Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-07-04
the uNPaeceDeNTEo oRouTH OF
1899.

1899.
NOT TOO LATE 10 PLANT FODDER corr
on NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 10
BIZ USED.
The spring and early summer Of ls9!
will be remembered ~ . trying one fol
farmers. The weather during Apri
vas not unfavorable to the pushing oi
spring work such a. blowing, sowing
grain, and planting potatoes and seeds
Of hardy vegetables. There being sc
little rainfall the ground could b
worked almost ~ soon as the frost wat
out, bat the weather Was 90 cold that
seeds were allow to germinate and not a
few rotted In the ground or were so
long coming up that their vitality
seemed exhausted. Tue subsoil being
sbundxntly moist, trees, shrubs and
even grass In fields and pastures, car
ried AS rich a shade Of green rs we
often see, but the top soil being dry
aud growing more and more SO every
dsv the outlook for planted seeds Was
dark indeed.
The cold weather Of April was follow
ed by the driest May within the men,
ory Of the oldest inhabitsnt. Day after
day the hot winds took away more and
more OF the moisture from the fields,
and though the clouds often showed
signs OF showers, yet like all such signs
In dry time, they failed 20 fulfill their
promises. Corn planted oa dry land
either remained dormant or swelled
Just enough to sprout and then die.
The strawberry crop 10 many places Is
9 complete failure, and the grass on
many fields Is made into hay without
cutting. Weather reports bring ac-
counts OF occasional showers In certain
localities and all are hoping that our
turn will soon come to see 8 change for
the better.
As one extreme is generally followed
oy another it Il not Improbable that
the late summer and fall may be favor
able TO the growth Of grass and other
forsge crops. The country ts 30 large
and transportation facilities 40 abundant
that II seems almost impossible for
starvation prices to rule rs WAS the
case in former times snd even now In
some other countries. Yet the situs-
ton Is serious enough at the best, and
we should all plan 90 make the most OF
the possibilities within reach.
The wide-awake farmer VIII always
come out ahead Of the lazy one, what
ever the conditions otherwise may he.
II Il not too late for getting full crops
from corn, millet and barley sown now
or very soou, provided there are occa-
sioual showers, As we have reason TO
expect, sand the work Of preparation is
and judiciously pushed
along. One of the difficulties to con-
tend with In dry time like the present
Ia 10 work the land for seeding 80 that
what little moisture there Is In II shall
not be dried out In the working, 80
there will be no chance for the seeds 10
grow.
There are thousands Of acres OF grass
land that will cut less than half crop
this year that ought 10 be turned over
and seeded for late forage crop OF
some kind to help make up for the
shortage in the earlier ones. With
such weather rs we have had the past
Few weeks large aeld ploughed and
cultivated for seeding would lose so
much OF It's moisture during the opera
ton as 10 unfit II for growing n crop
unless wet BY timely showers
One advantage from the use OF CON-
mercial fertilizers At such time In
stead Of stable manure is the time
saved In the application. With q sup
Div Of good fertilizer on hand one can
plough on one side Of field with
swivel plough half day or 30 and be-
lore the inverted sod has had time TO
iry out, follow with cultvstor 70 hne
The land and work Ia the fertilizer 50
that the seed can be put 10 AZ once and
get the benefit of the subsoil moisture
In starting the crop. Sod land recently
turned Is so broken up throughout that
the air can circulate all through IL and
thus easily dissipate and waste what
moisture IL coutsins. But Il the plough
Is followed at once with heavy roller
10 compress the burrows and prevent
this circulation the moisture may be
largely retained, especially II light
harrow IL used TO loosen the top inch,
and thus make q mulch 10 cut of evap-
Grating.
/ mention these facts to encourage
those who might hesitate about trying
TO get in crops till rain falls. But
there Ia 10 time 10 lose. A few days
msv determine results, rendering our
efforts successful or n failure. We all
hope for rain, but II IL fsils to came 10
our aid then IL IL the part Of wisdom 70
try and see what we can accomplish
without i,. II such weather as we
have been suffering from Of late were
the rule r,ther than the exception we
would be eoptriving ways to raise
crops in spite Of drouth. Some are do
ing it now by irrigsting their lands.
The sums expended In city sewers
for carrying the plant food Of 4 country
out 10 sea IL used to water the earth
and make IL productive would make the
people over large territories independ-
ent Of rainfall In seasons OF drouth.
So, too, II the river valleys were drain-
ed aud brought under cultivation there
would be large areas that would never
suffer for enough moisture to carry crop
TO maturity. But 30 long rs
manufacturing is more profitable or
more popular than farming these rich
valley lands will continue to be over
flowed and produce little or nothing OF
value.
Human experience will some time
teach people the value Of these lands.
when that time comes farmers will
have learned TO cooperate for mutual
advantage. At present We must take
our chances In cultivatlng higher lands
that may or may not give US profit.
There are thousands Of acres OF grass
land that can yield no profit from the
crop this summer, but some OF II could
be made TO do so with a timely and
reasonable outlay In fertilizer and labor
In putting In late forage crops.-A. W.
Cheever in New England Farmer.
CLIPPINGS.
haa IN ponlauk all his