The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-12
AGRICULTURE.
SUGGESTIONS ABOUT SHALLOW FLOWING
FOR CORN.


A correspondent of the Country Gen
tleman writes as follows The b5lief
is becoming general that manure is most
proftably applied for the crop or for
the soil as a top dressing. The fine
manure in the farm yards in August is
almost invariably used for top dress
ing for wheat. But the coarser manure
is more generally drawn on ground in
tended for corn in spring, and plowed
under. Then if the season is dry it
sometimes remains unchanged at the
bottom of the furrow, and gives little
benefit to the crop, as the roots will not
reach it, especially where the ground
has been deeply plowed. A quick,
early start is what corn needs to make a
vigorous growth. Top-dressing would
give this, if it we're practicable, which,
however, is not always the case with
coarse unfermented manure. There are
! two difficulties-one in drawing heavy
loads of manure over newly. plo we'd
| ground, often when the soil is filed with
water. The second is in properly pre-
pairing and planting fields covered with
coarse, strawy manure.
There are several methods Of overcom-
| ing these difficulties. Some of the corn
| ground may be plowed in fall, and
manure spread over it from sIeds when
covered with snow. Unless on a hill
side, there will be little loss from wash
| ing away the manure by this method.
The fall blowing will be excellent for
the crop. A second plan is to draw and
leave in heaps end spread these over the
plowed surface as the field is plowed.
| The third and altogether best plan is to
| draw and spread as early in winter and
spring as possible, leaving snow and
| spring rains to dissolve the soluble parts
of the manure and incorporate them
with the soil. When plowed in May,
most of the strength of the manure will
be found leaked ont of it, and what is
| left will operate as mulch to keep the
| ground moist and light. The anchor
ating as well as enriching effect of
| good coating of II azure, even if mostly
straw, will astonish any one who tries
it. Then pillow the ground thus MANFRED
very shallow. Four or FIVE inches is
sufficient on most soils. Using Joint
er, very good seed bed can often be
had by blowing only 3 1 2 inches. The
shallower the better, providing the sod
is well turned under, especially clover
sod. Shallow blowing for corn keeps
the manure near the surface, thus giving
the advantage of top-dressing. The
manure is also nearly in contact with
the decaying sod. The fermentation
which speedily follows keeps the soil
warm and moist, and corn grows much
more vigorously than when three or
four inches of cold sub-soil are turned
to the surface for seed bed. After the
manure and sod begin to rot, generally
at the second time cultivating, have a
narrow cultivator with long slanting
teeth which will tear up the soil, decay
ing sod and manure as deep as plowed.
Much of the manure between the rows.
now mostly rotted, will be brought to
the surface, while that under the hills
will remain for the corn to strike into.
This plan secures all the advantages of
top-dressing with none of its disad-
vantages. No ammonia is lost, for the
| loose earth will absorb it, and the solu.
BILE elements of the manure are incor-
porated with the soil as they could be
by 70 other plan.
THE DRESSED WEIGHT OF ANIMALS.
Farmers, who have had but little ex
perience in feeding animals for the
market, are often disappointed because
their beef and pork does not weigh as
much as they thought it would. They
are likely to overlook certain points
which ought always to be taken into &C
count when estimating the dressed
weight of animals.
l. Age. An old animal VIII not dress
as much in proportion to its looks as a
young and growing one.
| 2. The degree of fairness. A creature
which will weigh a great deal more
han one equally az large, but which
has not been well-fattened.
3. Amount of grain which has been
fed. An animal which had twenty or
thirty bushels Of meal will dress much
heavier than one which was in equally
good order when the fattening was
commenced, and which may look
equally we'll when it is finished, but
which has been fed only half al much
meal.
4 Length of time in which grain has
been fed. A creature which has been
mealed for five or six months will
weigh more than one which has had
about the same quantity of meal, but
has been fed only half as long.
In all cases liberal and loug coptin-
ued feeding is essential to the attainment
OF any great success in fattening ami
mails of any kind.
WINTER PLANTING IN THE SOUTH.
Many hardy plants, like wheat, oats,
barley, clover, the European grasses,
cabbage and turnips, will grow more or
less in February, as well as March, if
they have every advantage which our
climate allows. Early sown oats, clover
and grass seed uniformly do best in our
experience, aud generally the earlier
the better, provided the ground is in
good order. There are many pros and
cons in winter and spring blowing and
delay ing for the soil to be dry enough
to break up fne and mellow. BY wait
ing too long one may loose tie best
growing seasons of the whole year.
Better pillow when the ground is little
too wet than delay too long. Surface
drains will often carry eff water and |
enable one to cultivate and seed early |
in February or March, as the weather
may happen to be. Guard against too |
much water.
ROTATION OF CROPS.
Is our present rotation of corn, oats,
wheat, and grass the best one we can
adopt? In English parlance it involves
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