The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-04-19
FARMING OPERATIONS.
work for April.


Do not wait to finish the field. We
know there is time lost IN chang
ing work so often, but it is nothing
compared with the extra time and
labor required to prepare plowed
land that has been exposed to heavy
rains, and then had to lie for several
days until the surface was crusted
over before 1t was dry enough to
harrow. Our springs are so short
and the weather so uncertain, that
our rule should be never to leave
the field until all the land that has
been plowed is narrowed and sown.
Sod land can be plowed after
soaking rain earlier than fall-plow-
ed or stubbles. And o steel pillow
will make clean furrow slice where
a cast-iron pillow viii clog. But it is
doubtful whether it is or is not adj
visable to avail ourselves of these
facts. Sod land is just as wet as
the stuble land, and if one would
be injured by blowing, it Is not easy
to understand why the sod land
would not be injured also. 1t is
one those points, however, on which
we need more light. Our own prac-
tiee is based on the practical fact
that we have a good deal of plow-
ing to do and little time to do it in,
rather than on any theoretical con-
siderations as to what is the abso-
lutely best condition for the soil to
be in when it is plOwed. A far
mer must not be "one-idea" man.
He has many things to take in con-
sideration, and he has need of ex-
perience and good judgment. A
safe rule is to avoid running ex-
| tremes.
Barley is with US the first crop
that we aim to SOW in the spring.
We say cain" because, in point OF
fact, it not unfrequently happens
that we are able to pillow a clover
sod, and drill in peas or oats, before
we can pillow corn-stubble and
prepare it for barley. But when
the weather is favorable we should
get in the barley at the earliest
time possible. So good a farmer as
John Johnston, however, differs
with us on this point. With him,
later sown barley has frequently
proved o heavier crop than that
sown earlier. And in our own ex
perience we have sown part of q
field of barley the last day of March,
and the remainder of the field q
week or ten days later, and the one
was as good as the other. But in
this case both were sown early
We have had two crops of barley il
different years, one of which was
over so bushels per acre, and the
other 40 bushels, and one was sowI
two or three weeks earlier than the
other, but both were sown as early
as possible. We have never had {
good crop of barley that was no
sown early.
Oats can be sown on a great range
Of soils; from black muck to the
heaviest clays. OF all the small
grains they Will stand the creates
neglect, but well repay good cult
walton. They are often sown OF
new plowed sod land, and occasion
ally do well enough to induce far
mers to continue the practice, not
withstanding the fact that in nine
cases out of ten the result is any
thing but satisfactory. Better plan
corn on the sod land, and SOW oatl
after corn. We have seen grea
crops raised where the land is ricl
by fall-plowing a corn stubbl'
ond then sowing as early as thu
land could be narrowed in the spins
and when the frost was not sufi
GENTLY out of the ground to pillow
Sod land plowed late In the fall ma,
be got into fair condition for oat
by the use of a Shares or Nishwit
harrow, when the sod is not suffi
cienly rotted in the spring to admi
of cross blowing. When the sod wa
plowed early, say in August or Sep
TENDER, and the land was what W
called ''fall-followed," thesod shout,
be well rotted and when plowed il
the spring would be in excellen
condition for oats, and if the Ian,
is rich enough Il great crop may b
expected. From q to 81 bushel
per acre is the proper quantity @
seed, according to the condition
and fertility OF the soil-the richie
the soil, the less seed is required
AS q rule, we do not SOW oats THO
/, enough, or make the soil suficientl
fine and mellow. When sown witt
a drill, which is by far the bette
plan, harrow the land thorough
and then SOW before drilling, and j
there are still any sods, roll again
after the drill.
Peas In many sections are s.
much affected by the pea-beetle, 0
what is properly called "the bug,
that their culture is almost entirel
abandoned. There is at present n,
known remedy. Getting seed en-
tirely free from bugs, or dipping
the seed for a minute in boilin,
water, are popular remedies, bu
are not based on any satisfactor,
reason. Late sowing is to Ger
tain extent a remedy, but the crol
is almost invariably a poor one
Better SOW as early as possible, ali,
try to raise a great crop, and fee,
out the crop to pigs before the bu;
eats much of the substance of tn
peas. This is killing the bugs anC
converting them into pork at TIN
same time. If generally adopted
and our seed obtained from sec
tons free from this insect, w,
should in time get rid of the trou
bic. We drill in the peas at tn,
rate of B bushel per acre, or q o
peas and IL bushels of oats.
Potatoes with the writer do bet
ter on a rich clover sod than OF
| st11hhla land II is time W. ,,nir