The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-09-18
;Mhe Rsat,t.
TWO CELEBRATED WHEAT GROWERS.

Our ldruer FeaUerS VIII AN IuluS mole
appropriate and interesting in their line
of thought and business than the fol-
lowing chapter from the practice of two
of the most successful farmers in this
country and England, which we find
prepared in the American Farmer F"
for September:
A VISIT TO TIPTREE FARM AND Mr..
MECH.
To begin, Mr.. Mechi showed in the
result of drainage the great necessity
for successful farming. Feeding piece
of ornamental water in his shrubberv,
he showed the influx of couple Of
small springs, yielding, perhaps, thirty
gallons per minute-which, damned up
by the heavy clay sub-soil, had convert
ed, before they were tapped, what is
now part of field yielding luxuriant
crop of wheat, into an impossible bog.
Such is specimen of what Mr.. Mech
has effected on his originally swampy
land by means of judicious drainage.
Meanwhile, one of Fowler's steam
plows was steadily travelling over a
field characterized by the popularity of
having no less than forty distinctly
different soils in it. 1t was demonstrat-
ed that the coulters succeeded in cut
ting furrow, which, fairly measured,
showed a depth of fifteen inches in
fact, they subsequently went deeper,
when one of them was broken by COM
ing in contact with a mass of pudding
stone fully eighteen inches below the
surface At this result, Mr.. Mech ban
teringly alluded to great agricultural
authority who has recently stated that
a depth of twelve inches had never
been reached by the steam plow. Here,
however. was positive demonstration to
the contrary.
Deep cultivation is the second great
agricultural point with Mr. Mechi; and
it is marvel how our farmers have all
along failed to perceive its paramount
importance-well known as it was to
the ancient Roman farmers. Those
grand old husbandmen, in their best
days, had two kinds of plowing-one
to the depth of four fingers" or three
inches, properly termed scariGcation,"
the other went to the depth of NINE
inches-and this with an ordinary pillow,
drawn by oxen. But then they man.
aged it as follows: They did not 60
round when they came to field, as our
plowmen do, but returned in the same
track. They preferred wet and stiff
ground as best adapted for their cult
walton, but then they knew that it re-
quired deep blowing, and thus they
managed it without the steam pillow.
The scarfcation was only used for
opening the surface preparatory to SOW
ing; and strange enough, that is all we
retained from the Roman system of
farming-three to four inches having
been the standard depth of our British
burrows!
The third point with Mr.. Mech is
ABUNDANT MATURING. In order to de-
liver himself on this great topic, he led
US to his felds-all presenting the solid
proofs of sturdy growth-tall, erect,
and well-laden stems, showing that they
had been Supplied with plenty to eat
and drink from the moment of their
birth to their now approaching maturity.
We saw piece of land-one out OF
many-which had grown forty eight
bushels an acre of wheat last year
After receiving a dressing of 2 cwt of
guano and l cwt. Of salt to the acre, it
was sown with bearded wheat, which is
estimated as likely to produce at least
as heavy crop this year if the season
be favorable. Next year Mr. Mech
hopes to grow at least forty tons of
mangold an acre on the same land,
after which it will again be put to
wheat. Of course Mr. Mech varies
the rotation Of crops according to the
nature of the soil but he does not ad-
here strictly to the two, three, four, or
five course system and wheat after
wheat is grown, both upon the heavy
and the light land, at Tiptree AS
judicious and adequate manuring can
dispense with fallow, SO can it enable
you to grow what you please in the
land, as may be deemed expedient.
The fourth point of his farming is
THIN sowing. All his wheat, barley
and oats now ripening are acknowledge
ed to be at least as good as can he
seen in the Kingdom, and yet his
allowa nee of seed is only as follows:
Quantity of seed per acre-Wheat, 4
bushel on heavy land barley, 6 to 8
pecks oats, pecks.
A part of one field, of the present
season, was sown with onl;- two pecks
to the acre, and yet it completes with
the rest in fulness and promise IL do
not believe" said Mr.. Mechi, "that
farmers know how much they often lose
by thick sowing. They would do so if
they tested, as l have done for years,
comparative quantities on small scale.
Every man should thus Judge for HIM
self according to his soil, climate, and
other circumstance of condition, &c.
The frothy straw and light kernels of a
thickly-sown and early laid grain crop
are losing affair If ever we hear Of
an extraordinary yield, it is usually
from crop so thin in the Spring that
its owner thought of blowing it up;
but, after well narrowing, &c, it branch
ed amazingly, and became the best crop
on the farm. 1t is clear that there is
Some gross error in sowing, when our
average increase is only nine Kernels
for one. Mine is at least 40 to so for
one"
The fifth point with Mr.. Mechi is the
almost complete abolition of fences,
hedges and trees on his farm, so that
the term field at Tiptree is repre-
sented by crop" BY this means the
land is rendered more cereal, by deriv-
ing all the advantages of unrestricted
air and sunshine.
Sixthly, Mr., Mechi utilizes liquid
manure to the fullest extent at his com
mand. A huge tank, as large as a
good-sized house. is the receptacle for
all the waste of the premises, together
with, occasionally, an entire dead car
cass cut into pieces, all kept macerating
into the food-producing abomination.
Pipes have been laid down throughout
orraot mort g bo g., MY, e. H.