The Portland daily press., 1874-08-26
ERMS $500 PER ANNUM IN ADVANCE.

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nal growth Of each one would be deprived of
lis share OF air and light and moisture by the
proximity OF the others, and not only would
their full development be retarded and. per-
maps, prevented thereby, but their very exist
ence endangered by exposure to winds and
storms?
Wherever dril-husbandry is introduced. wa
hnd, as a necessary consequence, that the la
Dor OF animals and the use of the heavier aq
ricultural implements are substituted for the
man and the hoe, thus producing marked
saving OF time and money. Years ago we
read the account of the enlightened farmer in
New York, who cultivated his field of pota-
toes containing, we think, eighty acres, from
seed-time to harvest without using the hoe at
all; all the operations of planting, cultivatiag
and harvesting were performed by this i'm
proved method more e6ectually and with dis
patch; while the weeds in the drills which
were not smothered by the plow or cultiya-
tor, were pulled up by the hands of his men.
We always admire the courageous example
OF men who are willing TO adopt new meth
ods IN the face OF public ridicuie; and it is
delightful to see as frequent result of the
law OF compensation, that many improve
ments which relieve the employed from
grievous burdens, also bring increased re-
turns to the employer.
We have referred to the example and expe-
rience of England, as affording instruction
and encouragement to ourselves; and vet
what dull scholars we are, and with what a
snairs pace we move! Thirty years ago.
Henry Colman in bis European Agriculture
said, "The practice of drilling wheat is in nv
opinion greatly TO be preferred to that OF SOW
ing it broadcast; first, in the much more
equal distribution of the seed, next, in the
better opportunity which the wheat has of
spreading or tillering, and thirdly, in the op-
portunity of clearing and cultivating the
crop, which latter is of great Importance. 1
am OF an opinion, borne out very strongly by
facts which have come under my observation,
that wheat in the early periods of its growth
is as much benefited by cultivation as anv
plant which is grown; and the injury which
is done, both to the growth of the plant and
to the sample of grain, by the weeds which
ing or clearing of the crop of great import
ancs.''
We subjoin also extracts from a recent
English writer, to show how uniform and
consistent and convincing these foreign testI-
monies have been:
By drilling in the seed, one bushel, at the
very least, is saved on an acre. That is to
say-the briard, though looking thinner at
first, is found to become as strong and uxu-
RANT, and the crop to bulk as well, and in all
probability better at harvest, by sowing a
bushel less seed per acre with the drilling-in
machine than in broadcast sowing. Now,
how is it that less seed is required wien it is
drilled in? In the first place, the seed is all
deposited IN the soil, none is by any chance
left on or too near the surface TO perish, or to
be picked up by rocks and other birds. In
the next place none of the seed is buried so
hopelessly deep that it never comes to the
surface; the seed is all placed at an uniform
depth, it all comes to the surface at the same
time, and every plant has thus the same
chance for life. Again, seed is saved by the
drill depositing it regularly. No wind affects
it as it drops through the close iron fingers of
the drills, and although wind does not affect
the seed TO any appreciable extent as it d-cps
from the broadcast machine, and it is not al
ways windy weather at seed time, still irreg-
uarities on the surface of the soil prevent the
seed from being equally scattered. This is
the case more especially on land after green
crops when it has been plowed early in the
season, which will often produce patchy-
looking briard, some places there will be little
thick tufts, and others again will be too thin,
consequently extra seed must be allowed for
this. So much for what may be called the
practical answer to the question.
Theoretically speaking, it is allowed that in
rows the plants have more freedom and tiller
better, and also have more chance of being
well supplied with atmospheric food by the
better circulation of air through the rows. OF
course theories may be either true or false, but
in this instance it is OF very little consequence,
since in practice it has been found that as
good and even better results follow the drill
ling-in of two bushels of seed, as three BUSH
els sown broadcast, either by hand or ma
chine
BY drilling, as has before been said, the
seed is all placed at The same depth. No ir-
regularltes on the surface of the soil affect
the regular depositing of the seed, while they
do affect the broadcast sown-some of it be-
ing covered too deep, while some of il has too
little covering. Therefore, a better sample of
grain may be expected after the drilling-in
machiue, as the seed, coming all at the same
time, ripens regularly, and there will be less
light and inferior grain. By drilling, oppor-
tunity is afforded for the extripation of weeds
by hoeing. and this is one of the chief advan-
tages derived from drilling.
The highest authorities on such subjects,
and reason and experience, alike coincide in
allowing that the results of the use of the
drllling-in machine are highly satisfactory.
There will be in all probability as much bulk
of straw, there will be better yield OF grain
of quality superior to that produced by
broadcast sowing, and the chances are in fa-
vor of the straw also being of stiffer, better
staple, and better calculated to save the farm
er the vexation and loss of a lodged half
spoiled crop.