The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-04-15
OH 8armer.
Clean Culture.

appreciated only by few in comparison
with the many, although so much has
been said and written upon this subject.
The gardener and those having only
small area Of tillable ground, understand
the necessity of keeping it clean of weeds
and in proper condition; but how is it with
the great mass Of farmers2 Do they not
practice as if they thought it matter of
small moment whether they grew valuable
crops or weeds? It is too frequently the
case that they think, or at least act, as il
il did not pay to spend very much time in
destroying weeds. Is not this mistake
Take any hoed crop; corn, potatoes, cab
bages, and roots for instance; let one field
be kept perfectly clean Of weeds through
the entire season, and another have less
attention given to exterminating the weeds,
say half or three-quarters cultivated; take
the same crops on the different fields when
they have matured, and compare quantity
and quality, and you will have striking
evidence thai clean culture does pay, and
pay well too. 1t cost very little Of any)
more to keep a field Of any of the forego-
ing crops clean, than to let it go, regardless
of weeds, if the proper course is pursued
in cultivation.
In the first place, many farmers make
great mistake in not employing sufficient
working capital for the acres under cult
walton, so that they feel obliged to pillow
and plant "a portion at least) too early, or
else they do not more than half fit the
ground for crop. Let the ground be
sod or fallow, too much pains cannot be
taken in blowing and fitting the soil for
the roller and harrow to follow. Flowing,
to best economic culture, should not be
commenced until the season of planting,
and then be rapidly pushed until compile.
ted; and here let me say, it does very little
good to pillow unless the ground is in
suitable condition to do the work well.
The roller should follow the pillow, after a
few hours, and the harrow follow the rol.
Ter, in such manner as to best pulverize
the soil without disturbing any sod lust
turned under. The narrowing should be
sufficient to produce fine, mellow seed
bed, but do not Be in hurry to get the
crop in: remember that good farming re.
quires that ose hoeing Of the crop is re-
qnirsd before the crop is planted, and It
can then be done at much less expense
than afterwards; and that is often the only
hoeing required BY the crop, the plow and
euliiFator or narrowing doing the rest.
Il always pays to give corn dressing
Of sone Fertilizer, ike wood ashes or pIas-
ter, or both mixed, or some other equally
good or better stimulant Of growth. soon
after the young blades show above ground.
As soon - the rows can be distinguished
across the fsld, the harrow or cultivator
should be started. and without reference
to any long time usage or arbitrary rules,
eultisate with these implements sufficiently
frequent to keep the soil clean and prop
erly mellow, even if necessary to cultivate
twice week for while, or even till the
corn getssoas to entirely cover the ground |
If all these essentials are properly carried
out, and, when hand-hocing has to be re-
sorted 70, il is thoroughly done, and deep,
seldom viii it become necessary to hand |
hoe corn after it is planted The impor-
lance Of deep culture, with pillow or cult
vator, in dry season, cannot be over
estimated Bysittiug down and mourning
over the drought, we cannot remedy its
effects, but BY being up and doing, driving
the cultiyator and plow, we guard the crop |
from the effects naturally resulting from
drought
Although the foregoing remarks may |
have local application, the principal adj
vccatsd Is Of universal application, and |
should be generally adopted in all sections.
What a grand thing it would be for farm
mers, as well as all consumers, If the prin-
eiple would be universally adopted All
our great cereals aud crops would be