Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1867-03-27
THE TRIBUNE.
MINERAL POINT:
WEDNESDAY, MARCH ~, 1857.
The Oats Crop.

In the immediate vicinity Of large
cites a crop Of oats Is Of more am
portance to the farmer. il regard 70
profit and The immediate improve
ment Of his land than a crop OF
wheat. To make a correct Issue IN
comparing these crops, we must
take i1to account that 1t requires
nearly double the manure and lime
70 produce d crop OF wheat than 1t
does to raise a crop 6 oats; besides
a crop &c wheat Is az al times more
vulnerable, being subject = attack
from the Izessian tiy, weevn, rust,
blight or blast, and many other
mishaps whereas oats Is hardly
ever affected BY anything but
drought o. too much wet weather.
/ prefer sowing oats as early as /
possibly can; frost is not apt to in
lure il in the Spring OF the year. |
begin to plow in March, if the
ground Is IN good order, and spread
fne-slacked lime Immediately after
blowing, merely enough to Written
the ground, which will require less
than five bushels III dust over an
acre; then If snow or rain should
intervene beforeI Get the oats sowed,
so much the bettcr, the lime vail
have an opportunity in advance to
perform its functions with the at
mosphere in favor Of the soil; and
there viii be no detriment in case
the ground becomes baked by snow
or rain before It IS seeded down, as
| have two-horsc cultiyat0r III
readiness to loosen the ground be
before sowing. [ have always
found it a great advantage, in SOW
ing oats, To apply some fertilizer
directly III contact with the seed,
by weltinL with brine and rolling
the oats in plaster, ashes, bone dust,
etc. in fact [ have tried nearly all
kinds Of fertilizers in contact with
all the grain and seeds generally
sown, to yorv Great advantage; but
good fat pickle from the mackerel
barrel, and hickory ashes, | have
found to he the best coating for
oats, to give the infant GERM q Wig
orous start. which l conceive i
more. then half tha battle, should
the after part Of the season prove
favorable.
A rule I have laid down for my
self Is never TO sow oats without
sowing clover seed with i, even
though 7 intended to succeed It III
the / Ill with a crop Of wheat, which
however, is not often the case, as ]
prefer leaving the oats stubble M
touched, and the next season NOV
off the first crop Of clover for hay
and turn under the second crop IL
fnll Blossom, or what is still better
partially ripe, for manure, which
with the aid Of something to supply
the required phosphate, viii be suf
hcient TO raise 4 good crop Of wheat
If the pric3 OF clover seed IS no,
more than ten dollars per bushel
[ sow among all kinds OF grain
Purposely to be used for manure
and consider it the cheapest fertilizer
and the best pulverizer that can be
used upon land.
Many farmers sow oats without
sowing clover among if, which, after
the crop IS taken Oft, leaves the
white, naked oats stubbla. and moth
ing else to shelter the ground from
the scorcAlng sun, and which ap-
pears to burn the ground mellow.
The ground is thus left so exposed
for several weeks, until the skeIe-
ton Of manure that has been washed
and rev a-hed for several months by
drcnching rains is haaiod ont and
plowed under for q crop of wheat.
In ordinary seasons Of rain and
sunshine, from the first Of August.
more than three pounds ct clover
tops and roots kill grow I'm a sauare
yard 81 ground. Suppose q square
yard TO produce only tow pounds Of
clover-toPs aud roofs, which multi
piled by 1910, the numbered square
70 al acre, viii amount to four anil
a half tons to the acre Of vegetable
matter that abstract nothing from
the soil AMI borrows largely from
the atmosphere. Where can we
ind manure at So cheap a rate and
at an expense only Of about one dol
lar per acre, distributed So evenly
on the land with such little trouble
and cost Decompozad clover acts
mechanically IN puIyerizing and
and loosening the soil, and chomic-
ally IN furnishing pabulum for
plants; and it Is much to be Won
dered at that It is not more. extern
sIvely used by farmers as a means
e renovate and keep zap the fer
fifty Of the soil.-Cor. Germantown
Telegraph.