Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-01-23
5ar,'t \ fiireside.
PRACTICAL FARMING,
By JOHN cow, OF MILFORD.


EpiToRs DELAWARE TRBuNR Accord
ing TO promise will endeavor to give YOU
the mode Of operations practiced on this
farm during the last year. The farm we are
now engaged on, has been managed for
number of years by nearly as many different
persons as there were years, all on the
same plan take all and give nothing
consequently, 1t was what is commonly
called 'trun down"
In the fall of 1866, when it came into the
present proprietors hand, great portion
of it was ia waste, and there were many old
fence rows overgrown with green briers, we
commenced leveling all the fence rows,
taking trees and everything else out by the
roots Then We had 1t plowed and drag
narrowed, and planted the same fall $3.50
peach trees, 20 by % feet apart, putting in
two shovelfuls Of leaf mould to each tree,
The fall blowing was done by contract,
and ground was plowed only four inches
deep, we being unable to get any one to
pillow any deeper. After the peaches were
all in, the weather still being favorable, we
concluded to plant an orchard of standard
pears. With our own horses and Smiths
steel plows, we plowed up twelve acres,
that had been in wheat, and been seeded to
clover, but was SO full Of dewberry vines,
that it was unfit for hay. We plowed that
ten inches deep, bringing the yellow clayey
loan to the surface. While blowing the
field, which adjoins the road leading from
Milford to Harrington, we were often told
that we were spelling the land by blowing
so deep, and bringing up the cold clay; we
replied that we thought they were mistaken,
and that time would tell whether we were
right Or not.
We planted HOO pear trees, "a feet apart,
then we lined at the rate OF GO bushels to
the acre. The lime lay on the surface all
winter, and in the spring was cross plowed
four inches deep, and the field planted in
corn. The result was very fine crop with
out manure. 1t did not make any difference
with us in working corn whether we used
the pillow or the cultivator.
The peach trees have done remarkabl,
well; there were only 30 died out Of $3.50
some have grown five feet this season.
Where we grew roots they have done best
they are not so high as those grown amongs
corn, but they are stouter. As all expert
ment, we tried 800 trees without cultivating
except grubbing around about four feet, ant
sowed the orchard in clover these tree
look a year younger, which goes to shov
that thorough cultivation is what is needed
to insure good result.
We have bought all the manure We coul'
get here, and used bone-dusi and Peruvian
guano, good deal Of both these do yer,
well for one crop, neither is calculated II
last long in the soil. We have used grea
quantity Of wood ashes with good results
also mari, which is excellent for clover, i
this section. have used over 1000 bushe
of lime this last year The farm contain
now ! 10 acres, a portion of 1t last year W,
in clover, in the winter we lined som
married some, and some we left without, "
had a heavy crop on all except where W
gave nothing. We saved, in excellent col
,ltion, fifty tons Of clover hay which is stl
sweet and nice.
We believe in curing hay in cock, VIII
we cut in the morning, 0he weather bell
favorable we cock in the afternoon, thel
by securing nearly all the jnices, besid
making it tough and preventing waste
handling; we prefer storing it in barrac
sixteen feet square, to putting i, in the bar
il is more expeditions; besides, it takes
large barn to hold fifty tons # hay. As '
had thiry-iive head OF cattle, we had To
as careful as we could of our clover hay.
With that stock of horned cattle 3
horses. and from sixty TO ninety head
hogs. we make great quantity of manur
We buy the wheat straw we can tinl, al
also all the marsh hay, for tit'et.*, and fc
our animals on roots, twice 4 day "
save all the urine, for composing, hy G,
lecting it in csterns
We have raised several Thousand bush,
al heels for the cattle, also rllta buga iurnil
the latter after early Goodrich potato,
sowing the turnips the last week in iii
and first Of August We cut clover for /
cattle and hogs. and fed in The yard a
harm I'LL hay time, then We pasture the
nond crop, thereby securinga great deal
excellent manure hauling it out and plo
ing it in as soon as possible, believing, IL
an land like this, it makes little ditfertr
when yon lay on manure, while it saves
ing and turning.
We also grew this season several acres
tomatoes for marketing, we find we
nave them week ahead Of Jersey, we s.
them TO market as long as they would p
Tie balance we fed to the hogs.
AwoRD TO FARMERS, SONS.