Notices for a Youn* Farmer. xix 



pidly sow and harrow in your seed ; and have the choice of 

 weather, and other circumstances ; which the more tedious 

 process of ploughing in your seed would not permit. The last 

 ploughing may he in broad furrows, as deep as those desire, 

 who plough in their seed. This mode is equivalent to their 

 practice, and lias the additional advantage Of the harrow. 

 The idea of clods mouldering in winter, and protecting the 

 plants, and laying deeper hold when grain is ploughed in, are 

 excuses for bad culture. Pulverize your soil, and draw fur- 

 rows for drains when necessary, and the plant will root lux- 

 uriantly ; and want no clod-mouldering. 



VI II. Plaster your old Fields ; which, being full of de- 

 cayed and inert vegetable matter on which the plaster ads, 

 will throw up pasture, until you can cultivate them in course. 

 We are not yet perfectly acquainted with all the properties of 

 plaster. The general current of facts prove, that salt and 

 salt air, are hostile to its operations. And yet there are in- 

 stances where it has succeeded on our sea-board, as well as 

 on farms remote from our coasts. 



Subdue weeds and other pests in the fields thus plastered, 

 and all others, by the scythe and as much hand weeding as 

 you ran afford. Weeds are your deadly foes ; but, in the 

 compost heap, they mav be converted into friends. Whilst 

 overrunning your fields, they are robbers of the food which 

 would supply wholeSoine and profitable plants. The expense 

 or labour of eradicating them, is far more formidable in con- 

 templation, than in reality it will be found. 



IX. Sow Orchard Grass ; if in the autumn, harrow it in 

 with your winter grain. Some prefer sowing it in the spring. 

 Much depends on the soil and season ; and you can try both 

 modes and periods, to enable you to form the lest opinion. 

 This grass will be permanent, when ciorcr, (with which it is 

 a profitable companion.) fails. It is, on uplands, preferable to 

 Timothy; which is a great exhauster, — yields but one crop 

 of hay, and little or no pasture, on i\\-\ soils ; thus leaving the 

 field bare of cover ; and exposing it to the exhaustion of the 

 sun and win's: whilst orchard grass, by its quick and re- 

 peated growths, affords a ceaseless cover and defence. 



