The Republican journal., 1908-12-31
Waldo County Crop Reports.

The December Bulletin Of the Depart
ment of Agriculture gives the following
summary for Waldo County: Per cent
of cows to be wintered, 80. Decrease in
in young stock, per cent. Yield of
sweet corn, LOG per cent. Not much in
crease in the acreage of field corn is re-
ported. Condition Of oats after thresh-
ing, poor. Yield of potatoes, 81 barrels.
Condition of grass fields, very poor; BADLY
affected by drought. The acreage of po-
tatoes will be somewhat increased the
coming year.
This Bulletin is devoted to cultivation
and publishes the following letters from
Waldo County correspondents:
TROY. Now is good time to plan our
work for another season. Most of us
have our ground plowed this fall, and l
consider that great help, especially if
we have late spring. Flowing is the
first step towards thorough cultivation.
After removing all stones that will inter-
fere with the harrow or cultivator, the
ground is thoroughly worked with disc
and smoothing harrow till l have fine
seed bed to the depth of four or five
inches. In the cultivation of potatoes, of
which am making some speciality at
present, after the seed is planted prefer
to go over them with weeder before
the plants break ground. After they
break ground | cultivate with a wheel
cultivator, drawn by two horses, then
the grass and weeds. In few days use
the weeder or brush again, then continue
to cultivate and hoe q prefer the wing
hoe at this time) as long as | can go
through them without injury to the
plants. In the last hoeing use a shovel
pillow.
In the cultivation of corn, after plant
ing l use the weeder until the plants
are two or there inches high, then begin
with the wheel cultivator, using the plant
shields, then cultivate at least once a
week until the plants are about foot
high, then remove the plant shields and
cultivate again and you will not injure
your corn but will bury all the weeds, and
by so doing there is no hand work.
In the cultivation Of orchards, | derive
the best results by keeping the ground
up nearly all the time. For WORKOUT
fields would pillow and plant to some hoed
crop, using 1880 or 1000 lbs. of high
grade fertilizer to the acre, seeding the
second year by using Is or 20 lbs. red
clover per acre. Cut one year, pillow I'M
der the second crop and in few years
you will have ground in good state OF
cultivation. l think the best and most
essential implements to be used on the
farm are the sulky pillow, disck and smooth
harrows, weeder, wheel cultivator, disck
and wing hoe and shovel plow.
with
field of new ground that was seeded last
spring but on account of drought did
not get any catch at all? The ground is
in a good state of cultivation. Would
you advise seeding on the last snow as
the frost is coming out in the spring.
w. L. Gray.
Note. l should pillow this field again
and put on about eight or ten carloads of
barnyard dressing, with a manure spread
er; or if the barnyard dressing is not
practicable for you, light coat OF
chemicals. Than SOW the piece to oats
| (cr barley would be more desirable, as it
does not require so much moisture as
oats) using to 12 bushels to the acre.
Then seed it to red clover, with a little
alsike and sprinkling of timothy. My
experience on the farm warrants me in
offering these suggestions. -Commis-
sioner.
THoRNDIKE. Old Jethro Tull's saying
that ''Tillage is Manure is as true as
l. was in his day, and more generally
realized. My idea always was to cult
vate all | dared to and then go over
it two or three times more. 1t is diff
fcult to outline a system of cultiva-
ton for general adoption. One thing is
sure, it much be thorough. 1t must also
/ l., Nafrioct fhiS cln
be remedied. Crops stunted by the sur
face of the soil being coarse, hard or
stony, or by an early growth of uncheck-
ed weeds, can never reach a vigorous or
satisfactory maturity. One days use of
the weeder at the right time will do more
good than can be done by the cultivator
in week if the early cultivation has
been neglected. The depth of cultiva-
ton should be governed by the age and
condition of the crop. The first cultlva-
ion should be about IL or inches Deep
subsequent ones four inches. This depth
may be followed until the root become so
large as to be distributed, then more
shallow tillage must be followed Once
a week is none too often until the crop
is too large to work among.
In regard to tools to be used, the best
you can afford, to the area to be cultiva-
ted, are the most profitable. One can
overstock in farming tools as well as in
anything else, and that farmer is for
tunate who knows just how Far to go.
Rundown fields can be reclaimed by
chemicals and working humus into the
soil, by such methods as are most suit
able to the farmers condition and loca-
ton and kind of soil Study the methods
pursued by those who have been success
full in the work, and select such a system
as you can intelligently adapt to your
condition. That such fields can be re-
claimed is evident from the numerous
instances in which it has been done sue
cessfully. But one must keep at it it
cannot be done in one year.-C. E.
Smith.
BELFAST. In my judgment the best
treatment for WORKOUT fields is to pillow
and manure, and either plant to some
cultivated crop or sow to grain and re-
seed. If hay is the object sought, then
reseed as soon as possible, butt potatoes
are desired, or corn, then keep the land
under the pillow two or three years. |
believe in short rotations and frequent
plowings. AS for the matter of cultiv-
alton, it can hardly be overdone if done
at the right manner. Not only will till
age unlock plant food and conserve mois-
ture, but it will also destoy insects, kill
weeds and give the air chance to circu-