P R A C T I C A L FAR M E R 



131 



one. l)i!si)el to the square rod, except two acres, on 

 wliicli was spread twenty loads of barn yard ma- 

 nure. 



In 1836, ?i;\t<<en busiiels were sown on eight 

 and a half a'-n-s. which was broken up the ]<re- 

 cediiig August, after the hay was taken off. This 

 fiehi ha(i been iii clover throe years, which I take 

 to be one too aiany, as the clover roots are much 

 diminished after the second year. This fiehi was 

 roTed as si>on as ploughed — harrowed in Octo- 

 l)er, and the same amount of leached ashes spi-ead 

 on, as I had used the year before. 'J'.he seed was 

 cleared of outs ami light kernels by washing in 

 brine as strong as salt would make it — this being 

 more ponderous than water, will cause the oats 

 and ('efective wheat to swim, where it may be 

 .skimmed off with an old tin pail cover, punched 

 full of holes, unless you have somethinir better. 

 I vy'iil observe that my friend Samuel Taylor, of 

 Fairfield, showed me some Bark;! cleaned in this 

 way, which was handsomer than any I ever saw. 

 About tlie middle of Jun >, 20 bushels of air- 

 slacked lime wassowed on five acres, and a bush- 

 el and a half of plaster on an acre and a half more. 

 I think this part of the field was better grown than 

 the remainder, but have no means of knowing 

 positively. On one acre, on which were jiotatoes 

 and Ruta Baga the year previous, I sowed two 

 bushels of beardless wheat, whether the kind cal- 

 led " /ea loheat,^' I know not. This was stee|)ed 

 in a solution of Idue vitriol, two otincesto the bush- 

 el, i he ground having been manured the year 

 before, none was added, except one bushel of 

 plaster. The wheat was very beautiful in appear- 

 ance, and was ripe sooner than the other. 



Whether this was owing to the different previ- 

 ous culture, or to the variety used for seed, 1 know 

 not. I have usually founci beardless wheat tenor 

 fifteen d; ys later thaw other kinds I have sown. 

 I should have mentioned, that instead of cross- 

 ploughing, I use4,4''culiivator, which stirred the 

 soil about three inches deep, drawn length-wise 

 on the furrows. I intend to use this implemerjt 

 in future for all my spring sowing, having a frame 

 made to that purpose, heavy and strong enough 

 for seven teetii, with a spread of four feet. Two 

 liorses will go over four acres in a day with it. 

 Peas and oats should be sown before its use, and 

 other grains add after it, and the whole finished 

 with a light harrow and roller. I have threshed 

 about one hundred bushels of my wheat, and be- 

 lieve it will yield about eighteen bushels to the 

 acre — may be >nore — certainly no.t over twen- 

 ty. It was cut before it was fully ripe and does 

 not make quite as much flour as did my crop the 

 year before, Fivetbushels (not tolled) will make 

 over a barrel, however, and I have it ground and 

 put in my barrels for fifty cents. I have this day 

 sold teu barrels for $125. The seed was perfect- 



ly fvee from snuit, and so is the product. Hith- 

 erto, my v/heat lias been sown as the first grain 

 crop. 



I am prepare!, should [ live another year, to 

 try it on sward land — after outs — after wheat, 

 and on land whiih has !)een mowed one year and 

 pastured two years wilii sheep, and ploughed in 

 July last. My opinion is, that whore the hay crop 

 is abundant, in those parts of the country where 

 that crop does not bear, in such years, a higher 

 price than six or seven dollars the ton ; the suc- 

 ceeding wheat crop will amply pay for turning 

 the whole under, and rolling it close in June and 

 July, besides having the soil in a most desirable 

 stale for future use. I have in two years, some- 

 time since, sowed clover with my first grain crop 

 to turn under in the fall. If the season is wet, 

 there is a fine amount of vegetable matter after 

 harvest, but 1 have never foimd a plough yet, 

 which would handsomely turn it imder. If the 

 season is very dry, there will be little of it, and at 

 the present price of seed, I have contented myself 

 with my mode of two years to grass and two years 

 to grain. 



As to keeping my land in tilth, my creed is 

 short and simple. All the products of the barn 

 and hog yards, which have accumulated for one 

 year, are [)Ut under the surface in the spring, for 

 the culture of potatoes and Ruta Baga, to be fol- 

 lowed the next year with wheat. On the land 

 inteniled for wheat and other small grains, as much 

 aslies, lime, plaster and compost, as I feel able to 

 ];rocure — antl every two years follow my sheep 

 with the plough for wheat. I hope no one will 

 be led to adojit a course of culture unsuited to his 

 soil and circumstances from my theory or prac- 

 tice. Ail lands are not suited to grain crops — 

 and my candid belief is, that there is a greater 

 failure awiong our farmers from not studying the 

 nature of the soil they cultivate, and adopting the 

 proper crops and proper rotation of crops, than 

 even s;oinf^ abroad to mill. Yours truly, 



JAMES BATES. 



The following article is from a newspaper entitled 

 " Eastern Shore Whig and People's Advocate," pub- 

 lished at Easton, Maryland. We have been requested 

 to re-publish it, which we do with much pleasure, on 

 the ground of the respectability of the gentlemen who 

 recommended it, though we have never seen the iinjde- 

 ments • 



HUSSEY'S GRAIN CVTTER. 



Report of the Board of Trustees of the Mary^ 

 land Agricultural Society for the Eastern Shore,^ 

 on the Machine for harvesting small grain. In- 

 vented by Mr Obed Hussey, of Cincinnati, Ohio. 



The favorable account of the operation of thi.>? 

 implement iu several of the Western States, in- 

 duced the Board to iuvUe Mr Hussoy to bring it 



