Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-02-26

till thoroughly ripened. the heads and
stalks black, and to have one or two
showers on 1t, after cutting to make 1t
thrssh easily. Some think it best to cut
it as soon as the heads are mature, and the
seed hardened or glazed, but while the
stalks and leaves are green, and some
heads a little later are immature. BY cut
ting at that time, and cooking at night,
you do not shell any; you save all the
leaves, and if some heads are not ripe,
there will be no loss when you have q
| flock of sheep TO feed, as they will eat il
ali clean, and even cleaner than the first
| crop of hay. / prefer this latter mode,
and must say that | never had any fodder
better relished or more carefully eaten
than this straw. A few years ago cir
| cumstances prevented my cutting a crop
| Of clover at the proper time. 1t being
| Over-ripe, severe hail storm passed over,
nearly destroying it, threshing out three
fOurths of the seed. The clover straw
was hard, dry, and woody, and Of little
value for fodder. The highest yield this
year, to my knowledge, was tnreshed
from rich piece Of ground, cut early for
hay, and lost on accouet of too wet wealth
er. 1t gave nearly six bushels per acre.
Cor. Country Gentleman.
EuToRs RURAL WORLD: The sole Ots
ject, which a good farmer has in view, is
climates vary so much that there are
scarcely two farms which would be i'm
proved by precisely the same treatment.
This is especially true, if the two farms
are managed by two farmers, because, al
though the treatment might be precisely
alike, the time of treatment might vary
Just enough to be beneficial in one case
and detrimental In the other. As, for in
stance, blowing land while wet or while
dry; hero one or two days difference
would either do good or harm. ''Sum-
mer following" is mode of improving a
soil which is deficient in humus, very
weedy, and in locality where manure is
not accessible in sufficient quantity. The
atmosphere is by this means drawn upon
to make up the deficiency of natural and
artificial manure, while the frequent agi-
tatiOn of the immediate surface, destroys
the weeds while young, and before they
have exhausted the soil of that which it
has derived from the air. Therefore, to
summer fallow'' with certainty OF ul-
innate benefit, we must keep what We
have got, and get what we can"
1t follows, then, that soils requiring
this treatment, are either new soils OF
weak character, or old soils have become
so from continued cropping without feed
ing in return, OF this the farmer must
be his own judge. If the soil Is very poor,
a yearly following would be necessary,
NJ y experience IN TINS country Il, LhaJ
heavy cropping, frequent cultivation and
moderate manuring will not deteriorate
my soil, if these essentials are admins
tered at proper times, with the single ro-
tation Of top crops one year, and bottom
crops the next. Say grain and roots al
ternately, or as near as that may be ac-
cOmplisked on farm, when nOthingis
sold from it bat fat stock.
There is probably nothing mOre impOr-
tant in farm practice, than 20 do every
thing in its proper time. If the season
should be a very dry one, summer fallow-
ing is the thing; but if heavy rains beat
down the loosened earth to a level sheet
OF mud, injury is the certain result. On
the whole, in the Mississippi and Missouri
valleys, the true way to improve the land
is to grow no crops which will not be di-
rectly available in fattsniug stock, which
condenses the grain and root crops into
the smallest compass, brings In the most
money for the least outlay, turns the
whole product into manure, which ia the
life of the land, and thus enriches both
the farm and the farmer.
5. II. NJ.
Dodge county, Neb.