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3rtrft» (!, ttlture. 
NOTES FROM THE FARM. 
Tin- way to Manure Best with Clovers. 
A friend, lately returned from a journey 
through the West, described to 1 . 1 s the prac¬ 
tice of some Michigan farmers in growing 
wheat. “ They have large farms,” said lie, 
“ and grow a variety of crops on land adja- 
cent to the buildings, keeping the soil well 
manured, hut the outlying fields are devoted 
to wheat, A crop is taken once in three 
years, and during the rest of the time the 
land is occupied with clover. The first year 
alter seeding this is allowed to grow and go 
down entirely on the laud; it is neither 
mown nor pastured. The second year the 
field is suminer-fallovvcd, all the previous 
dead growth, and a fresh cut, up to the blos¬ 
soming stage, being plowed under. They 
raise line wheat in that way,” continued our 
friend, “ and 1 rat her think it pays — for one 
certain, good crop in three years, yet with 
little labor, is better than three uncertain or 
poor ones.” 
Well, never mind whether the latter re¬ 
mark is correct or not; for that depends 
almost entirely on local circumstances; but 
let us consider the question which is natu¬ 
rally suggested, viz., What is the best way 
to use clover as a fertilizer V 
Whether the top growth is removed by 
mowing or pasturing, or is left, undisturbed 
until turned under by the plow, the good 
effect resulting from the root growth is prac¬ 
tically the smile. And if t he top growth he 
removed, but its equivalent, in manure re¬ 
turned, it is plain that nothing will lie lost 
to the land by the operation, except the ad¬ 
vantage of the shade which the heavy top 
growth affords to the soil. But this is of 
great consequence, especial,y in Southern 
latitudes and on light soils. I 11 a densely 
shaded soil, nitrogen rapidly accumulates; 
the soil Itself undergoes a mechanical change 
and turns to a. darker color. This influence 
is lost, in a great measure, when the top 
growth of clover is removed, and, instead, 
the sun glares on the earth, drying and 
baking it, vaporizing and dispelling gaseous 
element- uul dwarfing the growth of plants. 
But if the i p growth of clover is used as 
food for stoc a\ ili tin manure thereby made 
liali.i <; the loss :' 1 By no means. If two 
tons of clover hay arc taken from one acre 
a d fed to i cp, and I lie cm ire manure 
i; ado therefrom, provided no other food is 
used, be rein. • - d to the one acre, not all the 
fertilizing power of flic : lover is replaced; 
for the sheep retain ‘anno of it in the shape 
of wean, ml and flesh. But practically the 
manure is never wholly returned, for much 
is Jo.it in a liquid form, and much through 
unskillful or careless handling of the solid 
portions. Tn the case of pasturing, the stock 
hk rise r move permanently, in the form of 
bone,-fat, Uch, hair. Me., pari of Iks devoured 
product. But the loss by Ibis means is not 
r grout, in the case of pasturing, as the 
direct waste of manure. Any close observer 
enu com iniv himself of this fact by exami¬ 
nation of a pastured field. True, all the ex¬ 
crement of the stock are deposited on the 
land; but the waste after deposition in pas¬ 
ture is great. Every element of destruction 
which can hear on the manure is brought 
against it ; it is deposited mostly on the 
richest portion of the field; freshets sweep 
it from ilie hollows into the streams, and the 
wind and sun deprive it of the most valuable 
components. 
In a well organized system of farming, in¬ 
cluding a rotation of crops, and carried on 
in the midst of dense populations, clover 
may he turned into hay, fed in conjunction 
with other products, and manure profitably 
made for the soil; but where these circum¬ 
stances are wanting, as in the exhausted 
fields of the South and the failing prairies of 
the West, let the clover, or other manorial 
plant, grow, flourish, and remain on the soil 
until the plow gives it burial. 
The Farm Workshop. 
I stepped over to the ’Squire’s the other day, 
and found him busy in his farm workshop. 
It was morning, and blowing terribly, and 
the blocked roads denied passage for man or 
beast to the village. The’Squire is a snug 
farmer, and his stock was all comfortable in 
warm stables and other shelter; even the 
poultry hardly knew of the storm without, 
for the “biddies” cackled, and a junior 
member of the family, who had especial 
charge of that department, exhibited a 
“ baker's dozen ” of eggs us the day’s pro¬ 
duct. But the ’Squire and his hired man 
were at work in the shop. The farm imple¬ 
ments were being thoroughly overhauled. 
Nearly all needed paint, and some broken or 
wank timber had to be replaced. I heard 
the hummer ringing on the anvil as 1 ap¬ 
proached the door, and found the ’Squire 
just finishing the sharpening of a set of drag 
teeth, which had been worn by the summer’s 
work. Tin* hired man was washing, oiling, 
and mending the harnesses. The ’Squire 
threw the last drag tooth on the finished 
heap as i closed the door, and, taking oil his 
apron, he reached me a pipe, and, lighting 
another, sat down for a neighborly chat. 
Our talk was of borne and farm topics, and 
the, ’Squire spoke of his workshop. “ I 
built it years ago,” said he, “ and stocked it 
with tools for worki ng iron and wood, and it 
has paid me well. .My farm work never lags 
became nu implement is poor and out of 
repair, and many a journey to the village car¬ 
penter and blacksmith has it saved me. I 
take a great deal of comfort, here, too, atid 
never get the fever — as some of mv neigh¬ 
bor do — in winter time, of running to the 
village. My shop has a good influence on 
my boys; Ihey are all handy with tools, and 
have gained knowledge and dexterity that 
will be of use to them in the future. On the 
shelf, yonder, is a model of a new harrow, 
which the second won. Jambs, made; and 
the cuttle-fastenings you liked so well, in toy 
stable, were contrived and made by his 
brothel’. No investment line paid me hot¬ 
ter than my shop, and I am. sorry 1 didn’t 
have the advantages of one when I was a 
hoy.” 
Bo mooli we noted, in substance, of the 
’Squire’s talk, and sometime we may tell 
more ; ibr u his head is level.” Chiel. 
COTTON CULTURE IN THE SOUTH. 
BY BAX I EC EEE. 
Long as our great Southern staple has 
been cultivated, only a very few planters 
have acquired the art and science of raising 
cotton to the best advantage. Some in Han¬ 
cock Co., (fa., having learned how to make 
a small amount of commercial manure, do 
what many regard as impossible—give large 
crops of cotton and improve the soil. How 
ibis may he done, it is the purpose of this 
letter briefly to explain. 
1 . li is necessary that the land be so level, 
or well managed by deep, horizontal culture, 
hill-side ditches, or otherwise, as not to wash 
and lose fertilizing substances thereby. 
2. The broad, sun-loving leaves of the 
cotton plant, admirably adapt it to imbibe 
aliment from the atmosphere, while its long 
tap-roots draw mineral food from the deep 
subsoil and its numerous surface roots go 
far for both organic and inorganic sustenance. 
With these several advantages to command 
the raw material of perfect plants, the soil 
would he uncommonly depleted and im¬ 
poverished, provided the stems, leaves, seeds 
and lint were all exported from the planta¬ 
tion. But tU< i mum.-forming seed;-, leaves 
and stems of this plant all remain with the 
cultivator. He sells, In a hale of lint, that 
weighs five hundred pounds, less than ten 
pounds of the earthy elements of cotton and 
nilrog' 1 . This is a.: important fact, the full J 
force 01 which lew planters understand. 
ft. By applying in the drills wilh the seed, 
one hundred pounds of gypsum, one hundred 
of superphosphate of lime, fifty ol common 
salt, and ten of potash, per acre, the land 
gels at least ten times more phosphorus, sul¬ 
phur, chlorine and soda, than it. parts with 
in a bale of lint. Mr. Dickson, Dr. Pen¬ 
dleton, and other Hancock fanners, by t his 
plain and simple practice, obviously inemm 
f'ntitfuhim by raising cotton. 
4. Every commercial crop exported should j 
sell for enough to enable tbe producer to buy ] 
more potash, phosphorus, sulphur, soda and ^ 
chlorine, than he sells, so that his soil will . 
gain in plant-food from year to year. To | 
consume fertility, and render one’s farm 
poorer from year to year, by tillage, is little 
better than committing slow suicide. The j 
county and State, so impoverished,can never j 
emigrate; restitution is the only remedy. 
Rightly handled, the large deposits of phos¬ 
phate of lime, near Charleston, S. C., aided 
by land planter, will be worth indefinite 
millions to the cotton culture of the South. 
5 . Very reliable researches made in Ger¬ 
many by Dr. Pixel's of Insterburg, show that 
gypsum water eliminates both potash and 
magnesia from their insoluble compounds in 
soils. This is a new and important discovery, 
and explains one of the several ways in 
which this cheap and abundant salt of lime 
increases fertility by extracting from felspar 
and mica two elements found in all crops. 
Every farmer, and especially those raising 
cotton, wheat, com and tobacco for distant, 
consumption,should mix gypsum with their 
stable and yard manures. 
6 . The production of plant,-food or manure 
should be a part of the every-day business 
of the farm, with a clear knowledge how 
plants grow, and from what sources they 
obtain every atom that exists in their perfect 
development. So far as common air and 
water will abundantly nourish plants they 
need no manure. But. so far as these sup¬ 
plies fail, artificial aid and feeding should 
he given with the greatest possible economy. 
This remark leads at once into the princi¬ 
ples and practice of sound farm economy. 
It is only farmers and planters who thor¬ 
oughly understand this part of their calling, 
as a learned profession, who are able to com¬ 
mand success. 
-- 
Manures should be hauled on lands du¬ 
ring the fall uad winter. 
WHEAT: 
Its Present and Future Production. 
BY T. C. PETERS. 
From present indications, the production 
of w heat, does not keep pace with the in¬ 
crease of population ; or, in other words, the 
demand is rapidly outgrowing the supply. 
Were it not for the adventitious supply from 
the Pacific slope, we should be importing 
wheat or living upon rye and Indian bread— 
no bad substitute for the wheuten loaf, and 
much cheaper, and our bran-bread philoso¬ 
phers would, say, much more healthful. 
There is no fear of a scarcity of bread food. 
Indian corn is truly the golden gift of a 
beneficent Creator to man. Its importance 
is not even yet properly appreciated. Upon 
it more than any other cereal depends the 
prosperity of this Continent. The wheat 
crop already has no real significance beside 
it. A failure in the corn crop over the whole 
country would be far more disastrous than 
of the wheat crop. 
Upon an abundant crop of corn depends 
cheaper pork, beef, mutton, poultry and eggs 
—of butter and cheese, and, what some may 
consider the greatest benefit of any, cheap 
whisky. The wide range given to its suc¬ 
cessful cultivation, from Labrador to Florida, 
and the case and certainty wherewith it is 
cultivated, make it, especially among the 
cereals, what gold is among the metals—the 
most precious. 
But by adopting proper modes oi cultiva¬ 
tion, may not. the production of wheat be in¬ 
creased to ati unlimited extentV In other 
words, has population so far 1 ranched upon 
land as to materially lessen tbe area which 
can yet be devoted to it* production, even in 
the older sections of the Union? While the 
soil is in its virgin state, filled witil vegetable 
matter, and the accumulated mineral plant 
lood, wheat can be grown. But in most 
soils, except of a calcareous base, tbe usual 
modes of cultivation soon exhaust its power 
of producing wheat in any remunerative 
quantities. The area of lands which are 
natural to tbe plant, or to its success¬ 
ful cultivation, is smaller, perhaps, than 
is generally supposed. New England lias 
not over two per cent.; New York only 
twenty; Pennsylvania eighteen; while all 
that part of the West which lies upon the 
New York system of rocks, has about, sixty 
per cent, of natural wheat soils, and the 
Southern or Cotton States have a still larger 
proportion of their area where wheat, may 
be grown as an iiid.genons plant. The area 
hereafter brought under cultivation will be 
equal at least to that which may be taken up 
lor the exigences of an increased population. 
The am of land now in cultivation in the 
United States and its Territories, is not far 
from one hundred and sixty-live millions of 
. im . s —*jjiy on'* hundred in the Northern and 
Western States, and sixty-live in the South¬ 
ern. For seed aild bread our population 
require an annual product oi two bundled 
million of bushels of wheat. I bis quantity 
is"about our annual product. The average 
yield is about five to one sown. In Cali¬ 
fornia, and in some of the most productive 
wheat growing States, it is much liighei, but 
in the Sout h, owing to their present defect¬ 
ive mode of cultivation, it, is much lower— 
probably not reaching over two and a half, 
or possibly three. 
By the “ South,” now and hereafter, I wish 
to be understood as referring to the Cotton 
Zone, which lies beyond and south of the 
thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude, or 
the north lines of North Carolina, Tennes¬ 
see and Arkansas, to the Mexican boundary. 
It is safe to assume the annual average 
acreable product of all the acres sown to 
wheat in the Union do not exceed eight 
bushels of sixty pounds to the bushel, or not 
enough is harvested from the acre to support 
two persons and furnish seed for the next 
crop. The acreable product is undoubtedly 
estimated at too high a figure. Of the en¬ 
closed land iu farms, at least one half, or 
fifty per cent., is in meadow or pasture. Ol 
the other, or arable or plow laud, it, will be 
found that not over one-sixth will be in 
wheat., even in wheat farms. The balance 
will bo in com, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat, 
beans, and roots of \ arious kinds. 1 t follows 
then, that of the land enclosed and in (aims, 
only about one half, or eighty-t wo and a half 
millions of acres, are in grass, as pasture or^ 
meadow, and the other halt covered with 
t illage crops. Of tillage crops, wheat dues 
not average more than twcut-five per cent. 
Of tlic breadth plowed. 
The number of fanners occupying farms 
above three acres each amount to three mil¬ 
lions, and the average size of the area of en¬ 
closed land in farms is not far from fifty-five 
acres, of which not over twenty-seven acres 
are annually under the plow or in cultivated 
crops. If my premises be true, not over 
seven acres of each farm can be in wheat. 
In our next article, we will test the figures 
and see if we are correct. 
-<♦♦♦--- 
The farmer is the architect of his own 
fortune more completely than any other 
class of men. Both his thinking and the 
labor build his superstructure of success. 
PREMIUM POTATO CROP. 
The Queens Ceunty Agricultural Society 
awarded a diploma and $5 to Elbert H. 
Bogert, of Boslyn, for crop of potatoes. The 
following is the statement of management, 
expenses thereof and returns: 
The. farm is situated at. Mrmhasset. The 
soil was in good condition. The previous 
crop was com, manured with cow-yard ma¬ 
nure at, the rate of ten two-horse wagon 
loads to the acre. The present crop of po¬ 
tatoes was manured with about twenty two- 
liorse wagon loads of New York horse, ma¬ 
nure to the acre, spread on the ground, the 
potatoes dropped in every third furrow, or 
nearly three iteet. apart. The potatoes were 
cut to one eye, and the sets dropped about 
one foot apart in the row, using two barrels 
to the acre. The potatoes were planted 
April 20, 1808. The whole lot was 2 a., 1 r., 
25 p., which yielded about 1000 bushels. 
One acre was measured as per affidavits. 
The kind of potatoes planted were Harrison. 
Harvested about October 22d, 800 bushels, 
averaging $1.38 per bushel; $478 80. 
Fig. 3. Through the space between the 
third and fourth rails of a common 
board fence is placed a number of 
small poles, secured in the ground at the 
opposite side; for keeping apart (he 
I*-, w \ i / 
- I, ' / • ’ 
Viv'f J / 
Figure 3. 
Manure. 
Cost ol' Seed. 
EXPENSES. 
.$08 00 
. 25 00 
..-.. * . . . wo w 
Plowing iiml Planting. . 5 00 
Hoeing and Plowing. 5 00 
Teanrwork, Plowing- out and Gath¬ 
ering . 10 00 
Interest on Land. 5 00 118 00 
Profit.....$360 80 
arm rconomn. 
CATTLE RACKS AND FEED BOXES. 
The high price that, hay has brought in 
market for tlie past, few years, and its up¬ 
ward tendency at. the present time, teaches 
each and every feeder of stock to use strict 
economy in feeding this staff of animal life. 
You may be the possessor of the best quality 
of liny that ever grew, but unless you pro¬ 
vide some means lor its economical feeding, 
it, will last no longer than that of a much 
inferior quality fed in the usual manner, by 
throwing it in the comer of fences, by the 
side of the straw-stuck, stable, door-post, 
wagon wheels, upon a pile of hoards, stone, 
rails, and, as it appears, in every conceiva¬ 
ble place, for the convenient tramping upon 
of cattle and thoroughly mixing with the 
filth of Ihe yard ! You arc to he the judge, 
liow and what they shall eat, not the cattle, 
who arc your subjects. Provide them with 
wholesome food in a proper receptacle, autl 
proper sheller, and they, by their sleek ap¬ 
pearance, good condition and health, will 
repay you a thousand fold. 1 am unable at 
present to make the list and variety of racks 
shown as long and numerous as I desire. 
t* r 
poles any desired distance, bits of boards 
are nailed on. They should extend and be 
nailed to the lburl h board. Hay is placed be¬ 
tween the fence and upper portion of the rack. 
Feed Boxes. 
During the fall and winter many farmers 
feed their cat,t,lo on cut straw, roots, grain, 
for the purpose of fattening ; and in a 
pecuniary point of view it is profitable. 
Cattle, during the winter and spring are 
greatly brnelitted by an occasional mesa of 
cut hay or roots; and 1 think 1 can here say, 
without digressing, that the American farmer 
is not fully awake to the imporhmee of grow¬ 
ing roots. For feeding stock in England, 
and even in Canada, roots for feeding are as 
important as hay with us. This is an im¬ 
portant subject and will hear still further 
and greater enlargement thereon by the 
agricultural press. 
1jHH|^WWiy»mii;iUMI*»MII ifffjjti 
■ • M 
| I M I l | 
!M—jiLL I 
Figure 1. 
We first notice Fig. 1. Though old, it 
cannot be too highly recommended. The 
peculiarity is that a few animals can quietly 
eat from It at the same time; therefore, to 
have all quiet in the bam yard, provide racks 
for the accommodation of all stock at the 
same time, thus placing the weaker on ail 
equal footing with the stronger in respect 
to the allowance of food to each. Place the 
rack under shelter, although the general 
health of the animals would be greatly im¬ 
proved if the arrangements were such as to 
feed them in open air on pleasant days, and 
under shelter during inclement weather. 
The heaviness of the racks prevents their 
being carried to and fro, and is only obviated 
by providing a double number of them, or 
making, in tbe open air, one similar to that 
shown in Fig. A pole, B, is supported 
' - ' . ' : ' ' ' ' 
FIGURE. 4. 
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a feed box, 
of a length equal to the distance apart of 
the posts to which it is secured by nailing; 
thw bottom board is one foot wide; sides 
one foot high, sloping out ward as indicated 
by the end pieces; partition# will be neces¬ 
sary when more than two are fed at the 
same time. Often it is not convenient to 
feed under shelter; for want of room in this 
case, it is well to arrange a box similar to 
that shown in Fig. 5. A stake is driven in 
^ 1 tPSai. 
, r 
-v* \ c : , — L- •. s? 
Figure 5. 
the ground near the fence to which a box is 
nailed. This maybe objected to on account 
of its requiring to be cleanod after a storm. 
Laboring under this supposition I have de¬ 
signed one that cannot fail to meet the re¬ 
quirements of the most fastidious in this 
respect. It is a self-cleaning feed box; it is 
shown right side up ready for feeding in Fig. 
(j. When the animal is through eating, re- 
n kk' •• 
Figure G. 
Figure 7. 
Mtttm 
l MM 
S* f . 
.A ^ V .^. u '• 
' ,|V “■ 
Figure 2. 
near its ends upon crotched sticks driven 
firmly in the ground ; across the top of pole 
B, rest poles whose lower ends are driven 
in the ground, crossing each other at the 
angle shown. Hay, straw, com stalks and 
other coarse fodder is thrown in the rack. 
No specific length or size can be given ; it 
should be governed by the size of animals 
desired t* feed from it. 
A still cheaper plan of rack is given iu 
move the wooden pin at l\, when it assumes 
the position shown in Fig. 7. The dotted lines 
and arrow indicate the way it was turned. 
When in this position no amount of rain or 
snow can get into it. It is so clearly shown 
in tbe figure that a further description is un¬ 
necessary. — L. b. s. 
- --- 
Grata Sowers. — P. K. A., Cazcnoviu, N. V., 
asks what kind of grain sowers are uioat in 
favor among the fanners of the West. Very 
lew lanners in the West use drills, Hint we are 
unaware what one is inert used. Most of the 
grain is sown by hand, we think. Home broad¬ 
cast sowers are used, but we know of no one 
which is pre-eminent. Let our readers who are 
farmers, and use either drills or broad-east 
machines, reply. 
-♦♦♦--—■ 
Suhiotl Plow. —Alvin Smith ii5ks, “ Which 
is (he licit subsoil plow and where, found?" Wo 
do not know that it, is the 11 bust," but Maces’ is 
a good one, and may be found at almost au.v Im¬ 
plement dealer’s. At any rate, you can order it 
through the dealer nearest to you. 
-4-*~»- 
C'henp Cement Wanted.—D. W., Franklin, Pa., 
asks for a recipe to make some cheap and good 
cement, for Rtonnine- leaks in house roofs. 
