334 



Farmern' Work Jar July, on the Farm. 



Vol. III. 



cultivator of his own estate; independent in 

 circumstances; has never once practised tor 

 reward, and will accept of none; and what 

 is better than all, makes no secret about it; 

 declares he is quite ii,rriorant of the means by 

 which he is enabled to operate, but is ready, 

 at all times, to comtnunicate all that he knows 

 about it for the benefit, or to satisfy the cu- 

 riosity of any who will call on him for the 

 purpose. 



I have been thus particular as to time, 

 place, and persons, in the hope that there 

 might be those amontrst your readers who 

 may, from their knowledge of the circum- 

 stances, be able to corroborate what I have 

 said relating thereto. The names of those 

 whom f have mentioned, must be familiar to 

 all who have visited the Island of Jersey ; and 

 I trust I might, through the medium of the 

 pages of the Cabinet, become acquainted with 

 some, with whom I may renew the pleasura- 

 ble recollections of the period which I passed 

 in that very beautiful and delightful spot. 

 James Pedder. 



21st Apiil, 1839. 



The Rev. John Walker, of Gloucester 

 county, N. J-, is respectfully requested to 

 communicate what information he may pos- 

 sess in reference to this interesting subject, 

 to the public, through the columns of the 

 Farmers' Cabinet. 



Furmers' "Worlc for «Jnly» on tSic Farm. 



CORN. 



Let your corn be kept constantly free from 

 weeds, and the earth so stirred about the 

 plants as to be always in a state not only to 

 admit their free and unrestricted growth, but 

 to attract and absorb whatever dews may fall, 

 or moisture existing in the atmosphere. — 

 However good soils may be, however conge- 

 nial to the growth of this particular grain, 

 exact and cleanly cultivation is indispensably 

 necessary to its successful culture — you mny 

 rest assured that it is just as essential as ma- 

 nure itself. In the workinfr of the corn we 

 are not the advocate of that plan which would 

 raise a moimd or hill around the plants^ — on 

 ihe contrary, we believe that they will grow 

 faster and yield more, where no hill uhalever 

 is raised. Nor are we the advocate of tj-o- 

 quent ploughings ; we believe that more than 

 two ploughinirs sliould never be given to the 

 corn crop— thiit one at the proper time is 

 cnonoh — and that whether one or two, tliey 

 ehould be at the incipi'Mit period of the 

 growth of the plant. All ploughings, after 

 the lateral roots have pushed out to any 

 considerable distance, serve only to cut and 

 lacerate those roots, and deprive the stalk 

 and its fruit of its wonted supplies of nourish- 



ment, and not unfrequently that much dread- 

 ed firing, as the planters term ii, vviiich so 

 despoils the crop of its rightful fruitfulnes.s. 

 After the corn has reached two feet in lieight, 

 the cultivator, harrow and hoe, should alone 

 be used. By the judicious use of these im- 

 plements, all the good to be effected by pro- 

 per culture may be secured, without hazard- 

 ing the fruitlulness of the crop by cutting off 

 the sources of feeding, and thereby diminish- 

 ing the chances of abundant production. 



POTATOES. 



Though it is late to put in youi fall crop, 

 by proper preparation of the soil, manuring 

 and otlier treatment, a saving crop may yet 

 be realized ; those who have their potatoes 

 already up, must keep them clean, and the 

 earth in that condition which offers no im- 

 pediment to the healthful vegetation — taking 

 care at all times to keep a small furrow, flat 

 at the top, around the vines, to net in the 

 twofold capacity of a recipient of rain and 

 moisture, and to afT()rd room wherein the 

 bulbs may grow without difBculty. 



THE HARVEST. 



Already, farthei; south, this interesting la- 

 bor has been begun, and we trust and believe 

 under auspices the most promising. With 

 us, in ten days, or two or three weeks, wheat, 

 rye, and oats will be ready for a similar ope- 

 ration, and it may not be amiss to remind the 

 farmer, that should rusl or blight fall upon 

 the slcms of either wheat or rye — and from 

 the present state of the weather there is dan- 

 ger to be apprehended — both grains should 

 be cut, though the kernels may still be in 

 milk; for no possible nourishment can be ex- 

 pected to be drawn from the stalks of grain 

 af\er their juices have been indurated by such 

 agency. 



This too is the month for the cutting and 

 curing of hay, and upon this subject we pro- 

 pose to have a word. It is this — the sooner 

 the grass is put into cocks the better, as it is 

 less exposed to the injurious effects of the vi- 

 cissitudes of weather in that form than when 

 in swarth, and cures into hay to much great- 

 er advantage, retaining a much larger amount 

 of nutritive matter than when dried in the 

 old way. In storing it, the judicious farmer 

 will not *ail to sprinkle a small portion of salt 

 over each layer of hay, because in so dointr, 

 he will greatly add to its quality, and render 

 it the more grateful to his stock. 



TDRNEPS. 



Those who desire large crops of turneps, 

 with a view of feeding stock, should put them 

 in as early after the ir)ih of this month as 

 possible. The sowing of those intended for 

 the table may be delayed a week or two — 



