The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-15
"Take Time by the Forelock.-

from the first opening Of the spring un,
I'll the summer work is well under way,
it is the one we have placed at the head
OF this article
A disregard of its teachings is the
rock on which young farmers are most
apt to split. Older ones have learned
it's value 10y costly experience, or else
have adopted bad luck" as their ex,
cuse for their bad management The
writer himself has paid full price for
his education in this matter, and as he
has mended his WAYS, he has seen his
chances for success materially brighten.
The seasons in their ceaseless round
wait for no man convenience Drouth,
and early frost stand waiting to shrivel
the hopes, and cut off the promise Of all
slugsards. Nature loves bold farmer,
and holds her best favors at the com
mand OF him who speaks first"
The laws Of order, too-the rules Of
punctuality and system, which have SC
much to do with good farming-insisl
on close observance, and punish the
procrastinator with an overwhelming
confusion.
The only safe plan is to be before,
hand with all work. Our seasons are
never too long, and the enormous
amount Of work that must be crowded
IN between the hauling out Of the first
load of manure, and the planting OF the
last seed, is enough to appal any man
who does not know what constant and
systematic work will accomplish
As soon as the land is dry enough to
allow teams to 90 upon it without in
jury, the manure which has not been
hauled out during the winter, must be
set going with all dispatch, and spread
at once. There will be material loss
at this season, from evaporation, and
every rain that washes ifs soluble parts
into the soil will add to its efficiency.
1t may safely be left to lie until the
time for blowing comes.
The pillow, the harrow, and the seed,
should follow in quick succession, and
it should be the ann to get all hardy
crops into the ground at the earliest
possible moment. Corn, Of course, be-
ing a tropical plant, should be delayed
until the danger OF frost is past. The
same is true of beans, and tender vege-
tables; but potatoes, grain, peas and
grass-seed, cannot be planted too early,
if only the land is enough settled TO ad-
NIT Of good working; and these should
all be out of the way by the time it Is
necessary to pillow for corn. II they
were all in, in the latitude OF New York,
bv the middle OF April, it would be bet
ter for the crops, and much better for
the work that is to follow. Even late
potatoes-which are to be left in the
ground until October-are almost inva-
riablv better for early planting.
Mangels need not be set out in the
field until even later, but the land should
be plowed and narrowed in May, that
repeated narrowing may kill the weeds
as fast as they germinate; and they
should be planted in the seed beds early
enough to be of full size when the set
ting out time comes.
Almost the only crop that is benefited
by delay, is the carrot. The seed OF
this terminates so slowly in cool wealth
er, that we have found it best to delay
its planting until June 10th, when it
will sprout in few days. But even for
the carrot the land should be prepared
in April, and should be narrowed once
a week until planting time. With this
preparation, its cultivation will be easy:
Without it, the cost Of wedding will
usually swamp the profit Of the crop
By the time the carrots are in, and the
corn has been once hoed, it will be time
to commence haying; but it is just here
that ninety-nine farmers out Of a hun
dred are at fault. They wait not only
until the grass is in full blossom, but
even until the seed is nearly ripe, where
as the first appearance of bloom over
the whole field should be the signal for
the commencement of moving. 1t Is
now too well known to need further ar
gument, that not only is hay made from
green grass much more valuable than
that from later cutting, but second
cutting of nearly equal value may be
taken, and the land will suffer much
less than from * single crop of dead
ripe grass. OF all the farmers who cut
their grass too late, three-fourths prob
ably do so because they know no better,
and the other fourth because they are
behind hand with their work.
In farming, as in other industries, 1t
is the early bird tina. catches the worm.
Early, not only in the morning, but in
the season as well. We entreat all OF
our farmer,readers, therefore, to start at
once with fresh vigor, and, in pursuance
with well-laid plans, to make a desper-
ate effort to get everything done IN time
rather too early than a moment too
late. Give every crop that will bear
early planting the benefit Of the full
season; it will be none too long at the
best, and the best preventive against
drouth is well developed roots (and this
development takes time) while the only
safeguard against early frost is early
harvesting. So. take time by the fore
lock- in everything.