Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-07-18

with a suitable harrow, and to have clean
fields all summer, we must start the cul-
tivator aud hoe early, and use them fire.
quently, till the crop is grown. What
ever NAV be the condition of the weather
or the crop. the cultivator should 60
through the rows as soon as the weeds
start. 1t will do a twofold work-wlll
lii the weeds, and hep pulverize the soil
ard mix up the fertilizers with 1t, and
hasten the development Of plant food IN
both the soil and manure. But IN rough
e!oddy field, one breads TO start the cul.
tivator early, for fear OF tearing up or
covering the crop planted, and this al
forLs one of the strongest arguments IN
favor of performing all the preliminary
work in a thorough and correct manner.
A field properly ploughed, narrowed and
planted is ready for the cultivator or horse
hoe between the rows The next day II de-
sirable. We frequently cultivate potatoes
before they break the ground, and also
any other crops which may require it,
With a good steel tooth cultivator or
horse hoe. with outside teeth reversible,
one may do at least nine-tenths OF the
work with the horse, if it is properly
handled-but it must DC properly hand
/ led. 1t will not do to let it remain IN the
tool house until the land is swarded over
by grass aud weeds-it must be used often
and little. Two cultiratings, day or
two apart. are worth nearly twice as much
as If made the same day. Our rule Is,
never TO cultivate but once In n row the
same day, and never Use the hoe upon
field crops until the cultivator has been
through several times. Then, when the
hoe is used, we know Just where to use 1t,
and no time is wasted in doing what the
horse and cutivator eau do just as well,
or even better. The hand hoe should be
used only where the horse hoe cannot DO
the work.
Some may think thai it will be neces-
sary 10 follow the cultivat0r Immediately
10 uncover hills and reset plants that the
cultivator has disturbed. So 1t would II
the surface were all clods and turf, but
where all the previou, work has been
done as it should be, this will not be the
case, and the field may be cultivated out
half dozen times if desirable, before the
hand hoe touches it Then the work OF
the hoe will only be to cut out the weeds
Immediately around or between the plants,
and these. if left where the cultiyator will
catch them the next time !: Is used, Will
be sure to be destroyed even if they are
left there in bad weather, when many
) people would think it too wet 10 hoe. We
dislike to find so much fault with the
common methods of doing farm work, for
il can hardly be pleasant reading for our
: patrons. but when We see so much bung-
ling. laundering work done in the gardens
! and fields. and so little accomplished, We
feel it duty to speak plainly. The ma
iority of farmers who work to a diSadyan'
taoe in the cultivated fields do so because
thew have not learned better way, but
, there are some who follow the old course
from a pure attachment to old ways and
habits. The cultiyatOr was formerly con-
sidered an aid 10 hoeing, and when 1t
was found to be time to hoe field, the
cultivator was used to make the hoeing
, easier. But by the improvement IN cuI'
tivstors and horse hoes, as well as IN
plouchs and harrows, the time has really
gone by for the cultivator to aid the hoe
and now the hand hoe should be consid-
cred the aid or accompaniment TO the horse
} hoe or cultivator. The horse hoe must
now do the most of the work, and the
hand hoe bears the same relation to II
that the little hand rake bears to the
other tools with which We now gather the
hay crop. The hand rake is handy TO
trim up Il cock or 4 load of hay, and to
gather the scatterings by the fences, but
no one thinks of doing his raking with it.
Neither should any one do his entire hoe
ing with the hand hoe, but use it only for
trimming out close to the plants, and IN
the corners where the horse hoe cannot
reach.-lN. E. Farmer.