The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-05-17
AGRICULTURAL.

SOWING EARLY-A crying need of
the day is early sowing and planting.
There are failures sometimes, or at
least partial failures. We have heard
them reported, but we do not know
that we have ever seen a decided
case. We have seen land Put in
badly, when wet and undrained, and
bad resu is following, but these re-
suits we expected to see. We have
yet to see land put in early when the
ground was dry and mellow and
vel drained, and the crop fail in
consequence of being put out early.
Do farmers know that the spring
grains are in general tardy and will
stand good deal of cold and wet
weather-not water to drown them?
A drained soil will pass off water a.
fast as l. falls, ornearly as fast. And
what then? There is only moisture,
and air is admitted, and the land is
-ellom so constantly cold and wet
that no progress of the seed is made;
and once begun, it will 81 and a good
deal, protected as it is by the soil.
Trust your land if it is drained,
either naturally or other wise, es-
pecially if there is considerable fer
tility, and the soil is dry and mellow
at the time of sowing. Fertility has
a warming effect. At least this is
our experience and the experience of
| those around us.
Early grain is pretty sure to have
| a clean stem and plump berry.
Late sowing, almost as a rule, has
more or less of rust and lighter
| berry. Sometimes later sowing
will yield the most straw. This used
to be the case more than it is now.
The droughts have increased, and
the straw grows less; there is moro
heat in summer Of late; early SOW
ng seems TO yield the most heavily,
both straw and grain, and both i'm
proved.
And this improvement is consider
able. The grain will weigh more,
Will feed better, and command more
in market. If cut in due time, when
the berry is in the dough-which will
further improve the bsrry-the straw,
which is yet somewhat green, will
have the quality and worth of Ordi-
| nary hay. Besides, early sowing Will
be done when three is little of other
work to DO; making less to do when
| the usual sowing time occurs. And,
point of little importance-there
VIII not be that crowd when harvest
comes. The first sowing can be got
| out Of the way we'll by the time the
next arrives, which is, or should be,
Immediately upon its heels. Begin
with the dryest, and, if possible, the
best land. Sow it the first time it
gets dry enough, remembering al
ways that every rain that follows
pelts it harder, and the rains may
/ put it off quite late. The first mel
low soil, left as the frost leftit, is al
ways the mellowest.
Then you have the advantage also
Of putting out early grass seed or
clover if you wish to seed down.
This cannot be put out too early.
Potatoes are included here; you
cannot well get them out too early,
especially, the early rose, which
seems to thrive in bad weather, out
stripping all other sorts. That Is
our experience. Plant deep as well
as early, FIVE or six inches at least,
let the ground be rich, or, better, use
ashes and some hen dung, or guano,
or bone dust In the hill. The early
rose will bear forcing. Peas also
may be put out early, as Wei as oats.
barley and wheat. But corn wants
the warm weather to start it and
to keep it trhiving.