The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-03-15
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HINTS ABOUT WORK

of the American Agricultural, contain
so much valuable information and so
many excellent suggestions to the far
mer that we transfer them to THE
WING for the benefit of our agricultur-
al readers who do not see the Agricult-
urist:
Make up your mind what you in
tend to do. Sit down and count the
cost. Do not undertake more than
you can perform. 1t is unwise to COM
mence work that you are not able to
finish in due season. Many a farmer
loses more by getting behindhand with
his spring work than would buy anoth-
er team, and pay the wages of man
for year. This has, at any rate, been
true more than once in our own expert
euce. Have YOU not found it so!
WHAT THEN SHALL WE Do!-Shall
we buy more horses and hire more men ?
Not if we can help it. 1t would prob
ably be better to pillow less land. This
is a point each farmer must decide for
himself. All we can say is, do not get
behindhand with your work. Almost
anything is better than this
THE SEASONS DO NOT CHANGE.-We
are quite apt to blame the weather.
And vet it is matter of fact that there
is no change in our climate. There
have always been wet years and cold
years and years of great drouth. We
should be prepared for them.
UNDERSTANDING on all wet soils is
indispensable to real success in farming.
A we'll drained and well-worked heavy
soil is rarely affected by drouth. Every
enterprseing farmer will do more or
less draining every spring. If he once
commences to underdrain, and does the
work well, he will not be likely to stop
until he has made all his land dry.
ToP-pREssING GRASSLAND is grand
means of ameliorating the effect of
drouth. Spread the manure as early
as possible in the spring, and if you
have Thomas harrow use it freely to
break up the manure.
Go OVER THE FARM as soon as the
snow melts in the spring. You will
see many things that need be done.
Make a note of them and prepare to do
them at the right time.
LET OFF THE SURFACE WATER
This is always in order. Farmers will
let it off wheat, but very few ever think
ofletting it off bare stubble. If there
is no crop to kill, they think it can do
no harm. A few hours judicious labor
will often let off more water in day
than the sun at this season can evap Or
ate in month.
MAKE YOUR WALKS DRY.-Put
down planks or boards if necessary ;
but it is far better to get the water off.
You can do this if you attend to the
matter before the water soaks into the
ground.
IRRIGATINa GRASSLAND at this sea-
son is capital thing, provided the
land rests on dry porus subsoil or is
underdrained. But irrigating low, wet
land will do no good. Better get off
all the water you can, instead ofgetting
more on to them.
DRAIN FIRST, AND THEN 1RRIGATE-
This will double or treble your grass
crop and not injure the quality. There
are many streams that might be easily
damned up the water diverted over
acres of grassland at small cost. 1t
is mistake to suppose that irrigating
is only necessary in dry weather. 1t
does great good on grassland early in
the spring. Try it.
Sow GRASS AND CLOVER SEED ON
WHEAT early in the spring, unless you
propose to harrow the wheat 1t is sell
dom that the seed is injured by the
frost. Do not spare the seed, and be
careful not to miss any land.
PLASTER may be sown at any time
when most convenient-from one to
two bushels per acre is enough. 1t
will do no good on low, wet land.
Repairthe Fences-This can be done
at times when other work is not pres
sing-say after rain, when the ground
is too wet to plow
Piling Manure should be done, if
done at all, early in the spring. Many
farmers prefer to draw manure out OF
the yards directly on to the land. We
will not argue the question here. All
we say is, do something with the ma.
nure. Either use it now or keep it for flu.
ture use Do not leave it spread out
all over the yards and premises.
Flowing should not be done while
the land is wet. Much, however, de.
ponds on the kind of soil, and whether
it was fall-plowed or whether it is sod
The latter always seems drier than the
former As rule, it may be said that
no land should be plowed when it sticks
to a bright steel mould-board.
Three-horse Teams should always be
used wherever practicable. They are
far more effective than two horses
One man can manage three horses as
we'll as two, and will accomplish hall
as much again work. For blowing
narrowing, rolling, cultivating. drawing
off heavy stones on stone-boat, and
for drawing heavy loads on wagon
there is great economy IN using three
horses.
Good Implements-Great loss is in
Cured On many farms by using pool
implements and tools. The higher
wages are, the more important it is
: to economic labor. A good pillow, as
compared with poor one, will more
than pay for itself in weeks work
Harrows should be made heavy enough
for three horses and should take g
wide sweep The old 80 teeth drags
are behind the age. Get good Scotch
harrow with 40 teeth and keep the
teeth sharp. We seldom harrow oul
land enough.
Rollers are best made of plank and il
two sections, Keep the plank saturated
with petroleum. They will last as
long again. Do not forget to oil the
journals.
A Cultivator for Three or Foul
Horses abreast is a very effective i'm