The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-02-16
NARROWING GRAIN.
Reasonable Topics Ably Discussed by a
well-Known Authority.

ceaeonabte TOPICS ABLY Dacusseu py u
well-Known Authority.
A reader asks my opinion Of harrow
ing wheat in the spring, and if ] would
use slant tooth harrow for the pur-
pose. Also whether harrow corn,
and II so, when and how. In reply to
the first question believe that there are
conditions of crop and soil under which
the harrow will do much good to tho
wheat in the spring, and have oeca-
sionally used ii to advantage, but on
clay upland, such as the larger part OF
the land of Ohio is, it is practically ont
of the question to harrow, for often the
land is not dry enough to crumble UNI
til the wheat is large enough TO joint.
1t is damage TO wheat 10 harrow it
when SO wet that the horses will sink
hoof deep. and | doubt if one year in
FIVE it is dry early enough in the spring
to admit of narrowing. Another OBJ
lection | have TO narrowing, is that |
succeed best in getting n stand of clover
from quite early sowing and, when
sown in clover early, it is usually up
by the time the land will do to harrow.
and this would destroy much Of the
clover have experimental carefully
in the matter of sowing clover, and am
fully convinced that the safest time TO
SOW is quite early, from February 20 to
March Is, varying with the season.
What we want is to SOW on frozen
surface, on bright, clear morning
when we are sure of thaw before
noon, which will make the surface
sloppy and stick the seed fast so that
it will not be washed into punches or
off the land by rain.
But SAYS some old farmer, ''if you
SOW early and it comes up, late frost
may kill it." think not if sown rs
direct. If it is sown with no frost on
the ground and lies on the surface and
sprouts, it is liable 10 damage either by
freezing or drying, but if mt once COW
cred it will not sprout rs quickly as IL
on the surface, and is protected when
it does not sprout. ! adopted this plan
lcdis rdSo stuu nave utNtl StSi ul9
good reason to changeit Old pastures
may be rcseeded in the same way.
Often there are thin places in q pasture
which the owner does not wish to plow
up and resced. and not knowing that
no can improve it while pasturing, these
spots remain unproductivc for year
after year. Try seeding them literally
in February with mixture of grasses
and clover, and il your experience is
like mine you will see great improve
mcnt in them. Now about narrowing
corn. have no set rules to guide me
in managing the crop. Some years |
use harrow and some j do not For
corn prefer slant tooth harrow, but
for wheat straight one. For several
years have marked my corn land shall
low with sled marker so that when
the corn was covered the land was
about level. Then. unless il is wet. we
either roll or use the plank drag before
the corn comes up, and this leaves u
smooth level surface. generally use
the double bar pillow for the first work
ing. and this has rolling cutters for
so that we can run close to tho
corn without covering it at all. The
corn is left on narrow ridge. and the
earth between the rows is thrown up in
a sharp ridge Before we use the culti-
vator we level these ridges down with
a common V-shaped, straight tooth
harrow.
believe that for clayey upland this
IS the best of all plans for cultivating
corn, but on bottom land, OF mellow
black SOIL the harrow may be used 10
good advantage for the first and second
working. and under some circum-
stances even the third. believe in
shallow level cultivation of corn If tho
land is not foul, or too heavy, but the
farmer must use judgment and adapt
mis- tools to the requirements OF the
crop. have seen spring-tooth har-
row recently arranged for the operator
10 ride. which think will do excellent
work in the corn field. am quite sure
that there is still room for improve
ment in our corn cultivators and that u
cutting blade or a narrow vibrating
hoe like that of the spring-tooth har-
row, will take the place of the digging
,hovels which are row used, at least
for the early cultivation of the crop.
Right here will say that | think no
farmer ever makes a mistake by culti-
waiting his corn too much or too frequent
" when young. The best corn grower
ever knew began to work his corn be-
fore it was up. and kept at tit constantly
until it was two or three feet high, and
he would usually have more work done
in his corn crop in a month after it was
planted than most farmers do the
whole season. In my judgment, corn
that is neglected when young until it
takes to an unthrifry habit, never re-
covers from it'll Waldo +. Brown. in
Ohio Farmer.
THE WINGS OF. BIRDS.
Their Position When in Flight shown by