THE GENESEE FARMER. 



85 



KECLAHHING AND MANAGEMENT OF BOGGY LAND. 



SojiK experience and considerable examination 

 of written reports on the subject, teach me that 

 the most effectual and thorough process of rechiira- 

 ing hogs — very wet soils with a vegetation of small 

 bushes and coarse grasses — is, 



First, To thoroughly drain the laud as it can be 

 done by frequent ditclies, and 



Second, To cut otF the whole surface of the 

 ground, and, piling it in winrows, let it dry, and 

 then burn the whole to ashes. 



This method, taking all things into account, is 

 found to be niore economical than that generally 

 practiced, of cutting otf the bogs and brush, and 

 then subduing the coarse vegetation by frequent 

 plowings and harrowings. I have found it exceed- 

 ingly difficult to reclaim the soil from its original 

 products by the latter process. By paring and 

 burning, on the contrary, the coarse materials of 

 the land were at once reduced by fire, and atiorded 

 a much needed amendment in their abundant 

 ashes. The surftice, with slight plowing or thorough 

 harrowing, is at once fitted for the production of 

 abundant crops. 



The after management is simply to keep the land 

 thoroughly drained^ so that no water stands witliin 

 three feet of the surfiice of the soil ; to deepen the 

 plowing slightly, year aft<3r year ; and to give such 

 manures as the case may require. Lime and ashes 

 will be found beneficial in hastening the decomposi- 

 tion of the muck — for in its original state it was 

 not fitted for the growth of valuable crops. 



— Another method of reclaiming boggy land is 

 to proceed as before, in 



First, Thorougldy draining the soil of all stand- 

 ing water. 



Second, After clearing the surface, to carry on 

 gaud, gravel, or loam, spreading it over the surface 

 to« the depth of two or three inches — perhaps 

 deeper. After allowing the bog to settle awhile, 

 liarrow the ground thoroughly, and sow oats and 

 grass seed. Some apply a dressing of coinposted 

 manure previous to seeding. 



Tills plan works faborably, if, as before, the land 

 is drained thoroughly. If not, in a few years the 

 coarse wild grass will work up through the covering, 

 and the product will be of little value. "Well drained, 

 the bog settles rapidh-, may be plowed frequently, 

 and will in time become thoroughly subdued and fit 

 for any cultivated crop. u. a. s. 



BEST SYSTEM OF ROTATION ON A CLAYEY FAEM. 



FATTENING SHEEP IN .WINTER. 



The first thing necessary is to have a warm place 

 for them, where they can have free access to water. 

 Feed clover hay three times a day — grain morning 

 and evening, and roots at noon. If you have no 

 roots substitute wheat bran made wet with water. 

 Bran will not aid much in producing fat, but it keeps 

 the digestive organs in good order and prevents 

 stretches which sheep are subject to when kept on 

 dry feed alone. If corn is used alone, be careful not 

 to fe«d too much; I prefer corn and oats mixed. I 

 have had sheep gain twelve pounds |)er month, fed 

 in this way. Feed with regularity, and do not trust 

 too much to hoys and hired help, but see that they 

 get just what they need and no more, which can 

 only be determined by close observation. 



Lyom, N: F., Jan'y, 185a EZIiA EINGEB. U 



That system of rotation is best, beyond doubt, 

 which is most profitable in present returns and 

 tends to keep the land in good condition, both in 

 fertility and friableness, -^ 



The best rotation which I have any knowledge 

 of, is to commence by putting all the manure that 

 can be raised on the farm, in its unfermented state, 

 on the field for Indian corn, the most in the poorer 

 places, and turn it in deeply before freezing ceases. 

 To trench-plow is better. In the spring, harrow 

 early and thoroughly, and plant. Cultivate clean. 



In the fall, put the ground in good condition and 

 sow wheat., or sow oats next spring, then sow the 

 wheat or oats thickly with clover and timothy. If 

 the field be sown with wheat, the timothy had bet- 

 ter be sown at the time of the sowing of the wheat, 

 as it is less liable to be injured by spring drouth, 

 and the clover should be sown the spring following. 

 This field of clover and timothy should be pastured 

 two years, or mown, as circimistances may direct. 

 The last crop of the second year, if possible, should 

 be reserved to be plowed under. The field should 

 be deeply plowed late in the fall or winter, to be 

 planted to corn the next spring. This course will 

 require four fields ; and when the rotation is foirly 

 attained, there will be one field in corn, one in 

 wheat or wheat and oats, and two in clover. The 

 fields will stand one year in corn, one in wheat or 

 wheat and oats, and two years in clover. 



Let all the nuxnure that can be spared be hauled, 

 in its unfermented state, upon the clover field in- 

 tended to be plowed, and spread, to be plowed 

 under with the last crop of clover. 



This course will not only greatly increase the 

 fertility of the soil, but will improve its mechanical 

 condition. The long roots of the clover, extending 

 deeply into the earth, will draw to the surface inor- 

 ganic manure from the subsoil. The roots and tops 

 of the clover and timothy will furnish a large amount 

 of organic manure for the use of the corn, wheat, 

 and oat crops, that are to succeed. The deep plow- 

 ing, the decaying of the manure and the tops and 

 roots of the timothy and clover, the exposing of the 

 plowed land to the influence of freezing and the 

 atmosphere, will have a tendency to pulverize the 

 land easier and better than can be done in any 

 other way. 



Of course, there are other fields that may be 

 needed, such, for instance, as one for rye, one for 

 meadow, etc. 



No field should be in permanent pasture that is 

 suitable to plow; far better let it come in the rota- 

 tion of crops. We make permanent pasture of our 

 woodlands, sown to blue grass. 



Another very good rotation is to sow a field of 

 corn thickly down to rye early in the fall — last of 

 August or first of September. Pasture the rye late 

 in the fall, and until April of the succeeding spring ; 

 then let it grow up until it is ripe. Let it stand 

 until the middle of August — it keeps well; then 

 pasture it on the ground to hogs. This leaves a 

 large amount of straw and manure on the ground, 

 which, with the green rye that Avill come up, may 

 be turned under for corn the next spring. If the 

 land is strong, it will improve under this rotation. 

 But if it be not very good, sow in rye as above, and 

 pasture down ; then plow and harrow the land, and 

 jhere will be a sufficiency of seed to thickly set it a 



