The Portland daily press., 1878-09-03
AGRICULTURAL.
Fall Flowing.

NOW Cnau Inc small grain crops are out Oh
the way, it is a question what should be done
with the ground intended for Spring plant,
ing. This cannot be decided in general
way. No other question in agriculture de-
ponds more upon circumstances than this,
and each case must be decided upon its mer-
its and the contingencies affecting it. No
absolute rule can be given; but il it were pos.
sible, it would most frequently be that bare
stubbles should be Fall plowed, and sods left
until the Spring. Yet there would be so
many exceptions that the rule would be
about as much honored in the breach as in
the observance. For instance, the character
of the soil is Of the greatest Importance to be
considered; then, if it is piece of sod ground,
the condition of the sod should be taken into
account; lastly, the Spring crop itself compli-
Gates the question.
Clay soils that break up in clods should, by
all means, be plowed in the Fall, and left as
rough as possible, that the frosts OF winter
may break down and mellow it. II such soil
is full of weeds, early blowing and frequent
working with cultivator would be very ben
eficial. Soils that are wet in the Spring
should be thoroughly plowed as soon as pos
sihie, while they are dry; and should be left
In condition to be sown with oats or barley
as early as possible in the Spring. This may
be done by throwing the ground into ridges;
blowing narrow or wider lands; by making
deep back burrows and blowing to these in
such a manner as to form rounded beds with
open burrows between them. These open
burrows should be finished clean, so as to
give an easy passage to the surface water,
and, of course, should be plowed in such
direction as to prevent this from remaining
upon the ground. If weeds spring up, the
ridges may be cultivated or narrowed and,
if it is needed, final shallow blowing may be
given as late as possible, again blowing to
hn mil IF hn mir
treated, will be dry early in the Spring, and
may be sown to oats or Spring wheat, while
the sub-soil is still frozen hard. This
has been done successfully by farmers who
are forehanded, and therefore prepared to
take advantage of favorable accidents of
weather and season.
Sod ground, as a rule, should be Fall
at all cayey. In cold clay soils the vegetable
matter does not deeompose so rapidly as in
warmer loans and sandy soils, and for early
pototoes especially heavy sod ground should
be Fall powed. For corn it is not so need
full, but it is well that it should be done, for
the reason mentioned, as well as that the
work may not be delayed by wet weather in
the Spring. Thousands of acres of corn
would have been advanced the present sea-
son two or three weeks had the ground been
Fall plowed and ridged as above mentioned.
So with corn-stubbles intended for oats.
These may be ploWed in the Fall with bene-
fit, unless the soil is very light and dry. For
early potatoes upon stubbles the land should
not only be plowed in the Fall, but should
also be MANFRED on the surface after the
blowing. No other treatment will give so
good a crop or will bring such large and
smooth potatoes.
Spring blowing should be practiced upon
all light soils, except those which are infested
with weeds and need Fall following. In that
case the land should be again plowed in the
Spring, unless it has been finally plowed in
rough ridges, which can be worked down
with the harrow. Sod upon light soil should
In any case be Spring plowed. Fresh green
matter, in an open, warm soil, will decay in
very short time. and light sod plowed now
will leave no trace OF it in the spring. Sod
ground for potatoes or corn should, if posi-
BILE, be top-dressed now, and left in the spring
as long as possible for good growth of clover
to appear. This should be plowed under,
the ground narrowed, aud planting done at
once upon the mellow soil. To hasten the
work and insure quick planting, it is well to
procure and use a swivel pillow, with which
all the burrows can be laid the same way, be-
ginning at one side of the field and proceed
ing to the other side. The first days plow-
ing may then be narrowed, marked out, and
planted, the narrowing and planting keeping
up close to the blowing. Growth begins at
once and continues rapidly when this is done.
As means for destroying weeds, Fall
blowing or Fall following may be profitably
used. The fields are now green with the
ever present ragweed, the persistent golden
rod, with its almost indestructible root; the
wild carrot, and scores of others which dis
figure the farm, and if permitted to seed will
furnish work for years to come. These
plants should be plowed down, and the stub
bles cleaned before the seed is. formed. There
will not then be time for them to mature seed
again this year, and the present crop, with
all its power for harm, will be vanquished.
Year by year farms grow weedy, and as the
old-fashioned summer fallow has become OBJ
solete, these parasites of the soil are doing
infinite damage. Fall following may be made
very effective in destroying them, but to be
useful the first blowing must be done without
loss of time.-N. Y. Times.
Treatment of Buffer after ChurniDg.
Mr. T q CnrtS Wisconsin ar fha lact