The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-06-18
The Egis & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md, June IS, 1856.
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUB,
How often should Land be PIOwed in
Ten Years

How often should Land be PIOwed in
Ten Years.
The Deer Creek Farmers Club met, last Satur-
day, at the residence of Mr. VIM. ID. Lee, near
Thomas Run. The active members present were
Messrs. X. John Rogers, President; VIM. ID. Lee,
T. Harris Archer; John M9ores, b, H. Barnes, F.
Lee, Thos, Lochary, e. z. Moores VIM. Munnik-
huysen, II. Spalding, VIM. +. Hays and George
y Silver, together with Messrs S. NJ. Lee and
The farm was duly inspected by Messrs Web
stor Munnikhuysen and Hanna, a committee APP
porting the result, said that the farm had i'm
proved since the club last met there, and shows
and oats. His corn is not high but is of good
color and stands well. He has good stand of
wheat and clover and timothy have taken we'll
stock cattle look thriving. He also has pair of
ino yearling mules and handsomely marked
mule colt few weeks old.
The question discussed was: "How often NAV
land be plowed with reference to present and
prospective profit, in a series of ten years."
W. ID. Lee said his general system is to pillow
early in spring for cut the corn as early as
possible in the fall and seed the ground to wheat
After cutting the wheat the next year, he plows
the land and sows wheat again, and gets the land
In grass. The grass is allowed to remain as long
as this rotation will permit. Flowing year after
year deteriorateS the soil whereas il will i'm
prove under grass.
S. NJ. Lee said his plan is corn the first year. fol
lowedby wheatand clover. Let the clover remain
two years and pillow it under for wheat. Set it
again in grass, which remains five years. Thus
the land is plowcd only three times in ten years.
He Thought the crop of clover turned down is of
more value than fertilizers. He uses from one
fourth to one-half of the clover and plows down
the remainder. He disapproved of putting
wheat stubble in wheat, regarding it as a waste
on most lands.
VIM. Webster's opinion was that there is more
profit in letting land lie In grass and. in grazing
cattle than in blowing it. He thought three
times in ten years often enough to pillow up the
entire farm. He would follow corn with wheat
and grass and the fifth year go back again to
There land 1ptpriOTa
while in grass by washing of the soil or fertliz-
ers. No enemy attacks grass and the only risk
is in getting good set.
John Moores said his system was seven years
rotation. He tries to cover "a sod with manure
fall it is put in wheat. The second year part of
it in wheat and the remainder in oats. Then in
wheat, with timothy and clover. 1t remains
four years in grass and then goes in corn again
Under the system advocated by Mr.. Lee he had
raised from II to II bushels of wheat, now he
gets 30 to 80 bushels and IL to II barrels of corn
Two fields are kept for permanent pasture, by
feeding on them in winter
II; Harris Archer thought that most of the
land on Deer Creek would soon be covered with
running briars unless plowed oftener than Mr..
s. NJ. Lee proposed He did not believe a crop
of wheat could be raised by turning down clover
alone.
II. Spalding's plan is to follow corn by wheat,
pillow the wheat stubble the following summer
and set the land in grass let it remain from
three to five years before blowing for corn. 1t
is of advantage to top dress sod for corn.
Edward P. Moores. would divide his land into
wheat; put the field again in wheat and set in
grass. Now two years and pasture year. Then
cover the sod with barn yard manure or straw
and pillow for corn again. Five crops of wheat
might be grown without injury to the soil, ex-
cept from washing, If fertilizers were literally
used and the land then set in grass.
James W. lIanna's rule is to pillow every seven
years. He has one field that is plowed every
year and the oats now growing is as good as any
crop, with bone and phosphate mixed. He likes
to pillow down clover sod now and then. AS good
corn as he ever had was from blowing a field on
which the clover had been killed out. lie at
trbuted it to the clover roots, as no bone or ma
nure was applied.
Thos. Lochary aims to pillow once in every four
years. He follows corn with wheat and grass,
mows for two years and then puts the land in
corn again. He seldom plows for wheat, but cul-
Harry Wilson liked Mr.. Locharys system, but
can not adopt it always, as there is no certainty
on his land of gettnga set of grass on corn
ground. lie did not think it OF advantage to
pillow ground to get it in grass, but thought it
better to let the field have its portion of rest.
tenanted his system compels him to plow every
third year. All the manure made is hauled out |
on the field to be put in corn. The corn is fol- |
lowed by wheat which is stumbled down again |
for wheat and grass. There are no crops on |
which manure pays better than corn and grass. |
A few years ago he and other members advocat- |
ed spreading manure on grass year or more |
before blowing IL for corn. He had changed his |
opinion and now hauls out manure and spreads |
as rapidly as it accumulates and finds the results
quite as good.
Mr.. Webster remarked that in his experience
of 30 years he did not recolect failure of the |
corn crop. Mr.. Munnikhuysen said wheat was |
the only crop he gets any money for, as he uses |
all his corn, whether much or little. He thought |
wheat pays as well or better than corn. Mr.. S. NJ. |
Lee did not recollect loss of the corn crop |
more than two or three times in fifty years.
VIM. +. Hays follows rotation similar to Mr. |
Locharys, except that he does not disturb sod |
as long as 1t is u good one. Always plows his |
worst sod for corn, follows corn with wheat and |
grass seed and clover. Sometimes pows for
wheat and sometimes cultivates it in. He looks
to grass rather than to grain for profit He near
ly always harrows wheat ground for clover and |
seldom misses getting stand.
James Lee has no regular rotation of farming,
but would prefer something like S. NJ. Lees |
plan. Instead of leaving clover two years he |
would leave it one year. After the first crop of |
wheat he would pillow the ground. The largest |
crops of wheat he ever raised was from the same |
first and AZ the second year.
b. II. Barnes said that in his system he covers |
n good still sod with barn yard manure for corn;
plows the land again in the fall for wheat Some
land will not raise clover, but if cultivated often
the soil will be made deeper, and clover can then
be raised. Grass, when set, will also last longer.
next years corn ground and continues until |
done blowing. He can see no difference in the |
crop between that hauled out just after harvest |
and that hauled out Immediately before plant
ing.
X. John Rogers likes to have good sod to |
pillow down for corn. and prefers to put out the |
manure, particularly coarse manure, year be- |
fore planting. by so doing you get good sod |
to turn down, which has great deal to do with |
making good crop of corn. The corn is follow |
ed by wheat and that, in turn, is stubbled down |
ana put in wheat. He has good crops of wheat |
and rarely fails to get good set of grass. Gen
orally mows three years then top dresses again |
and puts the groundin corn. Pasturing appears |
to benefit the land and makes better chance |
for corn than where the land is moved and top |
dressed before blowing down the sod.
The next meeting of the club, will be at the