St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-04-14
thrill on TIP Farm.

lie busy time has come 1T last, ana
there will soon be little time to lose. The
season thus far bids fair 10 be uncom-
monty early. Never have we known
such n March, with no snow on the
ground, warm and mild from the begin
ming, with the frost nearly or entirely
gone. The grass in many sheltered places
has already started. We hope those who
hauled out manure last fail intending to
spread it as Il top dressing this spring
took advantage OF the open weather and
spread it when the frost was coming out.
1t was bad plan to let it lie in heaps
all winter, and we protested against it rs
a wastetul and shilllcss practice, but
many followed it, and those who did,
should have spread the heaps as soon as
they were thawcd out.
Clover seed should have been sown
freely over the lots that were laid down
last fall, and 4 top dressing of ashes at
the same time would have been of great
advantage, though the surface was lit
lie soft to team over. 1t is not wholly
too late now, and if you have any guano,
or supcrphosphatc, or plaster to apply,
now is the time to do it, and there is not
q day to be lost. Speaking of sowing
clover seed, it is necessary to Use liber-
al amount, from ten 10 twenty pounds,
according to the other grass seeds you
sowed in the fall and the "catch." We
incline to the alsikc clover, the price of
which is now down so that it is easily
procured. That seed is very small, and
Il pound will go as far rs pound and Il
half or two pounds Of the coarse red Glow
er. 1t is very capital plan to roll the
grass land after the seed and the top
dressing is applied.
The kitchen garden and the grain
crops demand the earliest attention this
month. Many Of the garden seeds can
90 into the ground as soon us it is dry
enough. Early peasc should be sown in
a warm, sheltered place, and radishes
may go in soon, and among them lettuce
and early cabbages may be set out from
the hotbeds or cold frames rs soon as the
weather permits. If cold might comes
they can be protected with boxes or some
thing of the kind.
1t is good plan to look out early for
the seed you want and get variety all
ready. Dig the ground deeply for gar
den culture, and make up the beds for
the various seeds now. Carrots and beets
can be sown by the middle of the month
and parsnips also.
Spring grain ought to 90 in much car
llcr than many farmers SOW it. Oats,
particularly, should be sown Just as soon
as the ground is ready. The oat delights
in much moisture, and it stands the cold
very well. The first week in April is
none too carly. Here comes in the adj
vantage Of fall ploughing. If the land is
well ploughed and ready for the seed,
there is no delay in a wet spring. Barley
also and spring rye may 90 in very soon.
BARLEY Is much better crop to seed down
with than oats. As Il general rule we
prefer seeding in August or September,
but there are many cases where it seems
desirable to sow grass seeds IN spring,
and this will be especially the case this
season on account OF the extremely div
weather of last fall which prevented many
from seeding down who would otherwise
have done so. Barley should be put in
little later than oats or rye, but it will
do towards the end of the month, and it
requires from two 10 thrca bushels of
seed. As to the oats the practice differs.
some using as little rs two bushels, and
others as many rs five bushels of seed per
acre n series of experiments were tried
lew years ago with two, three, four
anu I'VE bushels Of seed per acre. The
i've bushels OF seeding had no ADVANTAGE
over .nree bushels, and did not pay bacI,
the difference in seed. We shonlJ sow,
about three bushels rs general rulc
Potatoes will do very wei on soI I,.J
and old pasture is capital for them but
the land ought 10 be deeply plounhcI
and mellowed. They do not REQUIRE n
very heavy manuring on such land if il
is toerably rich and in good heart
Some plaster or bone meal in the hill i.
good for them. On low land ashe:
make very good addition to the Other
manurcs used. They ought to be plant.
ed about the last Of the month, but 4
small patch for early table use can safely
60 IN now or in a few days.
mere VIII be more or less wet days,
1t is to be hoped, during this month, and
then Is the time to set the men at work
upon tue manure in the barn cellar. 1t
IS to be forked over and thrown into n
pile, mixing il lid rs we'll rs nnr.;II :.