Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-06-06
Farm and Household.



At recent meeting of the Franklin Co.,
Mass, Farmers Club, the subject of concen-
trated farming coming up for discussion Mr..
Muntoe Morse ut whose house the club met,
made the following statement, describing his
method of farming upon few acres few
years ago, he had as he supposed, farm OF
respectable size, but, owing to the growth OF
the town and the demand for building lots,
he Ind found his domain growing gradually
smaller, from year to year, and yet, by man.
aging his remaining acres with better econo-
my, he had continued to produce as great an
aggregate of crops as when his farm was
double its present size. His first move was
in the direction of double cropping. Pota-
toes had been one of his leading crops, but
no could not afford to give up field to these
for an entire summer, so he had adopted
system by which he is enabled to take both a
crop of potatoes and crop of corn from the
same land He plants only the earliest varie-
ties of potatoes, the Early Rose being pre-
fcrred for its yielding qualities. These are
planted with the rows II trife wider apart
than might otherwise be advisable, and after
the Inst hoeing corn is planted between the
rows At first he aimed only for n crop of
fodder corn, but has found that even field
corn can be grown and well ripened after po-
tatoes if the work is all properly done, and
the seed planted by the 10th or goth of June.
lie once obtained fair crop planted on the
18th of June, but this is too late, except i'll
very favorable seasons. Sweet corn for can
ming or for market has ample time to grow
after crop of potatoes. In growing success
sive crops the same season, it is very impor-
tant that the fertilizers be applied at the time
of putting in the seed, and in such quantity
as will force the crop along rapidly at the
start The planting of the second crop counts
as one hoeing of the first, and the digging of
the potatoes equals one hoeing of the corn.
The labor of digging the potatoes is some
what increased, as care must be taken not to
break down the corn plants, which by this
time should be several inches high. full
crop of cabbages may also be grown after po-
tatoes by setting the plants between the rows
and applying plenty of fertilizer, little at
the time of transplanting, and more Mt the
first hoeng. Field beans may also be grown
instead of corn or cabbages, if preferred.
Had grown good crops of yellow eyes, plant
ed July 4th, but the last of June is better.
All the turnip family will have ample time
to grow after the potatoes the flat va
reties even if sown as late as August 1st
Flat turnips will also do well sown with grass
seed early in August, on fields to be perma-
nenty seeded. The turnips get started ahead
of the grass but do not materially injure it
for succeeding years. Where forage is an OBJ
ject, barley will grow after potatoes, and pro-
duce n full crop, as it is not injured by early
frosts. He had combined potatoes with
squashes by leaving hills in the potato field
for later planting of the squash seeds The
potatoes will be of the ground in ample time
to give the squashes plenty of room to spread
themselves. Beets for cattle may be planted
quite late on rich ground and if one is sue
cessful in transplanting them from beds, they
may follow an early crop of some kind. VIM
ter rye cut for fodder is off in season for field
corn, and almost any other crop the farmer
may desire to grow and even when left to
ripen its grain, there is plenty of time for
getting n crop of millett corn, or barley for
fodder, or u full crop of cabbages if the
plants are set Millet will also do well grown
ON sod land after n crop of early hay, but it
should be put in by the first of July, if posi-
BILE, although fair crops may be expected in
favorable seasons sown rs late as the middle
or the goth of the month Cabbage, turnips,
corn fodder and barley may each be grown
after a crop of early cut hay, provided the
work is all performed promptly, but it will
not do to wait for seed or fertilizers, nor for
neighbor to come and help plough. If one
is proposing to force his land to produce n
number of crops in season, he must see
that everything is in readiness at the earliest
possible moment. few days delay will
spoil the best intentions. Some farmers have
been successful in sowing grass seed in corn
fields at the last hoeing, and he intends to
try the experiment as soon as an opportunity
offers. Corn fodder had been a leading crop
with him, and had largely taken the place of
English hay in his stable economy To be
the most valuable, it should be cut early and
cured quickly to retain the sweet juices in
the greatest possible perfection. In growing
double crops fertilizers are applied to each at
the time of planting. He does not believe in
manuring very long in advance of the crops
to he grown.