Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-06-28
AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN.
Interesting Letters from Hancock
County Farmers

Interesting Letters from Hancock
County Farmers.
The fourth bulletin of the State board
OF agriculture for 1899, devoted largely to
haymaking, contains the following in
teresting letters from Hancock county
farmers:
PENOBscoT- As regards hay, l would
seed down in the spring, with grain OF
some sort. | have done the best when
have broken the ground up in the fall
and the following spring planted to corn
or potatoes. Then the next season | SOW
to oats or barley, and SOW my grass seed
with the grain, and | have never failed to
get good eaten OF grass " hen the season
was good. The amount OF seed varies ac-
cording to the state OF the ground. If
the ground Is very rich, SOW l peck of
timothy and from 10 TO 10 pounds of
clover; if the land is rathe poor, increase
one-thlrd. | cut my hay when full in the
blossom II | can, and before the seed ma
lures. l commence rs soon after the
18th Of July as | can get ready. | think
early cut hay Is the best for cows and
sheep; perhaps for horses and oxen that
are at work a little later cut would be
better. l have never used the hay tedder
but the horse fork is one OF the best tools
in getting hay. The grain usually sown
here Is oats and barley. The most of it is
threGhed by machine. Some NOV with q
machine and rake with horse. | should
say 1t would cost $500 per ton to raise
hay and harvest 1t IN good season. The
hay crop in this section to-day, June y
looks quite slim III comparison with last
year. think il we get one half as much
as last year We shall do we'll.
n. F. NORTON,
AURoRA--I would follow the hoed crop
with grass. prefer to hoe the soil one
season to clear 1t OF weeds. i seed in the
spring, with oats or mixed grain for a
cover crop, mostly with oats alone, using
only two bushels per acre and cutting
green w here land is in state of high
cultivation aud you SOW more oats per
acre and let them stand until they ripen,
they grow SO fine and stout that they
lodge, and wherever they stay down any
length of time it kills out the grass seeds.
| let the ground remain in grass from
elg mt to ten years, or until IL cuts less
than one ton per acre. | seed down the
ground with barn dressing, about SO
cords per acre, usually cropping two years
while up. | cut when in first blow, or
commence then so MS to be through when
the timothy comes into the second blow
think the horse fork great saving. l
have no grain thres he'd, think it is much
more value used MS fodder.
A. E. MACE.
ORLAND-When once grass is well laid
down l have not been convinced that
much, II anything, Is gained by breaking
1t up and rotating with some other crop,
II grass is he crop wanted. Ii every year
or two good top dressing is applied, the
land will be sure to produce crop. III II
fails, it is for the want Of more dressing.
l once bought piece OF land a portion Of
which had not been cultivated tor long
series OF years and it only produced II
little whiteweed and wire grass, and was
not worth moving. Advisers said II
would have to be plowed up and laid
down again before it would do anything.
l thought l would try an experiment, SO
spread good coating OF stable dressing
on 1t in the winter on the snow. The
result was surprise. Large punches OF
red clover came up, | don't know where
II came from, never saw 1t there before,
the whiteweed seemed to almost dlsap-
pear, and had an excellent crop OF grass
the first year after the application. And
now | would say, that my experience Is
that more benefit can be derived from
spreading dressing in the winter on the
snow than at any other season. 1t does
not dry up and evaporate, but IN the
spring when tins snow melts away the
juices all go into the ground and the
grass roots get the full benefit and moth
ing is wasted. A. IL. DRESSER.
DEER ISLE have found best results
from seeding grass land in the spring
with a very light sprinkling OF barley, as
that does not sap the ground like oats;
just enough to shade the grass plants till
they are large enough to shade them
selves. l prefer early cut hay for my
COWS every time, not cut before maturity,
but before the blossoms fade. Cut i'll the
morning, do up at night, open next day
and put in barn before the sun falls is the
ideal way for an average crop, other
things being favorable. Grass started
well here but cold and dry weather re-
tarded growth. IL seasonable rains do
not come soon the prospect is for very
light crop. Il. 5. WARREN.
BLUEHILL-A finely pulverized soil is
the most essential point in seeding to
grass. To this end, the ground should be