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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



SPRING PROSPECTS. 



The past seasoa has been a trying and an eventful 

 one to most farmers. We were comforting ourselves 

 with ideas of pt'rmancnt prosperity, and cosingly iraa- 

 glniog ourselves snugly reposing in the warm nest which 

 the past two or three years of " good times " had enabled 

 us to build, when suddenly a storm arose — a tornado in 

 t!ie commercial world, and crash after crash gave 

 ominous sounds and unmistakable warnings. Soon the 

 flourishinfi tree upon v>hich our hopes depended was 

 s'laken to its very roots, its leaves shed all driven and 

 gone, and its branches were broken and scattered by the 

 Borra. Such was the sudden and unexpected turn of 

 alfdirs in the agricultural world consequent upon the 

 shock to commercial credit. It was incredible ; at first, 

 few would be induced to believe it. Failure succeeded 

 failure in rapid succession, and at length the general 

 body of fiirmers were convinced that, for the present at 

 kast, their prosperity had waned. A reaction was the 

 result, and needless alarm at once took the place of in- 

 credulity : hence the farmers began to pour supplies upon 

 tie markets, and an unusual and unwarranted depres- 

 sion in prices has been the consequence. Now my ob- 

 J3ct in this short paper is to try and stem this downward 

 course, and bid my brother farmers take courage. The 

 worst is over ; be patient : s-igns of renewed activity in 

 tlie commercial and manufacturing departments of our 

 country's industry appear, and serve to show that 

 Fpeedily you will feel the benefit of an increased demand 

 for your indispensable products. The trial has been a 

 severe one ; but I trust it has passed or is fast passing 

 away, without leaving distressing evidence of its effects ; 

 and, in reliince upon the energy, the enterprise, and the 

 vast resources of our astonishing country, I would urge 

 a renewal of every effort, as farmers, and the adoption 

 and practice of those safe and salutary improvements 

 which modern agriculture has developed and confirmed. 

 Our mainstay and safety is in the improved practice of 

 agriculture, so that, "come what may," we can face 

 the world's markets, and no longer entertain such dread 

 of foreign competition. But to my te.xt : " Spring 

 Prospects " — the crops. 



The Wheat Crop.— There probably never was a 

 winter better adapted to uphold the security of the wheat 

 ]ilant than the past. Throughout the whole season 

 scarcely any damage has been sustained, and the fullest 

 and most healthy pl.uit ever known has been the result 

 upon the average of the country ; indeed, but few dis- 

 tricts have a thin plant. In fact, the plant is too 

 full— too much crowded, if anything, to be more 

 t'aan usually prosperous; a fa'dt, if it be one, not to be 

 greatly deplored : we have often to complain of thinness 

 of plant, and but seldom the contrary. The wheat crop, 

 then, has an abundant plant; and we have every 

 evidence of its favourable ))rogression. The season for 

 rolling or compression has been most favourable, and a 

 good lirm seed-bed has been obtained, which is 

 universally known to be so conducive to the safe 

 growth and prosperity of the seed-crop. There has also 

 been a sufficiency of cold and frosty weather to keep the 

 plant in check, so that scarcely any crops have become 

 winter-proud. Should the season continue favourable, 

 we anticipate an early harvest and a good crop. 



The Spring Crops.— Beans, Peas, Barley, and 

 Oa/«.— These have all been put in under the most 

 favourable circumstances. The soil is in the finest state 

 magiuabli- to receive the seed ; they have been early 

 sown, and every good grain may and must grow ; indeed, 



in the majority of cases, the plant has made its appear- 

 ance, and looks remarkably well. The bean and peas 

 seed lay a somewhat prolonged time in the sround, but 

 came up safe and healthy-looking. We cannot, under 

 such favourable auspices, avoid coming to the conclusion 

 that the prospects of our springcropping are also remark- 

 ably good. The land being in fine condition, we antici- 

 pate a rapid and full growth, the oats most probably 

 requiring, on the best land, topping to retard their pro- 

 gress. 



Potatoes. — The season for making preparation for 

 this crop has be^n all that could be desired. The soil 

 is in a finely pulverized state, and the crop is for the 

 most part planted under every condition advantageous 

 to its growth. A large breadth, too, has been got in, 

 and being thus early, we augur a greater freedom from 

 disease, and a corresponding yield of marketable tubers, 

 the earlier settings generally producing the greater 

 quantity of large potatoes. We should greatly rejoice 

 to find that this unusually mild winter has tended to put 

 an end to the mystefious scourge we call " potato 

 disease;" it would indeed be a blessing most worthy of 

 a nation's gratitude. 



The Root Crops. — We neverknew farm work in such 

 a forward state : great progress has been made in fallow- 

 ing and preparing the land for the root crops ; a fine 

 tilth has in innumerable cases been already obtained : 

 the fear is that continuous rains may set in, and prevent 

 the completion of the tallow : so far everything has been 

 favourable. Much land is in preparation for the man- 

 gold wurzel crop. This crop continues to obtain greater 

 favour with the agricultural public, and its culture is 

 widely extending. We are heartily glad it is so. It is 

 an invaluable crop, and ought to be grown by every 

 farmer who has stock to keep. The culture, manage- 

 ment, storing, and mode of consuming it is noio so 

 patent, that every one may adopt it as a farm crop with 

 advantage. 



The Grazing Department. — The grass-lands as a 

 whole do not correspond with the favourable state of the 

 arable-lands. The absence of snow, " the poor man's 

 manure," during the winter, is and will be felt. About 

 a month since they looked sadly, being brown and very 

 bare of grass. In the past week or two they have re- 

 covered their greenness, but are slowly progressing, and 

 will not be ready for the eaily stocking we were looking 

 forward to. This will be severely felt, as the winter 

 keeping (mangolds excepted) has for the most part 

 long been finished, and much difficulty is experienced 

 by flock-masters in providing for their flocks : this has 

 led to many forced sales, causing, a few weeks since, a 

 great depression in store (stock. This, however, has been 

 recovered, and this kind of stock is now selling at a 

 remunerative price to the breeder, but at a rate not 

 likely to leave a fair margin of profit to the grazier. 

 Fears are also entertained relative to the healthy state of 

 the flocks, owing to the very inferior quality of the 

 winter food they have been compelled to subsist upon. 

 This, I trust, is in a great measure unfounded, as the 

 general resort to corn, cake, and other artificial con- 

 diments would keep them in condition, and prevent the in- 

 jurious consequences arising from unwholesome food. The 

 number of sheep to be brought forward will undoubtedly 

 be considerable, as, owing to the fineness of the winter, 

 the casualties have not been very great. The only 

 danger is from the unwholesome character of the turnip 



