The Somerset reporter., 1897-01-07
A RUN DOWN FARM.
Give Frequent Culture and Keep Soil Gov
cred With Growing Plants.

Give Frequent Culture and Keep Soil Gov
cred With Growing Plants.
The following advice is for run
down farm with soil. sandy loan, rath-
er stony. 1t comes from Country Gen
teman: On the poorest soil sow spurry,
the seeds of which can be secured at any
large seed store. Sow from peck to
half a bushel per acre on ground which
has been thoroughly plowed and har-
rowed, after danger of frost in the
spring When il comes III bloom, which
will be about two mouths, pillow 1t un-
der and resow. Three crops can be raised
in one year at slight expense This is
adapted to the very poorest land, and
the object is to get humus III the soil,
so that more valuable crops may be
raised.
Plow some of the better land as early
as possible and go over the land many
times with the roller and harrow. If
the land is not wet when this work is
done, it will do wonders for the plants
which are to follow Sow as deeply as
possible two to four inches) one busbel
of peas and afterward . bushels of oats
per acre in the ordinary way. If the
yield does not justify cutting them, turn
the stock ON, partly pasture them off and
replow the ground and SOW again about
the lst of September to barley and oats
the same as above. These will make
pasture up to about the end of October,
or they may be cut and fed green to the
animals, or they may be left to 90 down
on the ground or else plowed under III
the fall. 1t Is impossible to know
whether the first or second crop of peas
and oats viii pay for cutting or whether
it would be economy to pillow them un-
der
The following year this land should
bring an excellent crop of corn. which
should be planted in drills (stalks about
eight inches apart in the row. and cul-
tiyat6d seven or eight times during the
summer. Some of this land should raise
good crop of ensilage corn the coming
season. Select that which is the least
difficult to cultivate. Plow early. Plant
until well into May. Plant as designated
above and cultivate for all it ie
worth. " Use the largest variety of corn
which will get advanced to or beyond
the roasting ear stage before frost is
likely TO appear.
Purchase few hundred pounds of
murate of potash, few of sulphate of
ammonia and "a like quantity of dis
solved bone, say half ton TO "a ton all
told, and with these see if it is possible
for you to find out whether these when
mixed can be profitably applied or
whether one or two can be applied sepa
rately. You alone can solve this prob
lem of purchased fertilizers.
Meantime some live stock should be
purchased. preferably COWS. Feed them
Rberally and try to work into system
of partial soiling, allowing them to run
out for part of the day or during the
night, at which time them may secure
part of their food from the fields
which are left uncultiyated and upon
which, it is presumed, some weeds and
a few coarse grasses will grow, and sup
plement these by green cultivated crops,
corn ensilage and some concentrated
feeding stutfs, or, IN other words, try to
make the chickens. COWS and pigs, a few
of each, pay the running expenses day
by day while the farm is being i'm
proved in its productive power.