OHK FARMING—CLEARING LAND. 
367 
totype will tell you no —I want none of your 
book-farming. He is contented to go on in the 
same routine.of life his father did before him- 
To such I would say, of the two, give me the 
book farmer, for that is the kind of farming for 
me. Moreover, I would ask what is it that makes 
the difference between the two farms I have 
represented. One takes an agricultural journal 
and studies his profession, while the other does 
not. The contrast is drawn from facts which 
have lately come under my observation, and are 
not exaggerated. Augustus. 
Smyrna , New York. 
OHIO FARMING—CLEARING LAND. 
The success of the farmer depends on a sound 
discriminating judgment, pointing out the proper 
course under the circumstances which surround 
him, and energy and perseverance to accom¬ 
plish what he has undertaken. There is much 
land in Ohio which has not yet been disturbed 
by the woodman’s axe or mattock. Much of 
this is covered with lofty timber, snd a thick 
undergrowth of various kinds of bushes. The 
average cost of grubbing alone is not less than 
two dollars, and the whole cost of clearing and 
fencing, at least eight dollars per acre. Although 
I am not an old man, yet I have subdued and 
brought under cultivation between three and 
four hundred acres of forest land. 
Proper time for Grubbing .—I prefer the early 
part of summer for grubbing; the roots remaining 
in the ground more quickly decay, and less labor 
from sprouts and suckers is experienced. The 
brush is piled and burnt any time through the 
summer. The great mass of brush and fallen 
timber which are necessarily burnt on the 
ground leave a very clean surface, but under¬ 
neath a literal web of interwoven roots are 
found extended through the length and breadth 
of the field. Having arrived thus far, the ques¬ 
tion comes up —what is the most judicious method 
to insure a crop of wheat on this land. In pre¬ 
paring new ground, I use a strong team and 
heavy plows. On similar lands I have sowed 
on the surface and scratched over it with one 
horse and shovel plow—this being the only 
labor bestowed upon it. This method requires 
less than half the labor of the other process, 
and less than half the time; and finally, an equal 
if not superior crop is obtained. The succeed¬ 
ing spring I sow the field in timothy and clover 
seed, which remains in pasture about five years, 
by this time the roots have generally become 
rotten; the two horse plow can then work to good 
advantage, and the ground is in good condition 
for a crop of any kind of grain. It is perhaps 
hardly necessary to remark that rxme but clean 
porous, loamy soils are treated in tms way. 
The common method of preparing and seed¬ 
ing down older lands in this vicinity, is to plow 
before harvest, and just before seeding, stir the 
land, then sow the seed and finish with the 
harrow or cultivator. This method generally 
brings a good crop, but much labor has been 
expended. It is true the fallow system has its 
advantages, yet lam of opinion, about the same 
result can be obtained with less labor. Where 
I have clover hay I deem one plowing sufficient; 
I then reverse the common order; instead of sow¬ 
ing and following with the harrow, I prefer a 
thorough pulverizing the soil with the harrow, 
and then sow the seed, and now comes the 
shovel plow again, which is the last implement 
unless water furrows are required. If the plow¬ 
ing and harrowing has been thoroughly done, 
the inverted sod will be but little disturbed and 
the soil is thrown up and left in ridges. The 
freezing and thawing of winter breaks down and 
crumbles the soil, which is equal to hoeing the 
young plant, causing it to start early in the 
spring, bidding defiance to the fly, and, in due 
time, rewarding the husbandman with an abun¬ 
dant crop. For the last implement I much pre¬ 
fer the cultivator to the harrow, but in all sincer¬ 
ity, I prefer the shovel plow to either. It raises 
the ridges a little higher and leaves the ground 
considerably rougher than any cultivator with 
which I am acquainted. But I will not further 
trespass on your columns. G. 
Moore's Salt Works, Ohio, 1851. 
-- 
HUMBUGS AND IMPOSITIONS OF THE DAY.—No. 2. 
Spanish and French Merino Sheep .—No intro¬ 
duction of any domestic animal whatever, has 
been more serviceable to the U. S. than that 
of fine-wooled sheep, and those munificent men, 
from Chancellor Livingston, Col. Humphreys, 
on through the course of years to Messrs. Col¬ 
lins and Taintor, whose liberal and large souled 
forecast, regardless of cost and results, have 
risked their money and labor in bringing them 
into the country, are entitled to their country’s 
gratitude. If they have been paid for their out¬ 
lays in the sale of their sheep, it is but what was 
justly due them in a business view of their enter¬ 
prises. But were that not so, those who have 
shared the benefits of their labor and solicitude, 
would not be particularly unhappy on such ac¬ 
count. Still these animals took, and do still 
take among our farmers, because they paid; and 
like the Morgan horses, for the past dozen years, 
