FARMING EXPERIMENTS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3185, 28 April 1871, Page 3

FARMING EXPERIMENTS.

0 [From the New York Tribune.] A few weeks since a committee, consisting of Dr Trimble, Chairman Eiy, und Dr Smith, went on a tour of observation among Some pattern farmers south and west of the City of Brotherly Love. As notes of what was seen on the Lower Delaware, Dr T. read the following paper : — " The present report is intended to give a brief account of some novelties in agriculture that we met with near Salem, New Jersey. The corn and potatoes on the table have been Bent to the Club at the request of the committee. The potatoes are tbo peach-blows; there ore 11, weighing 10 lbs. They are nothing remarkable, either for quality or size ; but as the result of an experiment in cultivation, they may be of much interest to potato-growers. The ground upon which they grew had been in with corn the year previous, and was not ploughed at all for the potato crops. The seed potatoes were covered with earth just two inches deep, and then the ground covered all over with coarse hay to the depth, while loose, of about a foot. This hay, of course, was soon packed so as to bo only a few inches in depth, but still sufficient to pre Tent the growth of all weeds or grass ; but very little manure waa applied. From some cause the potatoes did not come up well, and the stand was poor ; but still the crop was 300 bushels to the acre. The crop on land adjoining, cultivated in the ordinary way, und heavily manured, waa only half as good, or 150 bushels to the acre. This experiment was made by Clark Thompson, who told us that on two previous seasons he has had as much as 600 bushels to the acre by this mode of cultivation. To know bow to grow such crops of potatoes without the plough, or cultivator, or the hoe, and still have no weeds, would certainly be valuable knowledge to all who have the material for such mulching. The farmers who have banked cut the tides and converted mud into meadows have an abundance of such bay. Many others have low grounds or swamps that would produce grass of little value as hay. Mr Thompson next took us to his cornfield. We found it like nearly all others in this celebrated corn region — more like a cedar swamp than ordinary corn fields. Stalke 10, 12, 14, or even 16 I'eot high ; ears like these, 1 foot long and 7 inches in circumference, and many of them so high as to require the stalks to be benfc over to reach them. Often two to a stalk. The ground on the corn grew was a meadow, and had been in grass the year before. It had been ploughed in September last year. Mr Thompson told us he had given orders to go just one inch deop, but it seemed impossible to gauge the plough to shallow work. He was just ploughing an adjoining piece of ground for the noxfc year's crop. This we visited also, and our Chairman made numerous measurements, and while tho sods were mere shavings as compared with ordinary ploughing, we found the average deeper than an mch — probably from 1£ to 2 inches, but not more. This sod

is torn to pieces with the harrow before planting in the spring, and is truly a coating of vegetable mould. Mr Thompson's corn crop of this year was, of course, satisfactory, or he would not prepare the ground in the eanie way for the next one. Clark Thompson is one of these Salem County farmers who has been reported to be much opposed to subsoihng, and we ask him the question. ' Yes,' Bays he, 'I would not permit anyone to subsoil my land for §50 an acre.' We asked why. ' I believe in manuring, find I want that manure where the rootß of my crops go, and I do not want the stiff subsoil made so porous that the strength of that manure will roach down where the roots do not go."