The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-09-25

of "burying crockery" in his land, as
they deridingly talked when they pass
ed by, wagging their wise heads
but, Mr.. johnson, did you pay that
large note by the time it became due? ?"
Long before was the prompt reply.
The two crops of wheat that came in
during the time, by their increased
yield, wiped the debt all out, and gave
him and some others confidence in his
policy-which may be summed up by
saying that he first took the stagnant
water from his land, and then made all
the barnyard manure he could by feed
ing sheep and cattle during the Winter,
and turning into the ground great crops
of clover and grass, when he plowed
his pastures and meadows, to raise
wheat. The immense work he perform
ed will be best comprehended when it
is stated that he laid about forty-fve
miles of tile drains-and this, too, on
what is called uplands, not, as has been
said, made wet by springs, but by the
water that fell upon it from the clouds
and he is now recognized as the very
father of the now so generally practiced
system of upland drainage in this coun-
try.
He had field of forty acres that was
seeded to clover, and most of it Gall
but three or four acres in Ole corner)
had been drained, which he wished to
put into wheat, and he did not wish to
pillow it until the clover had become
fully grown. To this end he purchased
in the early Spring three pairs of strong
oxen, intending to put on each pillow a
span of horses and yoke of oxen-a
boy to drive and man to hold the
pillow. Acquaintances, as they passed
along the road, began to ask why he
did not pillow his Summer fallow but
he bided his own time, pasturing ten
sheep to the acre after the clover had
become we'll grown, and until quite late
in June. Then, with his three spans
of horses and his men, he went to the
field, sending in another direction for
the oxen. For some reason, there was
delay in bringing the oxen, and having
nothing else on hand, he started team
of horses before one of his plows, and
was surprised to find that two horses
on a pillow were enough, and no oxen
wanted. So when the oxen came the
boys were told to drive them back and
let them get fat to be sold for beef.
This saving of a boy to drive and a
yoke of oxen, was due to the draining.
The tenacity of the soil had been bro
ken up by freeing it from water. This
was demonstrated when the plows came
to the part that had not been drained
left, as in Mr.. Johpston's judgment,
not wet enough to materially injure
crops. To pillow this undrained land it
was necessary to use three horses to
pillow. The lesson taught was improv-
ed, and drains were at once put into
this piece So that it was not merely
the increase in the crop, but the lessen
ed cost Of producing it as we'll, that
was gained.
The after-treatment of this field con-
sisted in keeping the surface mellow,
and leaving the clover in the furrow
In regard to this method of Summer
following, Mr.. Johnston said that in
1859 he harvested twelve acres of Med
iterranean wheat that measured thirty.
five bushels to the acre, weighing GA
pounds to the bushel (making the mer-
charitable 81 1-2 bushels). He plowed
an old sod in June, DEEP, using three
horse teams, and kept the surface mel
low by narrowing, but no other plow-
ing.
The largest yield of wheat he ever
had was in 1927; 20 acres averaged
AZ l-S bushels to the acre.
So that it turns out that this master
workman has never been able to pro-
duce, on field of real MOTHER EARTH,
more than 40 1-S bushels to the acre of
wheat in one crop.
This will appear strange to some of
your readers. We are often told of
larger crops, and theorists urge US to
aim at larger averages than Mr.. John
ston's very best result, in an experience
of more than half century. 1t is
certainly we'll to aim high; but in this
climate, whoever raises more than 40
bushels of an acre of land in one crop,
must not only have the very best of
land, and have it in the vary best con-
dition, but all the chances must turn in
his favor; the crop must come up well,
and grow well in the Fall; the insects
must let it alone; the Winter must have
enough snow to protect the young
plants, and not so much as to smother
them. The snow must 60 off at the
right time in the Spring, and warm
showers must give start, and uninter-
rupted good weather follow till harvest
Neither rust, nor nudge, nor Hessian
fly must injure it, and favorable weather
must prevail in harvest time "Ah!"
said Mr.. johnson, " have raised many,
very many crops of 80, 33 and 35 BUSH
els to the acre, but 40 is hard to 60 be-
yond" The faculty of self-deception
that some men possess is entirely want
ing in our venerable friend, and there is
just one thing that he cannot do any
more than could General Washington.
l saw on Mr. Johnston's farm two
pieces of very excellent barley, and ex-
pressed my admiration of them He
said he did not think his land well
adapted to this crop, though it did hap
pen to be good this year. He did raise
barley long ago, but the price fell off
and went below half dollar per bus,
considerably, and he discontinued rails
ing it. Now the price of barley is
good, and he is trying it again, intend
ing to sow wheat on the stubble this