The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-09-13
gbe SIoon'tisIO Simrs.
HOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN.
Glover as a Recuperator.

II Is very common practice among
agricultural writers TO advise all persons
having large farms which are In very
poor condition to sell one half or two
thirds of their land, and apply all the
money they receive In manurng and
improving the balance of their property.
In some cases this may be the most
prudent course to follow, but, as gen
eral rule, am opposed to this advice,
for two very good reasons;
First, you can get very little per acre
for your poor fields; and, secondly, If
you improve your property with judg-
ment, you can enhance its value so rap
idly that in seven or eight years 1t will
be worth double or treble its former val
uation.
TO begin improvement, take the old
field about half u mile from the house,
and which Is covered with thin yellow
grass and mellow soil, about one or two
inches deep, produced by many years of
exposure to the weather.
1t has never been ploughed since you
knew it. And beg you do not plow 1t
now, at the beginning of your efforts TO
make IL better. Let me show you what
coating of fine, mellow earth Is worth
upon its surface
In Egypt the annual overflow of the
Nile deposits on the land thin stratum
of very fine soil, which amounts to only
four or five inches in century. This
yearly settling, which is only the twen-
tieth of an inch in thickness, of almost
impalpabe dust, keeps the farms forever
rich and productive. The Egyptians do
not plow this precious coat under; but
sow the seed on the moist ground, as the
waters subside, and then, If possible,
they drive sheep and hogs or goats over
it, to press the seed into the soil.
We should learn useful lesson from
their example and experience. We
should not plow down the only part
which the air has enriched, by mingling
and uniting with it for 50 many years;
but early in the spring weshoud harrow
as many acres of the old field as we can
sow with clover seed, at one peck to the
acre. After the seed is sown, we should
roll the ground, and SOW one or two
bushels of plaster per acre.
The principal roots of all plants must
be near the surface, that they may feel
the life-giving influences of air and
moisture; or the soil must be loosened
by nature or by tillage, that the atmos-
phere may penetrate even the deepest
flbers of vegetation. Hence the reason
that plant food acts SO well upon the
surface and that all seeds germinate
more quickly, more naturally, when
covered by only one or two inches of soil.
But these great truths must not be mis-
understood. Though the soil must be
loose the finer the seed the greater the
necessity, when planting or sowing, of
pressing with the hand or foot, or roller,
the earth into close contact with the
grain.
Well, to return to our old field. If the
clover should grow five or six inches
high by the middle of August, give 1t a
half or whole bushel more of plaster per
acre. The second year you must treat
in the same way and if the clover is
thin on the ground, SOW more seed and
again roll it well. Do all this the third
and fourth year, if necessary. After
this it will reseed itself, provided you
continue the plaster each year.
Here is practical illustration of this
plan, which know to be fact
A person bought very poor farm
near the southern boundary of Pennsyl-
vania, and tried to raise grain upon it
in the usual way; but nothing grew
large or strong enough to produce seed
Fortunately, he did not sacrifice the
property by selling it at very low fig
ure, as many would have done. He
sowed every acre of 1t with clover seed
and plastered it every year. For liv-
ing he followed the profession of an auc-
tioneer.
About seven or eight or more years
the clover grew upon his farm, undis-
turbed by plow or hoof of any kind.
Then he concluded to try his hand again
at farming. Many of his neighbors
gathered to see the first plowing, after
so long rest from tillage.
An old farmer who was present assur-
ed me that the soil turned over eight or
nine inches deep as black as your hat
and as mellow as an ash heap
More than fifty years have now passed
since that occurrence, and the farm has
the reputation of being rich and produc-
tive to the present day.
SILVER CREEK, N. ", Feb. Q, 1881.
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