Year: 1860




operations for the season are fixed and determin-
ed. What is now chiefly required to be done is
to push vigorously the after culture of the hocd
crops, and to seed down to roots for winter feed
ing wherever this has not yet been done. June
is month of steady persistent work. Farther
to the south it is the period of harvest Here,
in the middle States, it is the partial closing up
of the usual field operations preparatory to har-
vest There are therefore many things to be
attended to which cannot be delayed without
incurring corresponding risk of failure with
respect to these crops which may have been thus
neglected, for it must be ever borne in mind by
the farmer, that timely preparation of the soil
and thorough tilage are quite as essential ele-
ments of success as good seed and fertile soil,
or the means of enriching it.


With these preliminary remarks we proceed
to give our usual hints and observations upon
the work for the month


The Cultivation of Corn.


Everybody knows what corn requires to pro-
duce it in the greatest perfection, though there
are very few who1are either able or willing to
observe all the conditions that are necessary to
obtain result-which all will admit to be dcsir-
able. Corn is a gross feeder, and as it occupies
the soil but few months, it demands large
supply of nutriment in it's most soluble form
In rich bottoms and in meadow loans, recently
- broken up from grass, the addition of COM
parativey small quantity of barn-yard manure
will very generally suffice to produce with pro-
per cultivation good crop. But on uplands
and upon fields generally that are subjected to a
constant course of cropping it will not do to
depend upon nltrogenous manures alone. Pot
ash and the phosphates enter largely into the
composition of corn, and if either of these con-
stituents are deficient, as is very apt to be the
fhovy Io 1.,J - a. I'll
the shape of wood ashes and crushed bones or
by the application of Manipulated Guano. and
as the latter when obtained from trustworthy
source, contains the phosphates in their most
soluble form, and therefore in condition to sup
ply the immediate wants of the growing plants,
it is invariably to be preferred. A sprinkling
OF potash and plaster combined, according to
the very excellent formula of Mr.. Dickson of
Georgia, will be found admirable substitute
for wood ashes and will also assist in fixing the
ammonia derived from the atmosphere


But whatever may be the natural fertility of
the soil, or however freely it's wants may have
been supplied by the application of barn-yard
portable fertilizers. a GOOD crop Of
corn cannot be depended upon without got d
cultivation. The soil must be kept stir from
the time the plant appears two inches above
ground until the approach of wheat harvest sus-
pCLuS I'LL luIJucf Op6IdtlOuS. IL however,, GDC
season has been backward, or a drought prevails,
it will be found absolutely necessary to keep the
cultivator and shovel plough running in the corn
field throughout the whole period of harvest
The main object of the farmer should be to keep
his growing corn green and vigorous, and to
never permit it to suffer a check during the
whole period that it occupies the ground. Feed
it we'll, keep the ground free from weeds, and
so light from frequent cultivation, that the foot
sinks in the loose soil at every step, and it will
handsomely repay the care and labor and cost
expended upon it-neglect it-stint it in its re-
quiste food-shut out light and air and moisture
from it by leaving the ground compact or clod-
dy, let the grass and weeds take possession Of
the field, and the slovenly farmer will speedily
see what the end will be-nubbins, and but a
few of them at that.


Sugar Beet and NIangold Wurtzel.


We believe in the Sugar Beet, and we have
some, but less, faith in the Mangold Wurtzel-
of the two we greatly prefer the sugar beet. 1t
is equally hardy, it may not probably be quite
as productive, as the mangold wurtzel, but it
contains a much larger amount of saccharine
matter, and therefore makes up in extra nutri-
ton what it lacks in bulk We speak from a
long practical acquaintance with the two roots,
and as winter food for stock, our decided prefer
ence is for the sugar beet. Others however may
entertain different opinion, and as the fed cu!-
ture of roots of some kind is always advisable,
we would remind those who desire to have a
good store Of these esculents, that they may be
drilled in up to the 10th of June, although it
would have been better to have gotten them into
the ground month earlier We have however
a suggestion to ofer-would it not be better to
plant portion of the ground set apart for roots
in sugar beets or mangold wurtzel, and another
Df IL.
of each of these is in every respect similar, and
change of food is quite as pleasant to stock as
it is to their more intelligent and sometimes less
patient and tractable owners For the best
mode of cultivatng these roots see Ru7M of
April 18th.


Ruta Baga Turnips.


Select early in June a deep rich sandy loam,
if it is to be had if not take the soil that comes
nearest to it. Plough it wel-if of close COM
pact texture, do not content yourself with a sin
gle ploughing and double narrowing, but GRO IS
plough the land, harrow it, and plough and har-
row and roll again. In word, make the soil
as light as possible, and as near the condition of
garden mould as you can. We advise in this
connection the use of the sub-soil plough also,
although it is very probable that in nine cases
out of TENN this respect at least-our advice
will not be needed. But at all events put the
Sioo"o ~ " III todulio Ouiy ftu dCle VI I"o-
in the best condition you can, and do not omit
to give it liberal supply of aoell rotted manure
If applied broadcast and turned under, twenty
two horse cart loads will not bsfound too much
for an acre. If used in drills, which is by all
odds, the best mode of raising all kinds of roots,
ten two horse loads will suffice. Where the sup
ply of barn-yard manure is deficient, we sub
NIT the following mixtures as substitutes, either
one of which will be found very efficient for the
purpose they are designed to serve:


1st. 10 loads of well rotted manure, bush
els of refuse salt, bushel of plaster


I'd. 800 lbs. of manipulated guano 2 bushels
of refuse salt, 10 bushels of wood ashes, bush
ell of plaster.


Sd. 10 bushels of bones crushed very fine, 2
bushels of salt, bushels of ashes, l bushel of
plaster.


It will be perceived that in the three fertiliz-
ing compounds we have given above, salt in