Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-10-17
CuItlxatine ys. Plow,nr.

Inc weather cOndlIOnS OF the pres
ent season have been such as to tele.
scope many of our pet plans and hob.
bies and cause us, on the whole, be.
lieve, to profit somewhat by such un.
expected experience. When in the ear.
lier part of the season continuous
showers were being poured upon us
with a large acreage of spring grair
and hoed crops around us, together
with orchards weeping to be cultivated
and sprayed, it seemed to drive home
the fact that the farmer, above all
others, needs to be the most resource.
full man in the world, and such he has
always proved himself.
The one point l wish to bring ou:
is that we seeded 26 acres of spring
grain with neither fall nor spring
plowing, and we are harvesting, all
told, the best grain we have raised in
years, entirely free from rust, and OF
exceptionally good weight. Our plan
was to broadcast direct upon stubble,
corn, cabbage and potato land, but all
perfectly clean last season, and we'll
ditched in fall; then we followed with
a large V-shaped cultivator draw by
three large horses, then brushed both
ways with light smoothing harrow.
and the seeding was done.
The objection will undoubtedly be
advanced by many that this might
work we'll in a season like this, but not
in dry one. Let us see. A neighboT
of mine. who is large potato grower,
adopted this plan some time ago, on
black loan land, and he has produced
the best spring grain in this section;
but understand, these lands were kept
as clean as an old fashioned summer
fallow while in potatoes. He was ena-
bled to put his land in splendid tilth
by the use of spring tooth harrows
alone; but ours is a heavier, stony
soil, so we were compelled to resort
to the use of the tool above mentioned.
AS for manner of seeding. l would
not suggest it as an iron clad rule to
sow broadcast, but let seasonable con-
ditions vary the method somewhat.
I think where ample time is in sight,
and dry period quite likely to follow
a drill to follow cultivator, as the seed
will be deposited at a greater depth.
and thus not be liable to suffer from
extreme drouth. This method we are
expecting to make use of in getting
cur land seeded after oats next spring,
as the wheat question is about settled
in these parts by the Hessian fly. In
this way we are enabled to get our grain
in fully one week earlier, as it is these
few days of moisture that determine
the veal or woe of seeding; for the
evaporation of the soils moisture is
going on at a fearful rate in early
spring and about the time the land
is in friable condition.
We also expect to sow somewhat less
than is the usual custom, about seven
pecks Of oats; this spring, with exist
ing conditions, we used only one and
one-half bushels. If possible, would
finish the grain and follow Immediate
ly with grass seeder and then roll.
But in order not to make this ex-
perience appear somewhat misleading
I would say drain your lands as we'll,
or better, than as if you were seeding
to wheat. that no depressions shall
carry surface water for a single day
after SHOWS have passed off. 1t is a
principle in agriculture that the bet
ter the lands are drained the more
friable will be their condition, and to
Just that extent will their productivity
be increased.-C. H. WhitcomD of Nj
agara county, N. Y, in The Country
Gentleman.