Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-03-14
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Maryland Farmer.
Farm Work for March.

FENcEs.-Let these he put IN proper order,
and all bushes and brars cleared from the cor
ners and sides, as they cause the fence rails to
decay, and clean fence gives an air Of neat
ness 10 the farm.
PLASTER. If you have not already done it,
SOW plaster over the young clover and grain
if bushels Of salt were added to 2 of plaster,
well intermiXed, it would be greatly for the
better. Make free use of plaster over your
barn yards, hog pens, in the stables, hen
houses, and over such places where the slops,
ashes, and house slops are deposited.
CLovER.-Should favorable time come this
month, sow your clover seed, and harrow it
in amongs, the wheat and rye. The harrow
ing will benefit the grain by loosening the hard
crust Of the grain fields, formed by the rains
and drying winds of the winter. II is a work
ing for the small grain crops that is highly
beneficial. This work may be put off until
next month without detrimcnt
CoRN.-Do all the blowing for the corn crop
you can this month, so that it can be put in
gooa'order with the harrow when desired, or
places, that the entire field may be in the best
filth for the reception of the grain when it is
time to plant. A many of our readers live in
the Sunny South, where corn planting is 60
ing on at this season of the year, we would
urge them to plant only on well prepared fer
tile or highly manfred ground, for otherwise
at the high price of labor and low price of
corn, the crop will not pay expenses. Better
be a month later in planting, if the delay will
enable them 10 prepare the land well, and ma
nurc it or fertlize it with some good super
phosphate, or other grain-producing manure
PorAToEs. As in this section early potatoes
pay better than late ones, we would advise
that few acres be planted ms soon MS the
weather and condition of the soil permit. To
grow the largest crop, the land should have
been deeply plowed and heavily MANFRED last
autumn, so that now, by cross-plowing and
narrowing, the manure would become thor
onghly incorporated with the soil, and easily
brought into fine filth, but if this has been
neglected, the ground intended for This crop
should be highly MANFRED and plowe6 deep,
and got into fine condition. Then lay off
rows, three feet apart and four inches deep;
in these trenches sow some phosphate fcrtii-
ger, at the rate of 400 lbs. or more per acre,
according to the strength of the article or scat
ter in the rows well rotted stable manure and
drop the pieces of potato 10 or II inches apart
in the rows. If the potatoes are cut small put
two pieces in place; if cut in halves, one
piece is enough. Cover with small pillow or
with the hoe The seed should be the best,
which is just no conceded to be the Early
Rose, both for early and winter crops They
ought TO be medium size aud well ripened for
planting.
MANuRE.-At every opportunity haul out TO
the places where it is to. be used, the manure
you have accumulated, and spread it rs soon
hauled, and as soon as it is spread, SOW plas-
ter over it to prevent the ammonia from esca-
ping. light sprinking will be sufficient, as
the sulphuric acid of the plaster will readily
arrest the escape of the ammonia as it is given
out, and fix it so, by converting it into the
sulphate Of ammonia that it will remain with
the rest OF the fertiIizing qualities of the ma
nure, until the crop plants are ready 10 take it
up as sustenance and aids to their vigorous
development. See that you provide in time
all the fertilizers you may want for your crops
Do not, without experience, buy largely of any
one sort, for it may not happen to suit the soil
or particular crop, or the seasons may not
suit it.
POULTRY HOUSES White-wash and cleanse
with carbolic soap-suds the poultry houses
keep clean, use lime and ashes and fresh earth
on the floors of the same, which remove and
put in barrels with the droppings of the fowls
once week, and you will be supplied with q
valuable lot of the best fertilizer you can get
Feed your fowls with warm mess Of mea
and potatoes once day, with grain of differ
ent sorts in the morning and at night. Diver
sify their food. Provide ashes for dustin.
themselves, and lime, pounded oyster shells
(coarse bone dust they are fond Of, mes
scraps and bread crusts, with meal and husks
mixed aud baked in pones. Do these thing:
and you will have abundance of eggs, and ia
poultry for the table. Ducks and geese al
hearty and gross feeders.
WORKING CATTLE AND HoRsEs.-This is
very trying month to working beasts, and the
should be well cared for and highly fed, wit
constant moderate exercise to prepare them fC
their coming hard labor.