373 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 6 



concur in the opinion, vvliich is so general in some 

 other parts of the countr}', that oats are more ex- 

 hausiinir tniheland than other grains. The aver- 

 age product of the preparatory crop of oais (in 

 measure) is by him consiilered equal to double 

 thai oi' the wheat which ioilous. 



Wheat-sowing. 



The sowing of wheat on tlie hills is commenced 

 fi-oni the 7th to the lOih of October, and tliis most 

 important part of the operations ot the year, is 

 then pushed as rapidly as the Ibrce engaged will 

 serve to execute. It sometimes is lengthened into 

 November, though it is very desirable that it 

 (should not. On the low-grounds, early or May 

 wheat is always sown, because by ripening ear- 

 lier, it extends through a longer time the always 

 heavy labors of harvest. This part of the crop, 

 thouLWi it ripens first, is sown latest, (t is not 

 deemed saiii to commence sowing it until the 20th 

 of October, inasmuch as if sown as early as the 

 later kinds are on poorer land, the plants would 

 begin to joint, belbre danuer fi'om frost was over. 

 The early wheat, when first made, would some- 

 times ripen belbre the end ol' May, and its name 

 of ''May Wheat," was not therefore' always, as 

 now, totally misapplied. However, it now rarely 

 ripens earlier than from the Sth to tiie 12th of 

 June. 



Saving clover-seed. 



It is one of the regular operations of the year, 

 to save enough clover seed (or sowing all the wheat 

 land the next spring. The mode used (in prefer- 

 ence to the drawing oil the heads by a machine, 

 or to any other,) is to mow the second cro|) (the 

 first having been taken for hay,J as early as the 

 greater part of the seeds are hard. The whole 

 crop is carried, as soon as dry, to be thrashed out 

 by the wheat thrashing njachine, and the seeds 

 separated from the stalks, but not Irom the chaff. 

 These are sown thus mixed, and the standing 

 of the plants is much more sure than ti-om clean- 

 ed clover-seed, even if the latter germinate as 

 well, which is not the case with near all of those 

 which are purchased. 



Among the stalks of the clover, there still re- 

 main some few seeds — and the best application of 

 this litter is to be spread on galls, as they are not 

 only thereby as much improved as by any other 

 litter, but are more certainly set in clover by the 

 seeds, than by any other made ol' sowing. 



Miscellaneous matters, and general remarks. 



The regular laboring force of the farm consists 

 of twenty hands, of which, fifteen are men — fifteen 

 working horses and mules, (not counting carriage 

 and riding horses, J and usually eiirht oxen. The 

 force of hands is increased during hay harvest 

 and other of the most busy seasons, by some 

 others employed generally in the house. 



The whole amount of crops, annually made, 

 may be stated irenerally at 500 to 600 barrels of 

 corn, 3000 to 3500 bushels of wheat f the best 

 crop was 5000, and the worst, of late years was 

 1800 bushels— J and fi-om Ibs300,000 to Ibs400,- 

 000 of hay, including under that term sheal-oats, 



with timothy, herds grass, and clover hay, and 

 not including the fodder or other long forage ol'the 

 corn crops. The stage proprietor, Edwin Porter, 

 who must be an excellent judge of so important 

 a part of his large business, as leeding horses, con- 

 tracts for lbsl00,G00 of fong forage a year, to be 

 delivered by Mr. Sampson, if he makes it; and 

 timothy and herds-grass hay, and sheaf-oats are 

 received under this contract, in any proportions, at 

 the same price and supposed value; but corn-fod- 

 der, wfiich, in this part of the country is generally 

 preferred to any hay, is excluded by the purchaser. 

 The prices under these annual contracts began at 

 seventy-five cents the one hundred pounds, and 

 have risen to one dollar. 



Mr. S. values highly, as horse food, what the 

 wheat millers call "brown stull," or "ship stufl," 

 which is made of the inftirior products thrown out 

 in making flour. There are so many grades and 

 names of the different products of wheat, other 

 than the flour, and those of the same name ditler 

 so much in different mills, that nothing but close 

 inspection and comparison will serve to fix on the 

 grade meant. He has found this to weigh as 

 much (\v\ country mills) as SSIiis. to the bushel— 

 and has bought it at prices varying from thirteen 

 to as high as thirty cents. It is said to contain 

 much of the germs of the grains, which are the 

 richest part — and altogether it is a nutritious and 

 cheap food for horses, given as part of their daily 

 allowance. Too much of any wheat ofial is dan- 

 gerous, and it has been known even to kill horses. 

 Mr. S. knew of a brood mare, kept on wheat- 

 bran and grass, that was injured by being made 

 stiff in the joints, until the cause was suspected, 

 and removed by change of food. 



The grazing on clover is a very important re- 

 source in aid of the rearing, and first part of the 

 fiittening, of hogs. Even in winter, the|breeding 

 and young stock of hogs get mucli food from the 

 roots of clover, on land intended to be manured, 

 and put in corn the next spring. That this bene- 

 fit may be secured, as well as for other objects, 

 the ploughing of the land to be so manured, is put 

 off until just before the necessary time for plough- 

 ing. 



The corn-fodder is stripped and saved for for- 

 age, according to the general usage of the coun- 

 try, and Mr. Sampson does not agree in opinion 

 with those who think that tfie pulling of the fod- 

 der is more injurious to the grain, than the value 

 gained. His ojiinion rests, however, merely on 

 general observation ; as he has never tested the 

 question by comparative experiments. 



The general appearance of e\'ery thing on Mr. 

 Sampson's farm indicates a system of good order, 

 and unremitting attention. There was nothing 

 seen of the marks of waste and loss caused so of- 

 ten, and to such great extent, by permitting things 

 to get a little, andaliftle more, out ol'proper order. 

 Tlie good condition and repair of the fences and 

 gates, farming utensils, &c., and the good flesh of 

 working animals, and other live stock, were illus- 

 trative of the doctrine that it was bad economy to 

 depend on any thing, either for active or passive 

 service, that was not in its best and fiilly efl'ective 

 condition for the service required. Mr. Sampson 

 seems to have profited nothing by the economy 

 of "make-shifts;" which, when correctly under- 

 stood, is the mefhod of operating with insufficient 

 means. 



