THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART II. 45 



Chairman : Mr. Packard, we would like to hear from you. 



Me. Packard : Mr. Chairman, I agree, so far as my observa- 

 tions have gone, substantially with, all that was said in the paper. In 

 the matter of fall plowing I think that the general opinion is that 

 where the ground is so situated as not to be subject to any wash 

 through the winter, fall plowing is favorable; but where, by any 

 possibility, from the slope there can be a wash as the ground is 

 thawed and frozen during the winter, there is a substantial loss of 

 fertility as the result of fall plowing, and the ground and the 

 crops would be better if the plowing was done in the spring. 



I have never before heard of the matter of discing before plow- 

 ing, to mix the earth with the rubbish. I cannot say as to that, 

 but the thought strikes me that it might be a good plan to get the 

 rubbish and dirt somewhat mixed before it is turned under the 

 furrow. I am not prepared to say as to that but am willing to 

 accept his observations in regard to the matter, and it seems to me 

 a good idea in the end. It will help to get the rubbish under and 

 introduce what the soil wants in the way of humin, which I think 

 is the best thing with regard to it. 



J. R. Waller : Mr. Chairman, in regard to fall plowing, my ex- 

 perience has been this, that by plowing in the fall you plow under 

 a great deal of green vegitation, a great many weeds, which you 

 kill. 



My experience has been that it pays to plant the ground I plow 

 in the fall, as far as practicable and as soon as practicable! — even 

 in August — I sow the ground to rye, thereby securing fall pastur- 

 age of the very best quality, on which I turn my stock all winter 

 and in fact up into the following June. Last year I was away from 

 home, down in North Carolina, and my wife did not turn the 

 stock off as early as I would have done, but she turned them off in 

 June, thinking the crop was probably ruined; but nevertheless I 

 harvested thirty-five bushels of rye to the acre off that crop, not- 

 withstanding that there was at least one-third of it that we could 

 not get on account of its being down. 



I have taken the same character of land and plowed it this fall, 

 sowing it to rye. I sowed last spring to clover as soon as the snow 

 was gone sufficiently, sowed it on the ground and harrowed, and 



