Year: 1868

During the past Winter the snow laid deeper


and longer and extended over greater breadth


of country, than had previously been the case


for many years. Winters without snow are


particularly trying on the wheat plant. In the
| intervals of freezing and thawing, the ground


heaves and sinks, and, this being repeateu'


often day after day, the plant is either thrown


out of the ground or separated from Its roots,


when it perishes. In the central part OF the


United States, which includes a region 1OO miles


north and south of q parallel crossing through


the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, there has been


comparatively little snow, and we have unfa-


vorable accounts many fields being reported
killed but it is not likely that this has apph-


cation to other than old ground, which has


become compact from loss Of fertility and from


shallow cultivation. On soils comparatively


fresh, and on clover lay, there is reasonable


hope of abundant harvest and as it is IN tins


region that the greater part of the superior
wheat of the country is grown, every TACT re-
| lating TO the prospect, whether present OF


prospective, will receive attention. From this


reference to the perils to which wheat Is subject


during the Winter season, nothing would seem


more important than that remedy should be


provided. That to great extent there is a


remedy, is well known to intelligent cultiva-


tors. This is in having heavy clover lay to
| be inverted as a seed bed for the wheat. BY


reason Of the great depth to which the clover


roots descend and the imperfect decomposition
| of the foliage, the soil is made elastic and


spOngy, and it is admirably fitted not only to
| withstand the intense action of frost, but to


serve as powerful barrier against its 'admis-
| sion. In many respects wheat field upon
| clover has all the characteristics of forest
| ground from which only the trees have been re-


moved. The clover roots correspond to the


roots of the trees, giving drainage and aera-
| ton; and the clover foliage and stalks to the


forest leaves, which are well known to be al


most impenetrable to frost. Wheat grows


with difficulty upon heavy clay; it delights in a
| soil with more or less admixture of gravel and


sand, and with fair supply of lime; and as the


same is to be said of clover, the cultivation OF


both should go hand in hand. Nor need our


farmers expect to succeed with wheat, or in
| deed to retain the fertility of the soil where


wheat can be grown, except by sowing clover
| and using its attendant stimulant, plaster OF


paris. 1t is now in the very heart of that Pc


Rod when clover can be sOwn to best advan-
tage, and whoever Degects to improve


the opportunity of last snowfall to SOW it


either upon oats or wheat lets golden oppor-
| tunty shamefully pass away. Or, II one has


neither of these crops, clover can be sOwn to


great advantage by itself on fresh plowed and


well narrowed ground. In Kentucky and Ten


nessee this method can be adopted as late as


the first week in May.


| With reference to other products Of the farm
the opening season is likely to be well improved.
! From country, town, and city there are press
| ing demands for every description Of food,
which brings such good prices that the pro-


ducer must be fairly remunerated even though
| he had only half a crop. Up to q recent period,
| from the time when America became the abode
of civilized man, the soil had produced grain,
vegetables, and fruit in such abundance as to
have comparatively little value, except in some
| few localities but now great change has


come, and though production is increased by


common and special fertilizers, and by the
! skill and untiring industry of millions of men,
| the demand is such as almost constantly to keep


even main distributing points bare of supplies
| This undoubtedly arises from our having
emancpated ourselves almost wholly from de-
pendence upon European manufacturers for


articles of first necessity, and, to some extent
also but still in too limited degree, for artl-
| cles in which skill and manual dexterity con-
| tribute most to the cost. Some might say that
the cause lies in the increase of our population,
but this increase is a result, not q cause; for
when manufactures furnish employment in q
| great variety of occupations, men widely diff
| ferent in skill, in habits, and even in mental
| organization, are in demand and, If the mar
| kets TO be supplied are extensive, there will
| be a powerful incentive not only to native in
crease, but also TO immigration from other
| lands.


There can he no doubt, then, that they who
| plant judiciously and cultivate thoroughly will
| be sure of full reward AT last the day of
| triumph has come for the men of industry,
and in an increased proportion, for the men
of skill-but industry must underle all,
| whether in the beautiful arts or in the pro-
| duction of food. More and more, with these
passing years, are the fruits of industry be-
coming less accessible to the idle. Labor and
skill are closing in upon them, and though
| much remains to be done. it cannot, i'll this
| land be otherwise than that eventually part
of the idle will be absorbed among the pro-
ducers, and another part destroyed. That the
process of absorption is going on is manifest
| from the fact that, though the producers OF
| food are in great numbers, there are corre-
spondingly great numbers engaged in other III
| dustries, and thus the farmer, uniting labor
and skill to his proprietorship in tho soil, has


a new and permanent advantage. For these


hopeful reasons, we would urge upon the
farmer that, so far as his circumstances and the
| nature of his soil will permit, his productions
| should be 80 various as to furnish large pro-