258 



Pennsylvania Farming. 



Vol. XI. 



Pennsylvania Farming 



Recommended to be practiced in Maryland, naturally 

 a better wheat country. 



The following letter was written by a 

 plain, practical, working farmer, giving his 

 views in plain terms — as one neighbour does 

 to another — without any view of appearing 

 in print. It need not be read with the less 

 attention or profit on that account. We are 

 sorry to understand that farming is not im- 

 proving as generally as might be wished, in 

 a region so blessed by nature with a rich 

 and enduring soil and pure healthy atmos- 

 phere. If she does not keep pace with other 

 sections, query, is it that her inhabitants de- 

 spise book-knowledge; or is it, as some would 

 contend, that they read too much of what is 

 going on in the wide world of agriculture? 

 On reading, we solicited the favour of being- 

 allowed to publish it. If there be in it no- 

 thing absolutely new, there is that which 

 cannot well be too often repeated. — Editor 

 Farmers'' Library. 



Utica, January 29th, 1847. 



Dear Sir, — In my last letter I mentioned 

 something relative to the improvement of 

 land in Lancaster county. I am fully con- 

 vinced that, if a proper and judicious mode 

 of improving land was introduced into Fred- 

 erick county, that in the course of six or 

 eight years it would produce double what 

 it does at this time. I consider that part of 

 this county, where I am acquainted, a much 

 belter wheat land than that of Lancaster 

 county, and under similar cultivation would 

 bring more wheat to the acre. I would not 

 dare to say that every farm would bring 

 double. No doubt there are many good 

 farmers here, as well as there ; yet, I must 

 say, I have been unfortunate in not meeting 

 with many of that kind. 



The most of all the farms within my 

 knowledge, both in the limestone, as well as 

 the red-lands, have become deteriorated and 

 inert from the circumstance of a wrong mode 

 of farming. A uniform mode of shallow 

 ploughing, say five to seven inches deep — 

 and that almost continually under the plough 

 — with now and then a little starved crop of 

 clover, and often the cattle turned on before 

 it is six inches high: is it any wonder that 

 these complaints are heard about bad crops'! 

 Nothing is a more convincing proof to me 

 that plants derive a great deal of their nou- 

 rishment from the air, seeing the crops, and 

 considering the manner of cultivation. All 

 land that has a good subsoil and what is 

 generally called loam, is susceptible of im 

 provement ; and the only time it can be 

 made available is late in the fall, after the 



subsoil has become saturated with the fall 

 rains, the wetter the better. There ought, 

 by all means, to be a heavy coat of some- 

 thing to turn down. The ploughing must 

 be a foot deep. Three inches or four of the 

 subsoil which lies under seven inches, if 

 well applied, would soon pay the State debt. 

 What a pity to have so much hidden trea- 

 sure unemployed and unproductive! When 

 the genial rays of the sun spread a benign 

 influence around in the spring season, caus- 

 ing man and beast and bird to rejoice, vege- 

 tation also rears its head to praise its Alaker. 

 This is the time also to prepare food, first 

 for plants, and afterward for man and beast. 

 Fermentation and decomposition then take 

 place. 



I would now say something about the 

 deep ploughing: A considerable quantity of 

 the five inches of subsoil turned up last fall, 

 and frozen last winter, will now become 

 available for the food of plants: amelioration 

 takes place, it becomes friable and moulders 

 down, becouies commingled with the top 

 soil, undergoes now a state of fermentation 

 — a kind of chemical process ; and here is 

 also going on, at the same time, the decom- 

 position of the vegetable matter turned un- 

 der in the fall. Here is a fine range for the 

 corn roots to seek their supply — instead of 

 six or seven inches, here are twelve. Here 

 is a place to hide the roots from the sun, and 

 here is a little cistern to hold water when 

 there is a little to spare, to be drawn up by 

 the rays of the sun when wanted. 



As we have got through with the fresh 

 start for improving the land — especially if it 

 is possible, before planting the corn, to put 

 a little manure on, as also fifty bushels of 

 lime to the acre — this would be doing the 

 thing right — we will now leave you with 

 this advice: Work the corn well early; be 

 sure to have no work to do in it after it be- 

 comes a foot high. The next crop to be put 

 in is wheat, the next summer. Commence 

 ploughing in May, harrow in Jime, plough 

 in July, harrow in August, plough the third 

 and last time the first week in September, 

 and sow about the middle of the month. As 

 soon as you have finished harrowing the 

 wheat, sow to each acre eight quarts of 

 timothy seed ; then on with your roller, and 

 roll all down smooth. 



Then in the spring, to every six acres, 

 one bushel of clover seed. The next sum- 

 mer there must be no slock put on before 

 the first of July, and be sure none the fall 

 before except a few hogs, if they do not root, 

 after the wheat is off The next summer 

 mow the first crop about the first of July; 

 land let the second crop stand, to be turned 

 under as before, a foot deep. Now you have 



