The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-06-24
FARM md HOTSEUDiD.
The Hay Crop.

The hay crop, in point of value, is
considered second to no other grown Ill
| the United States, and yet in some parts
of the country where stock live out OF
doors and shift for themselves all win
ter, this crop is not appreciated. My
object, however, is to say something to
the people residing where it is apprc.
GATED
The cost of cutting grass and making
it into hay, thirty years ago, was much
greater in proportion to the amount Of
hay made, than at the present time
The great Improvement in harvesting
machinery at the present time makes
the hay crop very profitable The
farmer cuts his grass by horse power
and puts 1t into his barn by horse power
Grass, either green or in dried state,
is the great stock food of the country
and those who wish to grow more stock
must first contrive to grow more grass
To do this they must make their land
better-must till it better Where they
now grow one ton to the acre, they must
fcrtilizc so as to grow three tons of cured
hay to the acre. Now, when we bring
up our land to produce three tons OF
hay to the acre we can double the guam.
titv of our stock and more than double
our profits, for it will cost no more to till
an acre then than now.
The question comes up herc-how are
VIC to enrich our land to produce such
great results7 We cannot dispute that
our land is capable Of being thus I'M
proved. 1t has been done and can be
DONE l think there is no better way
of measuring the capacity of land than
by its productiveness of hay to the acre.
Well, how is this to be done? In the
first place put in underdrains of tile two
feet deep and two rods apart, leading
towards the lowest point. This will
leak of the surplus water which keeps
! the ground cold so late In the spring Of
the year. then plew deep 90 a. 70 have
"A outlet for the roots Of grass shd other
crops This is doubling your capital by
putting one acre on tho top Of another,
while there is but the one acre to cult.
vate. Now feed this deep soil with all
the fertilizers that can be scraped up
Sow clover seed and pillow the crop
under about tho time seeds are begin
ming to form. In this way the land will
soon be able to grow three tons of hay
to the acre, and corn and wheat in pro,
portion.
In Europe, there is great saving Of
hay by the use of root crops. This has
been tried to some extent in this coun,
try, but as o general rule has not been
successful One cause of this failure is,
that our soil is not worked deep enough,
and another probably is, that our eli
mate is too dry for parsnips and other
roots that are chiefly composed of water.
In the eastern and some of the mid
die States, the great question with the
farmer is how to increase the capacity
of his soil. He cannot compete with
western and southwestern farmers in
growing wheat, which was formerly the
crop that he depended on to put money
in his purse He must now turn his
attention to milk, butter, cheese, vegeta-
bles, fruits and other gardening produc-
tons to feed the population of our great
eastern cities, and to do this he must
improve the capacity of his land, as
above suggested. Make it produce
three tons of hay to tho acre, this will
give him more milk, butter and cheese,
more money with less labor. Let me
urge again in conclusion, that he begin
at the foundation, by understanding
with tile. This he will have to do but
once, for if well done, it will last fer
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