Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-04-09
agricultural.
April on the Farm.

With the advent of April the busy season
of the year Oh the farm begns. The plans
for systematic work for the spring and sum-
ner are supposed to have been ma ured some
time ago, 50 that there should be but lit e
hesitation as to what to do, and there need
be none if the calculations have been proper
" made. 1t is true the best laid plans are
subject to more or less Interruption. The
weather will not always come right. The
hired men will not always turn out to be
what was expected. and a thousand other
changes may be required to suit the exigen-
cies of the occasion. This is no reason for
neglectlng to make and mature plans 1t II
only a trial to patience and discs pine OF
the Judgment which is constantly called into
exercise on the farm.
TIE work of this month is, very much Of
it, sort of preparation for the min work
OF the year. Ii Is true certain seeds and
crops may he pl nted. The pease ought to
o. IN. and various garden seeds may follow
them, not overlooking the early potatoes. II
is good economy to take Particular pains witt
these early crops. Most farmers are too
much inclined to neglect the g rden; but If
they would consider the advantage OF an early
supply OF vegetables for the family table.
they would find that the garden saves good
deal from the butchers bill, and not untre-
quently, the necessity OF running after the
doctor with another long bill to settle at the
end of it. All such thiogs as asparagus. let
tuce, rhubarh, celery, radlshes and many
other garden plants that might be named are
eminently healthfu and they are easily raIs-
ed And then smaller fruits, like currants,
Strawberries, &c ought to be found in every
garden, and they should be regarded, not a.
luxuries that can be grudglngiy aft ,rded but
as among the necessarles of life on the farm
We think it desirable to have the garden
located bs near the house as possible 1t is
very convenient to spend an odd hour there
whenever it occurs, and it is often handy to
work little early in the morning and jut
at night, after the principal part OF the day :
work is done. Besides it ought to be aces
sble to the people in the house. But many
of our old gardens have been kept too macy
wears liz the same place. The soil has been
stuffed with manure year after year, till II
has become too full of organic matter for the
healthy growth of some plants. It is Coos
plan in some such cases either to change the
location entirely or to take off a few inches
of the surface sUi, use it as top dressing or
Il grass lands where it will do good service
and then plough or spade up deeper sub
soil in the old garden spot. 1t will put new
lie anG vitality into it, and it may help to
keep down the weeds, that is, make the soil
less weedy by the removal of the layer that
was so full of weed seed. If any one doub :
this, let him try part of his garden and see
This treatment, of course, applies only It
those old and long used garden plots. where
the soil seems to have got sick OF bearin-
very much the same crop year after year.
PIoughing is the order of the dav thi.
month, and caIting out manure will occupy
good deal OF time. This IS not the plac,
t. go into the methods OF ploughing, and the
comparative merits of deep and shallow, bu
our readers know very well that we do no
recommend any half way work. Thorough
cultivation will pay better in the long run i
it does not Immediately. At the same vine
we do not believe in burying manure yer,
deeply. We perfer to keep it pretty nea
the surface, but to have it well mixet and in
corporated with the soil, and tnat early II
the spring, as much before the seeding a
possible, especially if it IS coarse barDyart
mannre.
All coarse manures have to undergo pro
cess Of decomposition before they becom
available to the plant. So far as they con
tain soluble materials ID a liquid form, sucl
materials may begin to act very quickly, bu
the coareer materials require time, aud tina
time is longer or shorter according to til
condition which they are in, the state Of tn
soil and the weather If the soil is moist
as it usually is in spring, and the heat is SUI
fcieut, they pass through the natural cha nge
more rapidly han under other circumstances
But there is obviously an advantage 10 get
ting them into the GROUND early They be
come more thoroughly Incorporated with th
soil and 'he plauts will feel their intiueac
more quickly alter the seed is sown.
On fields that were sOwn down last fall
clover seed ought to be sown Immediately
Il light snow falls it is a good plan to ava
of that, and SOW the seed directly upon ii
as it is a guide to enable us to SOW it evenly
and the melting snow carries the seed int
the ground. We do not think it harms til
grass any to go over 1t with light bush ha
row or with a roller, if the ground is fir
enough to permit OF it without cutting uI
but it is not oten that this is practicable q
Dewly seeded land. 1t is usually too 1T
this season OF the year. and 10 that case t.
injury might be greater than the benefit b.
there is not much loss of seed without al
covering lbe Stiffness of the ground az
the frequent rains will work IL sufficiently
help 1t TO catch.
We have about come to the conclusion tn
it is better, on the whole, to turn cattle Of
upSn the pastures earlier than We used t
MIR Lewis, in bis sensible lecture before g.
State Board of Agriculture at Barre, took &
glouDd that it was better for the grass in {
pastures, and for the cattle too, to get t
cows out quite carry. about as soon as t
grass begins to look green at all, and not
wait for our old Goth of May practice
would let them out short time every d
and let them nip the first gras, es that sta
and So keep them short and eatable. and T
let lot of redtop and other grasses run
to seed stalks. Treated in that way. and I
being able at first to fill and so satisfy the
selves, at the outset on grass, they do not ID
their appetite for hay, aud the change is mC
gradual and better than to wait longer
till there is a " full bite as we say.
We incline to think bis practice is bett
10 this respect, than our com non New Eli
land custom of keeping our cows hivei
either in the barn or the yard all day
course it is not best to let them run on a 6
pasture where they will loach the grot
all up at every step, but as soon as the s
face is firm, why not let them out awh
say two OF three hours day at first, and
that method. We should like to know W
our readers think of 1t. those at least ,
give it q fair trial.-Plous Imam.