The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-11-03
"Clorer and Rotation of Crops"

"ClOTer and Rotation OF Crops"
The article in the May number of
the Rurdl Carotiaiap, reminds me of
" the good oil times" when I was a
farmer-and, I may add, a successful
0ne-in Western North Carolina.
I adopted there q rotation which
succeeded admirably. ! commenced
with corn, pIowed deep, spread all the
manure I could gather OH the surface,
narrowed thoroughly and opened my
drills with narrow long bull-tOngue
plOw, running deep. The plOw being
narrow, and land in good order, the
seed when planted was not more than
two inches below the surface, but
quite deep enough. I cultivated level,
first running deeply and very close to
the corn with q small subsOii, fol-
lowed soon after with a cuItiyatOT.
Second blowing, subsOil again, deep
| but little off, (say six or eight inches
| from the CORN. / then used the cul-
| tivatOr as often as practicable until the
/ corn was between three and four feet
! high when / put the subsoil deep as
| possible into the centre tween the corn
/ rows. ! followed up with the cultiva-
tor and passed the hoe through chop
ping out any weeds OF grass and leaving
| everything leUeL and in splendid order.
! This was towards the middle or end of
July, in that climate.
The laying by of the corn was i'm
mediately followed by the sowing of
my grass seed-clover, timothy, red
top or any otheT-scattered evenly
along the corn rows. If we had a rain
within a day or two after sowing the
seeds, the work was accomplished. II
ne rain, then light brush was dragged
through each row by mule or horse,
with a small boy to ride and guide. A
good walking around would brush in
ten or twelve acres per day. I never
failed to get a good stand of grass,
, planting as described above. You
must know, Mr.. Editor, that at the
| laying by Of the corn crop the soil Is
In the very best condition, if the corn
has received proper attention, and
{ work done as it should be, grass seed
put in soil that has been well worked
up for several months will soon make
IT'S appearance and grow finely, if not
killed out by the hot sun. Now the
corn offers all the protection from thC
, sun that is needed for the grass wheI
7 it is young. By the time the blades
are fit for fodder, the grass il strong
enough to take care of itself.
time before April 1 cut the corr
stalks close to the surface, with 6
, mower or a sharp hoe. If the grass i
) to be converted into hay the first sea
son, the stalks must be hauled off; bu
= If to be graZed, the stalks after chop
ping may remain. After the corr
stalks have been removed, and aftel
! a rain, when the soil is sufficiently
I soft to admit the pressing in of the
! corn stumps, the meadow must b'
, rolled. This may be done late in spring
when the grass is up several inches
p high. The rolling will allow the
mOwer to shave very close.
By sowing clover on grass seed a:
: above, "a full crop of hay may be Sc
! cured the following summer-ten Of
! twelve months after seeding To pu
in grass seed with small grain, the
young grass will be smOthered out i
your oats or wheat is OF thick ant
iuxuriant growth. The corn protects
/ from the sun, but does not in the leas
smother the young grass.
Now for my rotation. I have sc
5 cured a good stand of clover after my
2 corn. The clover is cut or graZed Of
: in carly summer; q second crop is al
: lowed to grow for seed. When the
most advanced GlGrS (say about one
Ln!Iuj luIn DIOWtl tHCu put III Xix
| pillow and turn everything under deep
: Iy. In fall or spring, plant wheat Of
oats. After your small grain is takeI
off you will have quite sprinkling o
clover to turn under in the early fall
Plant corn again in spring, anu give
yourself no farther concern abou
your stand of clover. Work your corr
well and lay it by in nice condition
5 your clover will appear in due time
With the above rotation, my farm i'm
proved yearly beyond my most san
guine expectation.
2 If the farmer will give to the sol
: the second crop Of clover, ithe SECOND
| crop Of the season. he will never
2 have to re-seed his field. But if ht
: persists in grazing off every thing RnC
. return nothing, his rotation will enc
I in disappointment, and the old cry o
I "the clover has run out"
/ Glover seed should not be planted
5 more than a fourth of an inch deep
e If buried deep it will remain il the soil
5 however, for years without vegetation
t until brought near the surface u2derthl
' influence OF atmosphere. 1 have seeI
I an old pasture, which has been close
/ ly grazed for many years in success
2 sion, plOwed in winter, and a gOCt
< stand of red clover appeared in tn
e spring.-[F. w. j, IN Rural CdFOIi1li
[ en-.