Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-10-17
EarH4 xasessets,
Heroic Treatment of a wOrnOut Field.

Heroic Treatment OF q Wornout flelu.
Farmers Home journal.
1t is not always the fault of the
owner that his fields are poor and so
to waste. He may desire to renovate
his land and bring into better filth
and still be financially unable to do
so, 1t is useless to scold about this
because a farmer, brought, let us say,
to a bad financial condition by series
of misfortunes, calls upon the re-
sources of his land beyond its capaci-
ty to pay. If a banker should 'ex-
pend more from his bank than its
earning he will find that he is reduc-
ing capital. So with the farm. A
field cultivated when it should be
rested must decline in value. Two
like crops in successive years may be
taking from it this year what should
not be taken until three years hence.
Brought to state of extreme power
ty by any means it is useless to
call upon it longer. 1t is also
useless to expect it to recuperate at
once. If it be an originally lime
stone bluegrass land it will measur'
ably improve by rest, but if it be on
poor clay subsoil nothing but an ex-
penditure of money will bring it
back. The poor man often hasn't
the money to do it, and often those
who have it don't realize the
importance of spending it or under
stand how to do SO.
This brings us to the subject:
The Farmers Home Journal has
had its attention called TO such treat
ment of field in Oldham county
This piece of land had been worn
down by continued cultivation unit
it would not pay for breaking up
The subsoil was a sticky clay anC
clover even had refused to "catch'
on it and no crop could. be made OF
it. The owner let it run to the few
weeds and brambles that will grow
in such places. Under the direction
of land doctor he consented to TIT
following treatment:
In the spring the briars were Gu
off and removed, then breaking
pillow was put in and the land turned
four to six inches this was followed
in each furrow by subsoil pillow run
ming four inches deeper. 1t was har
rowed later in the season and a grea
many roots hauled away. Mex
spring the land was plowed agai
and narrowed with tooth and dis
harrows. In May it was sown tW
ways with one bushel stock peas eac
way. These came up and grew wei
as they will do even on thin lane
They grew to be two feet high an
were thick. Just before they ripper
ed a heavy roller was put o
and the pea vines rolled down, mat
ing a covering of about six inche
A big pillow was put in which turne
the vines so completely that no gree
was to be seen. This was Angus
In October the top was cultivate
with double shovels, without disturb
ing the vines below. In the sprir
clover seed was sown, as IS usual
done by farmers. Now los the r
suit. The yield was twenty S
bushels wheat per acre, and the ne
clover is as thick as can be all ov
the ground and about eight inch
high. "By thunder" says the par
giving us this item, 81 believe
would make hemp land of this, to
peat the process"
1t cost some ready money
course to reclaim this field, and su
yield of wheat should not be e
pected every year, but don't it see
reasonable to expect that all su
outlay of money will be returned
the wheat and clover?