98 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



land was, subsequent to its original and also first 

 replanting, twice ploughed up entirely, and replant- 

 ed ; and then recourse had to be had to setting out 

 plants from other portions ol'the fields. Alter this 

 pest had in some measure desisted from its inroads, 

 the bud-worm commenced operations, and likewise 

 did no little damage ; so much so that on the 

 22d of July, when the culture of the corn crop 

 terminated, these portions of the fields did not 

 afford the prospect of yielding any crop. Rains 

 occurring early in August did much to give it a 

 start, when it improved much more rapidly than I 

 could have anticipated. The results, however, 

 though belter than expected, were little if any 

 over one third of a crop, and that from the richest 

 portions of the fields, with this exception, a heavy 

 one. It must be admitted, it is considered that 

 the general return will prove a fair average crop, 

 but which cannot as yet be accurately ascertained. 

 The course of culture pursued in this crop of corn 

 was first throwing a furrow from each side of the 

 corn with one-horse mould-board ploughs, and 

 breaking the balks with trowel hoes. The second 

 and cross ploughing was altogether with trowel 

 hoes, the small, or as it is here designated the X 

 trowel hoes, going next to the corn. Weeding 

 hoes following after this ploughing as speedily as 

 possible. Corn, with the exception of ditch banks 

 and rich headlands, thinned to one stalk to a hill. 

 The ploughs having finished the second plough- 

 ing, one-horse mould-board ploughs again run on 

 each side of the corn, throwing the furrow-slice 

 to the plants, the trowel hoes again in the balks. 

 This course also finished, the whole is again gone 

 over with the trowel hoes — seldom completed be- 

 fore wheat harvest interrupts ; after which all 

 grassy and foul spots receive another stirring wiih 

 trowel hoes, followed also by the weeding hoes. 

 Thus the larger proportion o! the crop received 

 five ploughinge, perlbrmed as carefully as possi- 

 ble ; and when laid by, the fields were in clean and 

 good condition. 



On the 5th of June one half of the barrel of 

 poudrette which you kindly presented for experi- 

 ment was applied immediately after the first hoe- 

 ing (received too late lor an earlier application) to 

 a portion of the corn-field, where no mar! or lime 

 had been applied, selecting each alternate tivo 

 rows of fifty hills each. A portion of these rows 

 had a quarter of a pint of poudrette applied to each 

 hill, and another portion had half a pint applied 

 in a similar manner; and on June 15ih, the re- 

 maining half of the barrel was applied on a por- 

 tion of the field recently marled, selecting each 

 alternate two rows as above, giving to each hill 

 half a pint ; and alter careful observation through- 

 out the season, I could not discover that any be- 

 nefit resulted from the application in either case. 

 Was the application properly madel 



Very little of the blade fodder was pulled from 

 this crop of corn, probably not more than 12,000 

 lbs,, having been able, at the proper .season, to 

 cure a considerable portion of good clover hay, 

 which, with the aid of cut and salted shucks for 

 our horses and mules during the long winter 

 nights, and on which they do well, will be suffi- 

 cient for our consumption. Top fodder was cut 

 from off little more than one third of the crop at a 

 eeason sufficiently advanced not seriously to injure 

 the corn. 



On the 14(h and 15th of June, 68 btlshels of 



black-eyed peas were sown on a principally weed 

 fallow ; covering ploughed under of good growth 

 generally, and in some places heavj'. These 

 were sown broadcast, and covered by one-horse 

 ploughs, intended as a preparatory green manur- 

 ing for wheat. The subsequent growth of peaa 

 proved lo be good, causing considerable difficulty 

 in ploughing them under. The results of this 

 mode of manuring on the now growing v/heat 

 crop are looked forward lo with considerable inte- 

 rest. On the 22d and some following days of 

 July, a crop of oats on adjoining land was also 

 ploughed under as a preparatory manuring for 

 wheat. Crop of oats, unless on headlands of 

 ditch margins, very indifferent ; the second or vo- 

 lunteer growth, however, proved excellent, and 

 was again ploughed under at the time of sowing 

 the wheat. The soil on which both oats and 

 peas were thus sown and treated was uniform ; 

 and to a portion of both, side by side, marl was 

 applied in the month of September, a favorable 

 opportunity will thus be presented of testing the 

 comparative value of oats and peas as a green 

 manuring. 



Fallowing clover lay for wheat was begun on 

 the 25th of July, and finished on the 20ih of 

 September, amounting in all, pea and oat fallow 

 inclusive, to as nearly as can be judged not less 

 than 525 acres. The whole performed with three- 

 horse ploughs. On some portions of the fields thus 

 fallowed occasional difficulties were experienced 

 from the ground becoming hard and dry ; but 

 not to any injurious extent. The whole having 

 been perlbrmed generally well, and being care- 

 fully levelled by heavy harrows, was left in good 

 condition' for receiving the seed ; sowing of 

 which wns commenced on fiillowcd land on the 

 1st of October. Rain occurred on the evening 

 ot the 2d, and but slight progress was made until 

 the 6th, when weather and ground both became 

 more favorable for this important operation. An- 

 other delay occurred from the same cause from 

 the lOlh to the 14th, from which time the wea- 

 ther continued remarkably favorable for wheat 

 sowing, until its completion on the 8th of Novem- 

 ber. On fallowed land there was sown 918|: 

 bushels of red or purple straw wheat, and on corn 

 land 68 bushels of purple straw, 553^ bushels of 

 white Turkey, and 5 bushels of rock wheat, the 

 whole being equal to 1545 bushels. All of the 

 wheat was covered with two-horse mould-board 

 ploughs, both on fallow and corn land. The 

 heavy growth of grass on much of the latter ren- 

 dered ploughing difficult and tedious. Heavy 

 harrows followed once or oliener, and these again 

 by hand- hoes. Water furrows were carefully 

 opened,- and the whole lett in as good condition 

 (or the wheat as could be obtained. The time oc- 

 cupied in sowing and covering was equal lo 26 

 days, or an average per day of 59^^ bushels. 

 The drought which prevailed until the middle of 

 November caused ihe late sown wheat to vege- 

 tate slowly in many places ; and had also an evi- 

 dent unliivorabie tendency on the earliest sown 

 and most forward wheat, causing much of it to as- 

 sume a yellow or rather red appearance. So far 

 as could be observed there was no fall attack of 

 ihe Hessian fly. Up lo this date, the unusually mild - 

 weallier which has prevailed during this winter 

 has caused young wheat to be generally very for- 

 ward, particularly on fallowed land. I have never 



