit of the
green crop. If the land is not strong
! enough to give good growth of buck
wheat. some manure will be necessary
i continued succession of grain crops
does not show good husbanlr but it
/ ~ n t.al1.,
stable manure can not be app led eco
nomicaily. The green crops and the
grain should come in a regular rota
ton, and if the soil is thin. several
green crops may be turned in, In sue
cession, with profit.
FUTURE PROSPECTS OF COTTON IN THE
SOUTH.
Those who have held that Cotton
is King" now that the king is deth-
roned, seem determined that he shall
not be even a citizen among us. They
prophesy evil OF the plant. and advo-
cate the growing Of other crops in the
Cotton States. Let Us raise the cere-
ais and the meats that we consume at
home, and let the world take care of
itself. Ii we grow cotton, let it be
only in such quantities as we can man
ufaeture at home" This cutlery of
disappointed ambition is very natural
and very foolish The vindictive feel
ings of a people will have very little to
do tn the crops they raise. These
will be govel ned mainly by CONNER
cial considerations. Men will raise
that by which they think they can
make the most money, whether it ac-
cords with their political views or not
We cultivate land TO get ahead in the