502 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



one ton to the acre, he will reflect upon the 

 great difference in the* profits of his labor 

 which would result to him between fifteen 

 liundn'd pounds and thirty hundred pounds of 

 hay, he would undoubtedly resolve that he 

 would, in the future, go over less land, and 

 yet secure a larger amount of hay per acre. 



The returns of the last census show the hay 

 crop to have been about fourteen millions of 

 tons, and at ten dollars a ton to give an aggre- 

 gate of about one hundred and forty millions 

 of dollars ? This is substantial national 

 wealth, something that gives the nation per- 

 manence and power. I'nlike costly edifices, 

 or anything else that costs much labor and is 

 not productive, this crop, with our grains and 

 other products of the farm, form the base of 

 national progress and prosperity. The aver- 

 a"-e per acre, might well be increased to one 

 ton and a half, which would add forty millions 

 annually to the wealth of the nation. Some of 

 our l)est farms do this, — nearly all might. 



Exacting as the labor of July is, it is still a 

 month of general health and good feeling 

 among farmers. There is something inspiring 

 in the jjleasant labor, and in seeing the boun- 

 tiful crops so rapidly filling the empty barns 

 with the fragrant products which are to sus- 

 tain our domestic animals — and man, too, m- 

 dJrectly — when frozen fields and pinching cold 

 compel them to rely upon man for shelter and 

 subsistence. 



The good old Bloomfield, when telling 

 his stories to the Farmer's Boy, felt the inspi- 

 ration of the season which we have suggested, 

 and invoked Health and Joy to come and 

 "hold their revels and make this month their 

 home." 



And so, in the right sense, should it be to 

 all, but especially so to the farmer that is 

 full of life and joyous feeling. In the midst 

 of all the garniture which the earth has put 

 on, loading the air with rich perfume, and 

 promising an abundance of food for man and 

 beast, why should not his heart beat with 

 gratitude and delight at the lavish fulness 

 around him, and the great promise of future 

 harvests! Let us, then, sing with the old 

 poet, — 



"Come to the scented clover fields. 



At early diiwn away ; 

 Tlie earth her generous bounty yields— 



To the clover fields away; 

 Tlie sun is painting now the hills 



With its genial yolden ray, 

 And the music of the singing rills 



Is calling us away." 



FARM "WORK FOB JULY. 

 A o-reat variety of work must be done in 

 this month in order to secure a profit on what 

 has already been done. It is poor policy to 

 lay out more work than can be done season- 

 ably and well. If the quantity of manure on 

 hand will dress two or three acres more than 

 has usually been under the hoe, that will re- 

 (juire an extra amount of labor in July. It 

 woidd be better to let the manure lie over, 

 than to neglect the usual crops in order to get 

 over the extra amount of land thus put under 

 cultivation. 



If we have reared trees, fruit or shade, it is 

 poor economy to allow cateq)illars or canker 

 worms to destroy them. It costs time and 

 money to set out and rear currant bushes, to 

 start cabbage and tomato plants, to prepare 

 the garden soil and sow a variety of seeds to 

 bring vegetables for the kitchen table, — and 

 their failure from after neglect would be a 

 waste, not only of this cost, but of the money 

 necessary to purchase them from some other 

 persons, perliassin a poor condition. Viewed 

 in this light, all will see that it is strict econom 

 to take good care of whatever has been started, 

 whether it be the grass, corn and potato crops, 

 or the wholesome and almost indispensable 

 fruits and vegetables, that ought to make up 

 a considerable portion of our diet during the 

 hot weather. 



If from the force of circimistances the farm 

 work is somewhat behind, it would be better 

 economy to liire a few days' labor, than to 

 allow the crops to suffer. A rank growth of 

 weeds in the garden, or among the field crops, 

 would soon absorb a considerable portion of 

 their profit, beside filling the soil with seeds 

 for future crops. 



The hoeing is quite often neglected in order 

 to strike into haying. The weeds are left, 

 perhaps, to be cut up in cloudy weather, 

 which may be indefinitely postponed. Then 

 a clear day is as much better for hoeing as it 

 is for haying. Weeds die quickly when 

 stretched out in a hot sun. And that is not 

 all. The ground being stirred to destroy the 

 weeds, is put into condition to receive im- 

 portant benefits from the atmosphere, rains, 

 and dews. The roots of the plants are, there- 

 fore, not only supplied with the nutriment 

 they need, but they have around them a mel- 

 low soil in which to travel after it. 



A quite common error is, to leave plants 



