1862, 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



187 



For the New England Farmer. 



SEED WHEAT — FARMERS' CLUB — A 

 SNOW BLOCKADE. 



Mr. Editor: — In a communication in the 

 Farmer some months ago, either the printer or 

 scribe made me say just what I did not intend, 

 namely, that the farmers hereabouts sowed only 

 the largest kinds of wheat, when it should have 

 read the largest kernels. For a few years past the 

 "Canada Club" and "Scotch Fife" have been al- 

 most the only kinds sown, although formerly the 

 "China Tea" wheat and other large varieties were 

 raised considerably. By the use of an improved 

 fan-mill, which separates the largest, plumpest 

 and earliest ripened kernels from the smaller, as 

 well as from all foul seed and oats, we think we 

 are improving our grain crops, wheat especially, 

 in a perceptible degree, getting a larger yield, 

 earlier matured and less exposed to the midge, 

 and better quality. But we hope your readers 

 will not understand that we sow only the largest 

 kinds of wheat — except as we inci*ease the size of 

 the variety by sowing only the largest kernels. 



farmers' club. 

 That you may be better acquainted with us, far- 

 mers, I will give you a little specimen of our talk 

 at the second meeting of the club, which was or- 

 ganized two weeks ago for the following objects, 

 as named in the 2d Article of the Constitution : 



1. The acquisition and dissemination of agri- 

 cultural knowledge. 



2. The promotion of acquaintance among neigh- 

 bors. 



3. Improvement of its members in conversation, 

 composition, public reading and speaking, &c. 



4. Improvement of farms, farm implements, 

 stock, buildings, and every department of agricul- 

 ture. 



Our first subject for conversation was the com- 

 parative merits of fall and spring plowing. Mr. 

 G. recommends fall plowing as to economy, de- 

 stroying grubs, &c., enriching the soil and saving 

 of labor preparatory to the hnrry in getting in 

 spring crops — would plow greensward soon after 

 haying when the ground was warm — believes fall 

 plowing gives heavier crops — in favor of spreading 

 manure on the surface and harrowing rather than 

 plowing under very deep — thinks the little loss of 

 ammonia by plowing corn or grain land in the 

 fall more than compensated by the maniurial effect 

 of the stubble. 



Mr. prefers to break greensward for plant- 

 ing after the grass has well started in May — does 

 not think fall plowing destroys grubs or foul 

 weeds any better than spring plowing — has his 

 doubts about getting as good crops from fall plow- 

 ing of stubble land — for wheat is in favor of both 

 fall and spring plowing — thinks if all plowing 

 could be done as conveniently in spring it would 

 be better, except plowing in greensward in August 

 when weather is warm, so that the rowen heats 

 and rots considerably before cold weather. 



Mr. G. is quite confident that fall plowing de- 

 stroys larvae — don't think fall plowing of corn 

 land manured in the hill injurious — not much lost 

 if plowed late. 



Mr. don't profess to be much of a farmer, 



has some ideas — thinks we don't generally plow 

 enough to sufficiently pulverize the land — much in 

 favor of both fall and spring plowing — says far- 



mers in H — k get from 75 to 100 bushels of oats 

 per acre, and plow old land both fall and spring — 

 likes breaking greensward in August — and is sat- 

 isfied from personal experience that the more we 

 plow and work over land, the better crops of every 

 kind. 



Mr. thinks we sometimes get land pulver- 

 ized too much — in regard to seeding down thinks 

 the greater growth of straw is from spring plow- 

 ing, but more weight of grain from fall plowing 

 — never saw oats eaten up badly by worms or in- 

 sects on fall 2^1owed land — is in favor of breaking 

 greensward early in the fall — has lost new seeding 

 by sowing on land pulverized in the spring ; Mr. 

 endorses the same opinion. 



Mr. thinks our crops depend more \i\wn 



manure than the time of plowing — especially land 

 for seeding down should have been well manured 

 and thorouglily pulverized — is in favor of getting 

 muck, &c., and preparing manure instead of plow- 

 ing in the fall — thinks, if can plow but once, bet- 

 ter do it in the spring — in favor of plowing green- 

 sward for corn the last thing before the ground 

 freezes up — not generally in favor of plowing 

 corn stubble land in the fall for wheat the follow- 

 ing year. 



^Ir. thinks seeding down depends more 



upon the thickness of the grain sown with the 

 seed than on the time of plowing — in favor of 

 fall plowing to get of "sward-worms." 



iSIr. thinks that broadcast sown grain is 



less liable to rust on fall plowed land because the 

 sward is better decomposed — thinks in one in- 

 stance he raised oats on a field part plowed in fall 

 and part in spring, and the fall plowed yielded 

 one-third more grain and equal amount of straw, 

 seeding caught better and jn'oduced better hay 

 cro]3S than the other — thinks fall plowing, espe- 

 cially for moist land, pulverizes it better, on ac- 

 count of frost, &c. 



INIr. is in favor of fall plowing for wheat 



after corn — also for seeding down — would like 

 further discussion of this subject. 



Thus you have, Mr. Editor, a sample of our 

 fii'st meeting after organizing ; do you think it ad- 

 visable to try to keep it up ? We have decided 

 to have at least one more meeting, and the sub- 

 ject is the "corn crop." I don't know that any 

 one of us ever had any experience or practice in 

 any other club, so that of course we are all "green," 

 though as a community we don't like to be be rat- 

 ed more than others, or considered "below par" in 

 general and our jja in particular ! It is our in- 

 tention to have our wives and older children asso- 

 ciated, actively with us, and our hired help in the 

 club, and besides conversation, occasionally have 

 original essays and speeches. 



THE BLOCKADE. 



I don't know how you of the cities and port 

 towns regard it ; we in the suburbs of central Ver- 

 mont, are united to a man, to say nothing of the 

 women, in our determination to exert ourselves to 

 raise it by persuasion or force, hook, crook, or 

 shovel, if it is not removed within thirty days ! 

 We care not whether by England or France or 

 Greenland the blockade is raised and lemonade 

 and our neighbors made accessible, and our com- 

 merce let loose, so be it is soon done. Why, sir, 

 just think of it — ninety-one inches of snow before 

 the fourth week in February ! And then, for the 



