PRACTICAL FARMER. 



173 



PLOUGHING IN A GREEN CROP. 



As winter evenings seem to aftord a suitable 

 opportunity for intellectual improvement, and con- 

 sidering that the pages of a periodical of this kind 

 are dependent very much on correspondents for 

 matters of information, and that it is the f)art of 

 every subscriber to contribute his mite to the im- 

 provement and information of the readers of an 

 agricultural work of this nature, I have ventured 

 to pen a few of my thoughts. 



The farmers of almost every section of country 

 differ materially in their modes of farming, and 

 opinion respecting the most profitable manner of 

 converting the produce of their farms into money. 

 Their difference of opinion is certainly allowable 

 and natural, when we take into consideration the 

 difference of soils, the distance from markets, the 

 difficulty in most neighborhoods of obtaining pro- 

 per help, &c. all of which the farmer has to ac- 

 commodate himself to in the best manner he can. 

 The business of a farmer is in my opinion an inde- 

 pendent, an honorable, and, when jiroperly pur- 

 sued, a profitable one ; and no doubt, so long as 

 our country continues in prosperity, the inci-easing 

 demand for produce will insure to the farmer a 

 handsome remuneration for the ])roducts of his 

 soil. 



Ploughing in of green crops, as practised in the 

 State of New York, is so economical a mode of 

 enriching the soil, that I have often marvelled it 

 is not practised to a much greater extent in other 

 places. Allow me to recommend the spreading 

 of a coat of lime previous to ploughing in. 



If the slovenly farmer, who allows his weeds 

 to grow up unmolested and cover his fields, would, 

 instead of this, plough them under, after a few 

 repetitions of this, he would be surprised at the 

 increased fertility of the soil, and save the labor of 

 carting manure from a distance. 



With respect to the best crops for turning un- 

 der, there are various opinions; rye and red clo- 

 ver are, perhaps, as much in use as any other, 

 though some plough in oats, millet, turni[)s, &c. 

 In dry situations this practice succeeds best, as by 

 the ground remaining exposed to wet, the crop 

 turned under would not be so likely to rot. 



With regard to turnips for ploughing in, I must 

 acknowledge myself an unbeliever; I have heard 

 of its being done to profit by others, but have 

 seen it tried in my own neighborhood without 

 success. Perhaps, however, it is owing to some 

 difference in cultivation or soil with which we are 

 unacquainted. .It would confer a favor on ns Jer- 

 sey-men, if some of your successful New York 

 fanners would furnish us with their experience 

 on the subject of ploughing under green crops for 

 manure, and on other modes of economising that 

 very expensive, yet indispensable material in the 



business of agriculture « Junius" in the JVew 



York Farmer. 



FODDER RACKS. 



Do farmers fodder their cattle in the best way; 

 that is, do they derive the greatest possible benefit 

 from a given amount of hay, in the manner gener- 

 ally adopted by them in feeding it to their cattle 

 and sheep ? Hay by most farmers is thrown out 

 into the yard, scattered about by forkfuls, and the 

 cattle and sheep are left to scrandile and fight for 

 it, and get it in the best manner they may. If the 

 yard is dry, or frozem hard, or covered with straw, 

 or even snow, but little comparatively is lost; but 

 if, as is very frequently the case, the yard is soft 

 with mud and manure, it is evident much of the 

 hay must be trodden down and totally lost, and 

 even at the best, some will be so injured by being 

 mixed with the dung that the cattle will not cat it. 

 Perhaps the only com()lete remedy for this evil is 

 to feetl cattle exclusively in stalls, and where this 

 is practicable, the farmer undoubtedly finds his 

 account in the diminished quantity of food required, 

 and the superior condition of his herds ; still, but 

 few are able to adopt this mode of feeding to any 

 great extent, and the plan which a|)|:roximates the 

 nearest to this, and is of general and easy aj plica- 

 tion, should be adopted. Experience has shown 

 that much of this loss and inconvenience in tlie 

 feeding of cattle may be avoided by the use of 

 suitable racks, and these are not so dillicult in pre- 

 paration, or so expensive as some may at first im 

 agine ; indeed, it is believed'that the hay annually 

 saved to the farmer by their use, would pay the 

 expense of a yearly construction. Racks should 

 be so made and set, that cattle or sheej) may eat 

 from both sides at once, as they occupy much less 

 space, and can be made at the same time more 

 portable. To construct racks, let a tree of suita- 

 ble size be split into two parts, so that when the 

 split surface is smoothly hewn, the |)icces will 

 resemble thick heav}' slabs of sixteen or eighteen 

 inches in width. By the way, heavy slabs of the 

 ordinary kind, which may be procured from 

 ahnost every saw-mill, form very good substitutes 

 for these split timbers, when they cannot be read- 

 ily found. Near the edge of e.ich side of these 

 slabs let holes be bored, into which let rounils of 

 wood be inserted ; the rounds, if intended for cat- 

 tle, may be four feet in length — if for shee;;, two 

 feet will be sufficient, and at such distances from 

 each other as may be deemed advisable, always 

 remembering that cattle should not be allowed to 

 put their heads between the rounds, while sheep 

 should be jjermitted to pass theirs at pleasure. 

 The tops of the two rows of rounds should diverge 

 from each other, so that while their distances at 

 the bottom should not be more than ten or twelve 

 inches, at the top it should be two and a half or 

 three feet; and if a slight rai'ing of board be fixed 

 on the top of those racks intended for ca.tle, they 

 will be so much the stronger and better ; on the 

 ones intended for sheep, uo such security is ne- 



