Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1869-11-19
farm, 6artIfu { loassaoId.
ARIIHMETIc In FARMING.

enable farmers to act with more precision in
many operations nov conducted by guess
work. We have frequent Inquiries, for ex-
ample as to the proper amount Of certain
special manners to be applied per acre for
different crops; but the use being new, The
application Is made without any guide as to
Quantity, and too much is used in one case
and too little in another. One man Injuries
his crops and wastes the material by over
dosing another uses too little, and does not
witness any sensible effect. A little figuring
would obyiste the difficulties, and enable the
farmer to calculate accurately beforehand
inst how much to apply. Suppose for IN,
stance. that he proposes to use superphos
nbate at the rate Of 500 pounds per acre in
his turaip bill Instead Of trying at random,
and coming out wrong, as he will be sure to
do. LET him bring his work down to figures, in
the following manner. Ills drills, we will
suppose, are twenty eight inches apart.
amounting to ll20 rods in leagth en- each
acre. or at the rate of about seven ounces per
rod. Or, to be more accurate, as well as to
take more convenient length, the fertilizer
should be strewed along the furrow at the
rate Of one ounce to two feet and two inches
'in length. Weigh out q small quantity in
ounce portions, and practice a few minutes
by strewing it along furrow so that each
ounce shall reach q measured length Of two
feet and two inches a little practice will
enable the operator to apply tie fertilizer SO
that he can distribute the required quantity
over the acre orfeld, with much accuracy. II
he wishes to use only half this quantity, or
two hundred and fifty pounds per acre, stre~
It so that an ounce shall extend four feet four
inches, and be viii accomplish the desired
purpose.
Ifa fertilizer is TO be applied IN hills, as in
a corn-feld, similar mode Of calculation
may be readily adopted. Hills three feet and
half apart each way, viii be at the rate Of
about $500 per acre, requiring about two
ounces per hill, if 500 pounds Of the fertilizer
are used, or one ounce for $50 pounds.
The same mode may be used to determine
the amount Of grass seed for each handful in
sowing broadcast Each throw will cover, IS
before, from FIVE to ten feet, aud whatever
quantity is used for an acre should, therefore,
be divided into about thousand parts. A
peck Of clover seed, for EXAMPLE, weighs IS
pounds, and to cover an acre, each handful
should be little less than the fourth Of an
ounce. The previous use ofa pair Of scales
Tor weighing off few Of these portions,
would enable the operator 10 bit at onces
with considerable accuracy, the right quanti-
", instead OF being compelled to make ran
dom guesses for days, or even years, before
acquiring proper experience.
1t is often regarded as an indication Of
shrewd guessing when the farmer briags his
domestic animals through the winter on tie
exact supply Of fodder which he has stored
away for that purpose. Sometimes he may
find towards spring, that he has many tons Of
surplns, and perhaps, more frequently, that
he has to purchase a considerable amount,
IN order to piece ont the winter supply.
Measuring, weighing and calculating, the
work Of few minutes, viii obyiate much of
this uncertainty. The farmer who frequently
weighs load Of hay, acquires sufficient ex-
perience in estimating, to determine, very
nearly, from the record of the size and num-
ber of the loads which be has on hand for the
winter. If he has neglected to do this, he
may hit the amount nearly as well by meas
uring his hay, and allowing an average Of
500 cubic feet per ton of timothy, 600 feet if
part clover. or zoo feet If all clover. He
viii thus be able TO learn, very nearly, how
much hay he has on hand The mex: ques-
ton is to know how much his animals will
eat. If he has provided good racks, to pre-
vent :hem treading hay under foot, and has
giver. them fair shelter, he may adopt the fol
lowing rule with good deal OF certainty
Determine the weight of his animals, aud al
low three per cent. of the light Of his horses
for their daily food in hay, aud two and a
half per cent. for cattle. Multiply this daily
allowance Ly the whole number Of animals,
and again by the number of days which he
expects to give them dry food, and then to
compare it with the quantity on hand, aud he
may strike the balance one way or the other,
with considerable certainty
Every farmer should have tape line or
other means for measuring his fields. IF he
has much experience in pacing. he may in
deed make temporary accuracy but he should
frequently correct such rough work with the
tape line. Every field should be measured
so that the owner may know the number of
acres, and record should also be made OF its
length and breadth, that the amount Of land
plowed in a day may be readily reckoned,
and the contents Of each '9and" definitely
known. Among other advantages, this ac-
curacy viii enable the owner to determine
easily agreeable products under different modes
Of management and 10 require great deal of
valuable information in q few years as to the
most profitable way Of raising heavy crops
There are many other modes, which will
suggest themselves to the intelligent farmer,
for adopting the weighing and measuring
system, and submitting his work to accurate
figures, instead Of to loose aud random
guessing. Every grznary should Aage a
graduated scale inside, TO show at a glance
the number Of bushels at any height 4
similar measurement and record should be
made Of his wagon boxes. These be may do
by measuring the length, depth and breadth
for the cubic feet. Tben divide the number
Of cubic feet by So, and multiply by 45, and
the result viii be struck measure. Or, he
may allow 2, $50 cubic inches for each bushel.
or add oue-fourth for heaped measure, as for
potatoes, corn in the ear, &c.- Country
Gentlemen
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FALL PLANTING OF TREES.
The Germantown Teleg54Db savs. i cor