THE GENESEE FARMER. 



179 



harrewing the grounrl before putting on the straw, is 

 to crack np the surface after it has been baked by 

 the sun; for if we put the straw on at the time of 

 plantincr. it will sometimes keep the .ground too wet 

 and cold after a heavy spring rain, and might rot the 

 seed before it has sprouted. When they are planted 

 on a sod, the way to dig them is to throw the straw 

 out of the way, and take a spade or shovel and roll 

 the old ?od back into the furrows again, and the po- 

 tatoes are ready to be picked up, and will generally 

 lay there in pretty respectable numbers. 



Pioneer, ff'ilUams, Co., O. W. F. Kelsey. 



OH THE MANAGhMENT OF A PEAIRIE FABM 

 COMMENCING IN ITS NATUEAL STATE. 



Messrs. Editors: — Having lived for a number of 

 years in a prairie country, and having myself been 

 engaged in farming upon the prairie, I have naturally 

 tried to be a close observer of the effects of the dif- 

 ferent modes pursued by different individuals, and at 

 different times. We always expect in newly settled 

 portions of this prairie country a heavy coat of dry 

 grass. This should be burned before plowing, as it 

 k almost impossible to do good work with it on. 



The first thing now to attend to is the breaking. 

 This should commence about the middle of May; the 

 grass has then started to growing, and the roots and 

 Btalks are full of sap. Prairie broke at this time of 

 year rots much sooner than that broken veiy early, or 

 in the fall. There may be considerable feed raised 

 the first summer, if a boy follows the plow every 

 third furrow and drops grain of some of the early 

 varieties of corn at the edge of the furrow. If this 

 plan is adopted the fodder must be cut early, and the 

 ground cross plowed, (which can be done with two 

 norses.) Plow in small lands, and harrow once be- 

 fore sowing. Then sow in wheat, from the 10th to 

 20th September, with a bushel and a half of good 

 clean wheat to the acre, and you are almost sure of 

 a good crop of wheat. Harrow thoroughly — the 

 more the ground is pulverized the better. 



As soon as the wheat is taken off the ground plow 

 diallow. The ground will soon become green with 

 wheat and weeds which will protect it from the 

 ecorching rays of the sun. Then about the first of 

 October there will be a pretty good coat, which 

 should be turned under deep. When plowing is done 

 in the fall, upon rolling prairies, it should be up and 

 down the hill in small laads. This, if the middle fur- 

 rows are well cleared out, prevents washing, and the 

 land becomes dry much sooner in the spring. 



As soon in the spring as possible, commence plow- 

 ing for corn. Plow deep, but mark off as shallow as 

 possible. The prairies are of a cold, backward nature, 

 and it is best to have the corn as near the surface as 

 possible. There will be but few weeds this year, but 

 the crop is the better for frequent stirring of the soil. 

 If it is a fair season, you may expect from thirty to 

 fifty bushels to the acre without manure, and with 

 manure, much more — for I believe there is no land 

 that shows the advantages to be derived from man- 

 ure to a greater extent than the prairies. 



The following spring this piece of ground should 

 be sown in oats. This is a sure crop. The ground 

 should be harrowed perfectly level after sowing. — 

 Then sow timothy seed at the rate of one peck to the 

 acre; and follow with a heavy roller, making all as 



smooth as possible. The oats stubble will be a great 

 protection to the young grass the first winter. 



]3y this time we suppose there has some manure 

 accumulated on the farm. Haul it out when the 

 ground is frozen and scatter over the meadow. Fol- 

 low this up two or three years, mowing in harvest, and 

 manuring in winter. Then break up deep in the 

 fall and sow wheat. Follow up the same rotation, 

 and the result will be better land, better crops, with, 

 contentment and smiliiug faces at home. 



It is supposed that for four or five following springs 

 a new piece will be broken and followed up in the 

 same manner, then all will work just like clock work. 

 Wm. D. Mitchelu 



DEEP PLOWING FOR COHN. 



Messrs. Editors: — The learned and worthy Jomr 

 Johnston, in the Geneste Farmer for March, advises 

 farmers not to plow up the subsoil for corn — a recom- 

 mendation which agrees neither with my theory nor 

 practice. If your ground has been plowed shallow, 

 don't be afraid to throw up a few inches of yellow 

 subsoil. In marking your ground, you will run 

 through this yellow soil, and thus drop your corn on 

 it Then, in working your corn, there is a good 

 chance to get the yellow soil mixed with the better, 

 and thus improve it all. And should you chance to 

 have a dry season, the drouth will not affect the 

 deeply plowed field near so much as the shallow one. 



About ten years since, when I came to this farm, 

 then one of the poorest in the country, the soil in 

 many places not being over two inches deep, I plowed 

 a heavy, cold field deej), turning up some three or 

 four inches of yellow subsoil, and gave some of the 

 poorest knobs a very light springling of compost, 

 made of lime, manure and earth, but so light as 

 scarcely to be worth naming, and, by working the 

 corn well, I raised about an average crop, which I 

 could not have expected if I had only plowed as 

 deep as it had been plowed before. I then sowed 

 the field with oats, and seeded it down with timothy. 

 Two years since I plowed the same field again, when 

 I had dark colored soil, some eight inches deep. This 

 is the result in the majority of my fields. I seed 

 down with clover every two or three years. " Plow 

 deep, while sluggards sleep," is a good motto. 



Again, it is highly beneficial to stir the soil often 

 between the corn. The dryer the weather, the of- 

 tener you should run your cultivator through your 

 corn; for the more you stir the soil, the more mois- 

 ture it will absorb from the atmosphere during the 

 night. 



Some other time I will give several more hints on 

 working corn, which I have not noticed in the Far- 

 mer. H. K. 



Latrohe, Westmoreland Co., Pa. 



Drink for Young Calves. — When the calves 

 have learned to drink, prepare the following broth 

 for them: Take a large pot and fill it with hay and 

 water; then boil it until the strength is out. Strain 

 off this broth, and to six quarts of it add one pint of 

 milk. This is sufficient for one calf As they begin 

 to grow, it should be increased. This food is not 

 only cheaper, but far better than milk — or any other 

 drink — because it makes them strong, healthy and 

 elastic. B. 0. 



Jackson, Pa. 



