Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-09-02
A Fore. Handed Farmer, and How He
Works.

A Fore.Handed Farmer, and How He
Works.
Mr.. john SMITH, of Montgomery coun-
ty, n. Y, has farm in the Otsquago Val.
lev, which is rival to the Mohawk Val
lev, and Joins it at Fort Plain. Part of it
extends up the hill and beyond The val.
ley is alluvial, and the upland drift a
yellow, light, sandy, and grayelly loan,
with slate in some places, and sufficient
proportion of clay to make it retentiye.
What needed draining, both in the low
land and on the hills, has been ditched
He uses no tile Though not opposed to it,
but LAYS a tier of round stones on each
side of the bottom of the ditch, some four
inches apart, and four or five inches in
thickness. This he covers with flat stones
puts small stones, a foot in depth, on top
and fills up with earth. This where the
bottom is clay. Where clay is wanting he
puts down boards, and builds upon them
Mr. Smith says he never has laid but
one drain after this system that failed
The rest are all perfect, and some of them
have been laid thirty years.
this goes on his meadows as top.dressing
He is engaged largely in dairying, and be
leyes in keeping good cows, and keeping
| them well.
Mr. Smith seldom manurcs his grain
land. lie depends upon sod, and keeps
his land but two or three years under the
pillow then seeds it down to grass-clover
and timothy-always getting a good catch
/ in this way, and by the abundant use of
seed. He sows his seed on the spring
SHOWS where winter grain sthe crop, and
| his success is perfect This he has praC-
! tiCed for thirty years. One year he sOwed
his seed in the chaffunhulled He carried
! it on the field with sleigh, the crust bear
! ing and the snow lying two feet deep. He
| never had better stand of grass, Glover
is largely used by him, and he considers it
| OtgrCat benefit
His mode of wheat growing is this; He
turns down Swaziland lin the spring.
and puts peas upon it. This, he says, sell
dom fails of yielding a good crop-some-
times very heavy-one year two hundred
and ten bushels from iXacres, which were
sold at 81 25 per bushel This prepares
the land for other crops, leaving it mellow,
and, he thinks but little exhausted After
the peas are removed-which is early, as
they are early sown-thc ground is re-
/ plowed, and sown to wheat The soil is
in excellent condition, mellow yet com
pact, and the sod is thoroughly rotten, and
in "A condition for plant-tood. The mellow
surface turned under makes fine bed for
| the lower roots Of the wheat, and as the
rotted sod is mainly on 'jp, there is no
lack of good start and continued growth.
From the lot just mentioned, contain
ing six acres (measured), two hundred and
ten bushels of wheat were taken--equal-
ing the number of bushels Of peas. This
is at the rate Of thirty-fve bushel. per
acre.
With corn, Mr.. Smith is as successful as
with wheat He puts large space between
the rows, breaks his sod just before plant
ing and uses freely the cultivator. He
cuts his corn when the stalk is yet green
and Juicy the berry hard, but not ripe.
He hence gets fodder for his large dairy,
and sells his corn, as he usually plants
from eight to ten acres, and averages forty
to sixty bushels per acre. This is only
estimated, AS we have said manure is
seldom used save on meadows. He is thus
sure of heavy turf to turn under for
grain. You find on his fields the earliest
green and the latest. The fields are little
affected by drouth, There Is no heaving
of grain or grass in the spring
The farm was purchased by Mr., Smith
some forty years ago. and was then in
WORKOUT condition. He is not scientific
farmer, in the strict sense of that term.
He reads agricultural papers, and uses his
own judgment, making notes of his eX-
perience and of his crops. He goes into
the field himself and though siSty-fve
years of age, is still hale and healthy, and
takes the lead in his work.
Plaster is used by him plcntifully, and
/ all the ashes that can be obtained. These,
in common with other manures, are ap.
piled on the top, thickening and raising
the sod, and adding to the soil, Draining
below, and manuring aboye--that is the
doctrine of Mr. Smith
The meadows are cut early, so as TO
secure all the nutriment in the stalk Hence
/ the cattle are continued in their summer
condition They come out well in the
spring, and are in good condition at all
times OF the year
Mr.. Smith is well-to-do, and all from this
/ rigid, iudiciOus course of management
/ His premises are neat and substantial;
every thing betokens prosperity. And
! this is a true account Of a iore-handed
/ armer.-Hearth and Home
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