Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-07-02

cd. Both were in grass on the first OF
April last The hrst We shall describe
Va ploughed early in May, with a pair
OF horses aud 4 swivel plough The turf
was very 6rm, being chiefly made up OF
June grass, which is very tenacious Ollie,
net being easily killed under careless OF
halt wsy methods of treatment The
plsughiDg was very poorly done not the
fault Of the plough but Of the team and
ploughman. The turf was very imperfectly
turned, the burrows brokeR and ragged,
and green grass left exposed froH every
square yard. The depth Of the inverted
burrows ranged from two inches or less, 10
four or FIVE The ploughing was so poor
" done that il was feared that harrow,
II used would DO more harm than good,
a. IL probably would if the old-iashloaei
strsight-toOthed harrow had been used, 50
the ground was Immediately marked out
fer planting ,by dragging a small One-horse
plough, crosswiSe, over the burrows. This
merely made marks for placing the ma
nure in rows for the hills Of corn potatoes,
beans aud other garden vegetables design
81 20 be gown OF course the manure
must he nearly on the surface. where 1t
would be badly exposed to drying in the
hot sun. even sftsr being covered slightly
with what loose dirt could be scraped mp
between the hills, with hand hoe
The season since planting time, as we
ST knOE, has been cold aud backward !;
seeds hate been long time coming up,
ace hoeing has been delayed AL this
time the grass over the whole surface Of
tAe field lad been growing finely, seem
inHy very little injured BY the pIoughing
Il came Up between the burrows, indeed,
j, seemed a. though the plOughing had
done i, about as much good as harm.
Finally Il became time 10 hoe, not the
srass. but the corn, beans, squashes, GU
oumbers, etc The owner looked at the
prospect with rather gloomy face. he
could not use 3 horse cultivater. because
there was no soil 70 cultivate, nothing bat
tough. ieataery sOds. filed With 1--we grass
roots BAT, beinS = man Of spirit and p,uck,
be had no idea II giving up beaten, 80 he
took his hoe, and one Monday morning,
commenced 10 hoe hi, garden tie scraped
and scratched, turned over sOds, aud after
shaking and pounding them, turned them
back Sgain. tie pulled oui the grass from
among the hills, aai with much labor,
ooauiyed 70 gather little iresh, dne sol
e sprinkle around the hills.
Aud 50 he worked all day Monday, and
Tuesday snd " ednesd.y, and except when
driven Of by shower, the re- Of the week,
And when turday nigh, came he had
hoed QUAETEB Oh AZ ACRE, and on the
next Monday morniDg,hls garden certain
Il needed hoeing again, Tor the grass was
coming up through the burrows and was
beginning 70 give the sur,ace the beauti-
ia green color Of the previous week. But
one can hardly afford TO hoe AL the time
or s. single quarter acre, 20 It was left 70
tskc 10 chance Tor week or two.
The other garden. which Is near by. mas
been mansgcl quite differently II was,
Rntil the present spring, an ed pasture.
IL may never have been ploughed. The
900 has certainly not been disturbed by
plough or harrow for the past half Gen.
fury A few unsightiy bouders were
sunk or blasted with powder, and many
loads N cobb.e stones were dug and cart
eIaHay before ploughiug. The first plough
mg Vas dOAe IN April with S swivel plough
sui strong tes1, good for deep work In
81 sol free enough from stones 10 let the
plough IN, but the land was 80 unused 10
cultivation that !, looked quite rough
and ln-ightiy when the lrst ploughing vs.
completed Men and BOYS followed the
pouch with crosbars and took out al
M loose stones which the plough started.
After thee were carted oF, and the soil
had dried : few day. a disk harrow vas
drawn over the held lengthwi>e, and cross
si-,, and diasoRslly OF the turrows tai
Ne inverted burrows were cur, torn, and
pglyeTiz.d 10 a manner never dreamed OF
by our grandistberS This narrowing
made 6ne soil Of all but about an inch or
tgo OF the grass ssde Of the burrows, aud
many Of these thin turts were cut snd torn
int small fragments
The second p.oughing was done length
wi,e OF the field, As before, and turned W
more hne soil from beneath the prey!cu,
burrows, which latter had been so pu.yer-
iled and reduced by the the DuiveriEing
harrow as % offer very little obstruction
L. che plough az this time Another crop
n stone. aas sarted OF when the field
a. ready isr second attack from the
pu.gerXu, harrow Then a liberal dress
lng Oh manure was drawn on and spread
broadcast after Ehich the held was euiti-
4I-J over and over agaln with i three
to0,hel, dees-vorking two-horse cuitiyator.
Tia minx.cj the manure very thoroughly
tlraa.h the -oii, rakei NJ another crop
p msH tones, 90 Ice o4rted eft, aGd left
tn s5oUaI IN nearly As good condition
i0r P.ay'lug AM the alter cultivation aud
Lpe,ay a5 10 j, had been an old fed aud
40 hoed crops the previous year.
These several operations extended
through some four ~ i've weeks, and when
49, he.i % ihe middle Of May, was plant
el o. the ordinary crops Of the garden, j.
wa- .rc, from cry living thing \ few
las si'r- 'hr loo was planted, aud before
,hc youns plants had begun to break
ground thc hor-o-hCe was run between
The IONS, and this operation has been re-