The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-03-30
CountyAgent's Column
J. H. CARTER
Resident County Agent,
Office: Court House, Oakland, Md.

with farming operations, as in the
burning of brush, clearing ditch
banks, ETC., was responsible for more
than 300 forest fires in Maryland dur
ing 1882, according to Richard Kill
bourne, Forester for the University of
Maryland Extension Service. This
figure amounts to about one-fourth of
all forest fires started in the State
during the past year, Mr.. Kilbourne
points out, and all could have been
prevented through care and a little
forethought. During the last seven
years that records have been kept by
the State Department of Forestry,
nearly 1900 fires, started through
carelessness, have been recorded, and
the property damage has amounted to
$383,O00.
The Maryland law, it is pointed out,
places entire responsibility for costs
and damages upon the individual who
permits the fire to escape and, as the
escape of fire is considered prima-
facie proof of carelessness or neglect,
fragrant violators are subject to fine
or imprisonment or both. Hence, it
behooves everyone to carefully con-
slider the possible results before light
ing any fire.
However, if it is found absolutely
necessary to use fire in cleaning up, it
is emphasized by Mr.. Kilbourne that
a few simple rules be observed.
All brush to be burned should be put
in small, compact piles and wide
path or fire line, free from grass, logs,
leaves or debris should be cleared
from around the area. If field is to
be burned off, then ten or more fur
rows should be plowed around the
field first, leaving no grass exposed in
the burrows.
Brush should never be burned in
extremely dry or windy weather and
during the fire season, from March Is
to June 80 and October to December
1, fires may be made only by wise
choice of time and the use of eX-
IRENE care.
Sufficient help should be on hand at
all times to cope with any emergency
that may arise, Mr.. Kilbourne points
out, and sufficient tools should be
available for instant use. Burning
should be done late in the afternoon,
preferably after three o'clock, and
against the wind or on the uphill side.
Last but by no means least, fire
should never be left without watch
man until the last spark is out.
Give The Pastures Good Care
At this time of year the question of
whether it will pay the farmers and
dairyman to top-dress his pasture is
uppermost in the minds of many. AS
a rule pastures are the most neglect
ed part of the farm. They will give a
profitable return for the care and at
tention given to them, especially when
the acreage on the farm is limited.
Some good practices to follow to get
the maximum from the pasture are:
narrowing and reseeding when the
stand of grass is not thick; moving
down the weeds at least once year
/ before they go to seed; scattering the
droppings with a special harrow; top
dressing each year with manure, fer
tilizer, or both; and applying lime
when the soil is strongly acid.
One of the latest practices which
some farmers are trying out is top
dressing rather intensively a small
area of good grass located convenient
ly to the barn. 1t is we'll to remem-
Der that a good top-dressing of COM
plete fertilizer will increase the yield
of grass many times from two to
three fold.
Only such an area as can be kept
grazed down by the cattle should be
top-dressed and by means of system
of rotation, which is still in the ex-
detrimental stage, cattle and plots can
be alternated so as to permit fertiliz-
ing and growth of grass.
In working the rotation system the
pastures are divided into smaller
areas and on good glade land and
other rich soils one-fourth an acre per
cow to be pastured is all that is nee
essary. This may be increased on
average pasture to one-half acre per
cow.
This area should then be fenced in
and top-dressed in March with 600
pounds, or more to the acre, of some
good mixed fertilizer such as early
potato fartilizer, high in nitrogen. The
plot should be ready for grazing ten
days to two weeks earlier than the I'M
fortified area and will partly take
the place of barn feeding for that
time.
When the fortified plot has been
grazed down, the cattle are taken off
and put on the regular pasture which
should be ready by that time. The
fortified plot should then receive