March 4th.

Sunday March 4th. 1923

Fine
All at home

from Farm Work for the Year
March
Arable farm: One of the busiest months of the year. The horses must have improved rations, for they are working full hours and hard. All spring corn may be got in this month, and the nearer this work is completed the better. Oats should be sown after either sheepfold or clover ploughed up in winter. Barley is sown close up to the sheepfold, or after wheat stubble ploughed in winter and receiving a dressing afterwards. Grass and clover seed may be sown in March over the young wheat after harrowing, or over the barley either now or later on. A broadcast sowing machine will sow 8lb. to 15lb. of mixed clover seed per acre, and from two to four pecks of grass seed at a second time of going over. Potatoes should be planted towards the end of March; early sorts in early places; and if sets which have been saved and sprouted in thin layers on protected trays are used, an early and valuable crop may be obtained. Carrots may be sown this month on land which has been deeply tilled, in good heart, made hard by rolling to receive the seed not too deep in rows fifteen inches apart. Some turnip seed should be sown with this, and, sprouting earlier, they will show where the rows will come, and enable an earlier hoeing. Spring tares may be sown in portions for use in July. A plot for cabbage seed should be sown to provide drumhead plants for transplanting in May and June. Land must be got ready for mangels; ploughed in autumn, it may be scarified now and rubbed up to receive the dung and a dressing of guano, and superphosphate may be sown broadcast, and the whole covered by splitting the drills ready for the seed next month. Dung heaps made and turned.