326 



Fall Ploughing. 



Vol. VII. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Fall Ploughing. 



Tke writers in the Cabinet, who advocate 

 the system of fall ploughing", will be grati 

 tied to learn that the experiment has been 

 made by our friend Mr. Isaac Roberts, of 

 Spring-mill, on an extensive scale ; having 

 ploughed up his corn-ground, 16 acres, the 

 last autumn, laying it high and dry for the 

 winter, and sowing it this spring with oats, 

 without another stirring, on the day when 

 his neighbours began to plough their land 

 for the same crop; and I confess that I never 

 saw any management that bade fairer for 

 success': for although the land lies high and 

 is liable to wash, and indeed has suffered 

 somewhat from that cause, yet one single 

 tine of the harrow, after the oats were 

 sown, was quite sufficient to prepare the 

 land for the clover seed ; another tine being 

 ample to complete the business, leaving the 

 surface like an ash-heap. Thus he has 

 stolen a march npon us, and gained a week, 

 which in this late season, may be perhaps, 

 about equal to the rent of the land, besides 

 relieving himself of much toil and trouble. 

 I fancy I now begin to see into the matter, 

 and regret that I am not prepared to take 

 advantage of the circumstance; so true is 

 it, that a farmer's life consists but of a few 

 seasons, one of which being missed, can 

 never be recalled — let our young men, 

 therefore, be up and doing, "while it is 

 day." 



Cm walking over the land, I think I have 

 convinced myself that the thing must work 

 right. Here is a finely pulverized surface, 

 in which for the seed to vegetate, with a 

 compact under soil, in which for the roots 

 of the plants to hold ; which is as necessary 

 for the growth of oats as for wheat; it hav- 

 ing been ascertained, that both plants feed 

 on the same pabulum, and require the same 

 tenacity of soil for their support: and I shall 

 watch with much interest the growth of the 

 crop, not doubting that it will stand erect at 

 the time of harvest, and not fall before ripen- 

 ing, as is the very general state of our oat 

 crops. But this is only a part of our friend's 

 intended plan; he sows red clover on his 

 oats, allowing an extra quantity of seed, 

 with the expectation of obtaining from so 

 pulverized and enriched a surface, a full 

 plant and very clean crop: and on this 

 clover, early the next spring, or rather in 

 late winter, he will carry abroad his dung 

 from the straw-yard as a top-dressing, allow- 

 in? it to be grown in by the crop; after 

 which he may either take two crops of hay, 

 or one of hay, and feed lightly the second 

 crop of clover, and turn down for wheat;; 



sowing after a single ploughing, with every 

 prospect in the world of escaping the rust, 

 cheating the fly, and obtaining a glorious 

 crop of grain, with not too much straw; 

 leaving the land in good heart for any other 

 crop, and varying that eternal routine, corn, 

 oats, wheat, of which I must confess I have 

 long been weary. The above, I find is the 

 English mode of management for wheat ; 

 and although it is readily admitted that our 

 circumstances and climate are different, yet 

 the first principles of agriculture are the 

 same at all times and in all places, and this 

 is one that might be rationally adopted, 

 without extra labour or cost, and promising 

 full success — indeed what is there to offer 

 against it ! I can see nothing, and there- 

 fore repeat, I wish I was prepared to go 

 into the experiment, being quite ready to 

 share the risk, and take the chance for 

 profit. 



Since writing the above, a friend assures 

 me that this plan is by no means original, 

 for he remembers that 40 years ago, it was 

 practised by an intelligent person whom he 

 knew, and that it was crowned with the 

 most perfect success, his crop being nearly 

 doubled by it; and yet he relinquished it, 

 although he could never tell why! And so, 

 with respect to the proposal to raise corn on 

 the same land every year in succession; I 

 saw but yesterday, a man who assures me 

 he has practised this plan for the last five 

 years, and has regularly obtained a better 

 crop — that of last year the best ; and he in- 

 tends to continue the practice. I presume, 

 however, that there is something original in 

 the proposal to manure the land with the 

 corn-stalks, by ploughing them under in the 

 autumn ; and yet I see nothing preposterous 

 in it, particularly if Bommer's mode of de- 

 composing vegetable substances should be 

 applicable in the case; probably the articles 

 which he uses to create fermentation, could 

 be applied to the stalks and roots as they 

 lie along the furrow, and thus a perfect 

 amalgamation with the soil might be pro- 

 duced, by the time of planting in the spring, 

 requiring no further stirring. Are there any 

 of your readers who can inform us, whether 

 Bommer's method could be made subservient 

 to the purpose ? T. D. 



Spring Mill, April, 1843. 



Red Cedar. — If the lining of drawers in 

 which clothes are kept is made of pencil 

 cedar, no moths or other destructive insects 

 will get into them. This wood is cheaper 

 than wainscot or mnhogany, and gives an 

 agreeable perfume to the clothes. — Xew 

 Genesee Farmer. 



