AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 525 



between the rows not receiving any, from which, where the busi- 

 ness of putting the manure into the drills is properly peribrmed, 

 a great saving must of course be made — and so great is it, that it 

 constitutes one of the chief advantages of the diull system of 

 cultivation. For example, if the drills are two feet asunder, 

 and each drill six inches wide at the bottom, there will be just 

 one-fourth jDart of the ground covered wath manure; for as six 

 inches multiplied by four, gives two feet, which will be the dis- 

 tance from hill to liill; and as four multiplied by four, makes 

 sixteen, it follows, that if the whole of the land had been covered 

 with manure, sixteen loads would have been required for what 

 is as fully and beneficially performed by four. This method 

 keeps the manure closely together, and the seeds or plants being 

 placed immediately upon it, receive advantage in a full and com- 

 plete manner; and when the land is plowed for oats, it is equally 

 distributed over the Avhole field, and a luxuriant crop is the 

 result. 



TIME OF SOWING. 



In this business it is necessary to keep in mind that the earlier 

 the seed is put into the ground, the sooner in general the crop 

 will be ready to cut and less apt to rust. At the south, it is sown 

 to-wards the end of February, when the season is dry and fine; 

 but March is in general the oat seed season. On all soils that are 

 naturally dry and parching, it is much the best practice to sow 

 early, in order that the crop may be well establislied before the 

 hot weather commences. Last year, I sowed twenty-six acres of 

 reclaimed swamp land, with oats, on the first day of May, and 

 was surprised by a magnificent crop, owing, probably, to the cool 

 and moist nature of the soil; but I have, with this exception, 

 always found in practice, that the earliest sown oats constantly 

 aftbrded the most perfect sample, and abundant produce. I have 

 usually sown timothy and clover seed, mixed, with oats, which is 

 not considered good farming, but have been invariably success- 

 ful, the seeds being covered by the brush, or iron harrow, suita- 

 ])ly to the condition of the land ; and where the soil is mellow, a 

 roller is passed over it as soon after as j^ossible, in order to press 

 the mold to the seeds. Under other circumstances, I have found 

 it more advisable to defer the rolling until the season is dry, and 

 the crop somewhat advanced in its growth. 



The practice of sowing oats under furrow, which I have tried, 

 IS not by any means to be advised, as in such a method the seed 



