The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-11-24
Ghe 6armer
How To Improve Poor Land.

The Deer Greek Farmers CluD met laSJ
Saturday at Mr. James Lees near Thomas
Run Messrs Moores, Lochary and Rog-
ers were appointed committee to exam
inc and report upon the condition of Mr..
Lees farm and stock. Their report was
complimentary in every respect. Mr..
Lees farm consists of 216 acres of highly
improved land, and being chiefly grazing
farm, $50 acres arc in grass. Part of this
is permanent pasture and has not been
plowcd for 40 years. Mr.. Lee lately sold
a lot Of fat cattle. some of which were
shipped to Europe. The committee re
garded this as compliment to Hartford
county grazers, since few years ago Har-
ford could not raise corn enough to feed
her people. Mr. James Lee has 80 head
of stock cattle which are the finest ever
seen in Hartford county. He has num-
Der of registered Short Horns and pen of
choice Berkshire swine Mr.. Lee raised
800 bushels Of wheat on 80 acres. He.
also farmed 300 acres of land in the neigh
borhood, his entire wheat crop on i8 acres
being ,927 bushels, or over % bushels
per acre. Mr. Moores, Of the committee,
said if he had the making of farm he
would make one like Mr.. Lees. Mr.. VIM.
Webster felt proud that there is such a
farm in Hartford county, and regarded it as
model.
The subject discussed was sThe best ro-
tation of crops to improve poor land"
James Lee-The trouble with poor land
is the lack of vegetable matter You must
get that in the land in some way In tax
ing up poor land he would first pillow it in
the spring, SOW buckwheat or early peas,
turn them in late in the summer or in the
fall and SOW wheat IF his bank account
could stand it he would fertilize heavily
and try to get stand Of clover. When
you get land to growing clover there is not
much trouble to improve it. He would
pasture the clover the first year, after it
comes in bloom Leave it on the ground
two years and then pillow it again for wheat,
returning the straw Immediately to the
ground. As soon as the land would grow corn
he would plant it, get stock to eat and tramp
up the rough feed, returning the manure
to the ground. His rotation would then be,
corn, wheat two years, clover, wheat and
grass, leaving it in sod length of time,
for pasture In applying fertilizers would
prefer to use them on wheat, plowlng
early; SOW bone Immediately, broadcast
striking it in lightly with harrow He
would apply barnyard manure to sod For
wheat it makes too much straw, throwing
the wheat down and killing the grass.
VIM. T. Sawyer thought the best way
would be to cultivate something that would
be available for plant food and get the land
in clover. Would apply bone early In the
season and make a growth of clover, even IT
not strong. Clover viii grow on thin land,
but heavy clammy soils do not suit it we'll
His rotation is corn, two crops Of wheat
followed BY grass. He plows wheat stub
Bile to get it in good condition Let the
grass remain, if he can, four or five years,
moving the first year. Pasturing may set
the grass better.
Geo. Il. Silver said the best rotation he
knew of to make poor land fertile is barn
yard manure and bone dust. But the cost
must be considered and farmers like to
make the ground pay its way while i'm
proving it. We are limited, to certain ex-
tent, as to rotation of crops, to corn, wheat,
hay and grass. Clover is great help to
the soil and on heavy clay soil it is cheaper
than artificial nIanures. 1t is. necessary to
put the land in some crop and that depends
on the ability to apply manure. His rota-
ton would be corn, wheat, clover. Let
the clover stand two years, top dress with
plaster and put in wheat. Followed with
trrass Now it one or two years, then pas
ture. occasionally top dressing. In this
way the land can be brought to good
state of cultivation in few years and kept
so.
Judge Waters said he did not attach
the same Importance that many persons do
to systematic rotation of crops. We
should manage land so as to have it always
in some paying crop and pillow to keep II in
that condition. To make land rich we
must use barn yard manure and bone dust
to supply mineral manures and organic
matter. If he had poor land to improve
he would first get it in condition to raise
clover, then apply quick fertilizer, raise
crop of wheat and start grass to growing
He could SOW clover, and when that was
set would SOW bone dust on it, letting 1t
rest until nature dissolves the bone dust.
1t would then be ready to raise wheat or
corn. BY occasionally blowing down a
crop of grass you supply organic matter and
improve the soil In using raw bone theory
and practice both point to putting 1T on
grass and let it lay year. Better results
are obtained in this than in any other way.
The rotation must be varied according TO
circumstances. A grass set may fail and
the field have to be plOwed out OF ITS order
John Moores believed that the system
generally adopted here by farmers is the
best. that is corn. wheat, followed by wheat
again aud grass But with a poor farm
and a poor farmer the best rotation is a
puzzle. With sedge field farm he would
first sow buckwheat, put the land in wheat
the same fall, followed by wheat the next
year. Then SOW in timothy, but the latter
is not improving to land
Parker H. Lee said when he first took
the farm on which he lives the land was
very thin and nearly all in commons. lie
began with good blowing, and depended on
clover anu pdSOuIC W iih pAO'S ~ NHN- -.
came into use. Any Deer Greek land will
improve by proper farming and keeping
grass ON it. If he intended to make
poor farm improve itself he would SOW no
grass but clover. Would NOW the clover
and pasture with sheep the second year.
Then pillow the clover under for corn, and
follow with wheat and clover.
r. John Rogers said that in taking up
poor land he would like to get it in clover
as soon as possible The surest way to set
clover is with oats. After sowing the oats
SOW the clover, giving the ground brush
with harrow, and you will be pretty sure
to get a set. Use some fertilizer, even for
oats. With good crop of clover as
starting point follow with wheat and clover
again. There is poor chance for corn on
poor land, but wheat is more certain.
With a free use of clover the land will i'm
prove. He had never found it possible to
follow up a strict rotation of crops. He
asked if any one had found blowing buck
wheat under beneficial
Thos. A. Hays said the best crop of
Ubaat he ever raised was by blowing in