Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-04-15
Farm Work For April.

The pressure ofspring's work begins this
month, and the farmer who means to succeed
must soon be in earnest. Don't be in toe
big hurry to turn the cattle out to the pas
ture. little scamper over the hills, now
and then, for the young and dry stock, will
do them no harm, perhaps. but we know OF
many sections where they are regularly turn
ed out as early as April, to the injury both
| of the pastures and the cattle themselves
The fact is, cattle and sheep need all
as much care through this month as the last
and we believe 1t to be positive injury 10
the pasture to poach and keep down the ten
der grass as soon it starts.
! Now is the time t. get out manure and be
| gin the preparation of land for the seed
Oats ought to go in Immediately: the soon
er the better, if the land is in order. Many
farmers put off sowing oats too long, while II
is well known that the spring grains need all
/ the advantage of the early rains. Last year
the whole season was rainy that oats did
remarkably well, even when sown a little
later, but IN the average of years, the early
sown will succeed far better. Pease, of course
may 90 in now. and if you arrange to SOW a
small lot every two weeks or so, to have a
succession, you viii not be likely to be sorry
for it in June and July.
Clover should go ON to fall sown grass seed
Immediately, if not already sown in March.
From ten 10 fifteen pounds per acre is none
too much if you would make sure of good
stand. If you can seize time and SOW it on
a light snow, it aids the eye to distribute it
evenly, but we wouldn't wait too long for
that IL is ii good plan to follow the sowing
with good dressing of plaster, or if you have
little guano or superposphate that you
know to be good, that will help give the
grass an early and thrifty start. Plaster re-
quires great amount of water to dissolve it,
and the earlier in a pril it can be applied the
| better will be the result. 1t works down in
To the surface soil and is ready for the use of
the plant
If the amount Of clover seed we mention
seems large, it must be borne in mind that
grass seed is rather an exception to the gen
eral rule, for thin sowing. \ good deal of
the see is liable to be destroyed by birds or
worms, or from some cause to fail to germin-
ate, and 80 10 make sure of its coming up
| thick, the quantity of seed should be liberal :.
Ii it fails TO come up well and grows thin
it is coarser and not so valuable, A good
heavy roller is a useful implement to run
over the surface. 1t cOnsOlidatcs light soil
presses the seed into the ground, and settles
any stones or roots that the frost may have
| thrown up to be in the way of the scythe or
the moving machine.
If you propose to lay down land this spring,
you will find barley better crop than oats,
that is if you propose to SOW any kind of
grain. Rye is we think better than oats ; that
is less Objectionable than oats to seed down
with. Rye does well on light and loamy
lands. and oats do well on light loans and on
good gravel soils. Such soils are ready for
the plough now, unless they lie low and are
undrained. About three bushels of oats an
acre is considered the best seeding.
Potatoes may go in this month or early
next In sowing oats for fodder crop, or
a crop to cut green and cure for hay, peas
may be sown with them TO advantage. The
pea field crop is, think, worthy of
greater attention than it usually receives in
New England. 1t makes most excellent food
both for cattle and hogs. The straw will be
used as litter.
The more manure under the barn celIer is
worked over the better, and it is good rainy
day work. II it has been trodden solid, or is
very rich like sheep manure, giving off a
sharp and pungent smell on forking, have
a supply of plaster ready at hand to sprinkle
over it occasionally. 1t will be money well
laid out.-PlOughnan