THE farmer's calendar. 7(31 



Grass seed may be sown at the same time on spots where croo.1 

 grasses are failing, and it is useful to go over the field with a ij^ush 

 harrow to woik in the manure and seed with it. 



Grass.— On permanent grass land, a good top-dressincr every 

 two or three years is most desirable ; have fine muck and manure 

 compost prepared, mingled if you please with ashes, plaster an.l 

 bone-dust, and apply this at the rate of fifteen to twenty loads to 

 tiie acre as soon as the grass is cut. Timothy, Orcliard Grass. 

 Blue Grass, etc., do well, sowed alone on v/ell-prepared land, and 

 make a sward much quicker than if sowed with grain. 



Ploiving.— August is the best month in the year for plowing for 

 any crop except Indian corn, sorghum, or some such rank, g°oss 

 feeder. Any sward plowed now will rot before winter sets in, and 

 once or twice harrowing in autumn will kill hosts of weeds. This 

 is doing spring work, if thereby we prepare mellow, clean seed 

 beds for spring grains, flax, and roots, or for a potato crop. For 

 these crops it is always best to compromise between fall-plowed 

 sod and summer fallow. There remains just that desirable 

 quantity of vegetable mold in the soil, which, except on very rich 

 loams, is most desirable. Plowing and preparation of the grouml 

 should be done now. 



Boot crops need weeding, but, except tirnips, none ought to 

 need thinning. On spots where turnips or ruta-bagas do not look 

 well, sprinkle superphosphate of lime close to the rows, and 

 scratch it in with the little weeding hoe. A small subsoil plow 

 run midway between the rows of any kind of roots will almost 

 uniformly be found of decided benefit. 



How Turnips can be raised cheaply. — By sowing the Purple- 

 top turnip seed at the last dressing of the corn, and covering with 

 a light harrow, a couple hundred bushels of the best turnips can be 

 raised with A'cry little trouble. The early sowing will be compen- 

 sated for by the shade aflforded by the growing corn. This crop 

 will take the place of the weeds and will not be in the way of har- 

 vesting the corn, as it will do the turnips little harm to treat tliem 

 as though you did not know the crop was there. There will be 

 enough left uninjured to pay all the expenses a dozen times over. 



Winter Wieat. — Turn a clover sod well under, plowing say six 

 inches deep and laying the sod perfectly flat; top-dress witii lime, 

 and harrow ; after three weeks put on a heavy dressing of well- 

 rotted compost, and harrow it thoroughly, drilling in the seed as 

 soon thereafter as convenient, before the middle of September. 

 Always pickle seed wheat. 



Oa^s.— Cut before they get over ripe ; the straw is worth mu-h 

 more for feeding and the grain is not lighter; if lodged or very 

 short, mow early and cure as hay. 



