Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-01-30

I
secured y fair crop this season ? | have
seen good crop of hay taken late in the
season, from seed sown early in spring,as
soon as the snow was of. without any
grain. 1t has been suggested that our
moving machines were destroying our
meadow lands--how or whyp Some
say by cutting too close. One gentleman
at our last Club meeting suggested that
il we cut the timothy below the first Joint
the water would descend into the stock or
the bulb and cause it to rot, thereby de-
stroying the roots. Are not our horse
rakes doing considerable mischief by
tearing out the roots ?-JoHN ROYAL.
Sec. No. Waldo Agl So, Unity.
think the severe hardships suffered by
farmers during the past year will even
lually produce good results. as many I'M
portaut lessons have been learned. Is
pecislly do we see the need OF a more
thorough cultivation and enrichment oil
the soil. and Improvement OF low LANDS
hy clearing and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
lands are natural for grass producing
Never before has the value OF the grass
crop been so felt rs now Every farmer
is obliged 10 reduce the number ot farm
animals. and as consequence less ma
nurs will be made for the farm.-GRAN.
WILLIE FERSALD. HdrrtSOn.
Various causes are assigned for the
hminulive crop OF hay and apples The
nav crop. We think. was injured by the
drouth in 1870. and bare ground and
freezing roots last winter; and also want
of rain and warm weather in the hrst
part of 1871. The snow was unusually
thin the past winter mot over y inches
deep in the woods. WALKER,
Fryeburg.
have a good illustration of the im-
portaucc OF thorough cultivation and ma
nuring, for have found that such land
felt the drouth but little. and yielded near
" an average crop of hay and other ar
.icles. We had oRe of the highest tides
We are subject to. three weeks ago
Moved probably one hundred and fifty
stacks of hay on the marshes in Scarboro'
and Saro. seth SCAMMoS. ScGrborO'.
The more the forests are cleared away.
the less rains We may expect; 80 We need
not look for vet seasons as in the year,
past. until he trees have grown up to
supply the place Of those whics have
been cut down and destroyed. There
are but very few forest trees lett standing
on the scaboard from ST. John TO Port |
land. islands included Ii seems TO me
that our Legislature should pass some
law 10 encourage the growth OF forest
trees.-M. L. WILDER. Pembroke
We have no reason to complain, and
on the whole. this season has learned
some of Us a lesson that We shall not tor
get-that stock may be kept on much less
hay than usual, and that they will be much
better ior it.-MosEs CHANDLER, East
CorInh.
The hay crop IS OF more Importance
than all the other crops put together, with
US. and the great deficiency is keenly felt
by farmers. | saw in the fall several
young orchards entirely stripped of their
leaves by grasshoppers. with fair show
Of fruit that WAS worthless. never coming
to maturity. As sample of farming in
the town of Skowhegan for the year 1871,
| will give you list OF nv crops: Sow
ed 35 acres oats. threshed 2S0 bushels
sowed acres wheat, threshed 80 bush
els sowed , acres barley. totally de-
stroysd; planted - acres corp, not an
ear husked 5 acres potatoes, 600 bushels.
SJoca is very low. and farmers are buy
ing large quantities OF corn and meal 10
help supply the large deficiency in the
hay rtop-JoHN WESTON. Secretary
Somerset AgrI So. Sko'chegGn.
The season from seed time to late in
September was very dry; hence there
was poor catch of grass, which in al
dition 10 last years failure and from the
same cause, our old fields and pastures
show great lack OF visOr; probably in
consequence Of two dry seasons and the
great scarcity of birds (ihere having bOen
not half the usual quantity OF birds in
this vicinity the past season.. injurious
insects OF many kinds have been uncom-
monty numerous and quite destructive.
On the whole, the present year is EN-
phatically hard one for the farmer.
Yet our courage is good. and l have no
doubt our failures may be the means oil
developing both ideas and resources, and
perhaps in the end may prove to be bless
ings.-N. r. Pike. Winthrop.
High cultivation-th is. thorough
working of the soil. liberal manuriug
and deep tillage-is paid up insurance
against all casualties, whether by wet.
drouth or even grasshoppers. When that
cultivation is conducted with intelligence,
wi forethOught and with hsnd guided
BY the judgment, of mind we'll stored
with knowledge. = liberal harvest is sure
to he garnered up. When farmers all do
as well as they knOv. there will be much
! improvement on present practices; and
the time when all will k,sotc as much as
they ought will only arrive when they
give earnest thought, diligent attention
and hard study to the business in which
they ale engased.-Z. A. Gilbert. East