Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-05-11

4
"Tako Time by the Forelock."
IN there is any motto that should be al
ways before the mind If the farmer. from
the first opening of the spring until 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 its value
by costly experience, or else have adopted
bad luck rs their excuse for their bad
management The writer himself has paid
full price for his education Ia 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 mans convenience
Drouth, and early frost, stand waiting to
shrivel the hopes, and TO cut off the
| promise of all sluggards. Nature loves a
bold farmer, and holds her best favors at
the command of him " who sp axis first"
The laws Of ofdcr, too-the rules of
punctuality and system, which have so
much to do with good flrmng-insist on
! close obs rvance, aud punish the procras-
tinator with an Overwhelming confusion.
with all work Our seasons are never too
long, and the enormous amount of work
that must he crowded in between the haul
ing out OF the first load OF manure, and
the planting Of the last seed, is enough to
appai any man who does not know what
constant aud systematic work will &C
complish. AS soon rs the land il dry
enough to allow teams to go upon it with
| / no w ia hoe ~
| 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 its 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 aim 10 get all hardy crops
| into the ground at the earliest possible
moment Corn of course, being trop.
ical plant, should be delayed until the
danger of frost is past. Tue same is true
of beans, and tender vegetables but POI
tatoes, grain, peas and grass seed, cannot
be planted too early, if only the land is
enough settled to admit of good working
and these should all be out of the way by
the time 1t is necessary to pillow for corn.
| II they were all ir, in the latitude of New
York, by the middle of April, it would be
better for the crops and much better for
| for the work that il to follow. Even late
potatoes-which are to be left in the
ground until October-are almost invaria-
| bly, better for early planting.
Mangels need not be set out in the field
until late in June, nor cabbages until even
later, but the land should be plowed and
borrowed in May, that repeated narrowing
may kill the weeds as fast as they terminate;
and they should be planted in the seed beds
early enough to be of full size when the
setting out time comes.
Almost the only crop that is benefited
by delay is the carrot. The seed of this
terminates SO slowly in cool weather
that we have found il 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 weed
ing will usually swamp the profit
Of the crop. BY the time the car
rots are in, and the corn has been once
hOed, 1t will be time to commence hayipg |;
but it is just here that ninety-nine farmers
out of hundred are at fault. They wait
not only until the grass IL in full blossom,
but even until the seed Is nearly ripe,
whereas the first appearance Of bloom
over the whole field should be the signal
for the commencement Of moving. II is
now too well known to need further argu-
ment, that not only Ia 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
a single crop of dead-ripe grass. OF all
the farmers who cut their grass too late.
three-tonrths probably do 30 because they
know no better, and the other fourth be-
cause they are behindhand with their
work.
In farming, as in other industries, 1t Is
the early bird that 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, 70 make desperate effort
TO get everything done in time rather too
early than moment too late. Give every
crop that will bear early planting the ben.
eft of the full season; 1t will be none too
long at the best, and the best preventive
against drouth Ii well-developed roots
and this development takes time), while
the only safeguard. against early frosts 10
early harvesting. So, take time by the
forelock" ia everything.-HeayM and
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