Connecticut western news., 1882-08-09
A PAYING FALLOW.

Colonel F. D. Curtis writes as follows to the weekly Tribune: Years ago, be- tween times in the harvest, our fathers plowed their fallows to get ready for the sowing of wheat. There are two better plans, because with both of them dou- ble use may be had of the land. It was @ notion that following improved the land. This was no doubt true, with proper understanding of terms. Our fathers thought (strange inconsistency that idleness was virtue; not in them selves, or their families, but in their land; and so they fallowed the ground to improve it. Perhaps all modern farmers may not understand what this means. Following is blowing the ground several times during the season without growing any crop on 1t. With the ruder implements which were used in former times, and until within few years, this method was more necessary than now. Likeness does not benefit the soil so much as workingit. The modern culti- vators can do this work as effectively, and more so, by going over the land two or three times as if it was plowed just as many, and fit it better for wheat or rye. This being so, either 8 meadow or pasture, from which 8 summers yield has been taken, can be nicely prepared for autumn sowing. As soon as the sod is turned over it should be thoroughly cultivated, and in short time the greensward will decay, making excellent enriching material. If it is found that the soil is not suffi- ciently mellow when the sowing time comes, it may be plowed again. It is this thorough working of the land which puts it in condition for good crop, and there is time enough to do it after the harvest and before the seed needs to be sown. It has been demonstrated by experience that both wheat and rye need not be put into the ground so early as they used to be. This is because the seasons have changed-summer extend ing further into the autumn, making the growing period later. The later wheat is sown the less liability there is for damage by the Hessian fly and other insects which prey upon it. Tke thor ough cultivation and killing of all the grass and weeds will also prevent the ravages of wireworms and grubs, which
 otherwise might injure the crops. An
 other excellent plan is to blow the land
 the last of July or in August, and SOW
 it with buckwheat, which will come on
 rapidly and choke out the weeds and
 grass. Dressing with phosphates, o,
 even plaster, put in with the buckwheat,
 will stimulate it's growth, There is nc
 crop which feels the effect of these fer.
 tilizers so we'll as buckwheat. If the
 soil is naturally poor, or the land it
 rough and hard, crop of buckwheat
 will help to enrich it and also to make
 it mellow.
 The buckwheat will cause the sod tt
 decay rapidly, and also destroy the wireworms and grubs, which never flourish where this crop is grown When the buckwheat gets its growth i should be turned under for 8 manure The chemical effects of the buckweat il
 enriching the soil are not as mucl probably as the mechanical. Buckwhea straw is soft and washy, and if analyzet would show very small value as manure. The analysis, however, doe } not demonstrate its entire benefit cause,
 by shading the ground, by it's disinte
 grafton of the soil in growing, and it
 potent agency in pulverizing it, in sub
 duing the weeds and foul stuff, and il destroying the vermin, and whel plowed under by it's fermentation an, decay the warming and stimulating effects it has upon the succeeding crop Where missiles or other weeds hay 3 gotten possession of piece of groun 3 there is no more efectual way of subdu ing them than to blow in midsumme
 and to SOW the ground thickly wit l buckwheat and then turn it under fo 7 wheat Glover should be sown wit 3 the wheat in the fall and also in earl 9 spring. This double sowing IS no ] necessary if there should be stron 8 catch at the first sowing, which as 3 general thing will be the case. If not s SOW plenty of clover in spring and ha,
 row it in, which will also be 8 grea benefit to the wheat. This kind of fal P lowing will insure good crops and efec
 lively rid the land of th1stles. The feV D struggling roots whi ch may survive tn @ buckwheat will be killed out by the sue - ceeding crop of clover.