Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-10-08

ii in this Territory Leads 70 the belief that our tar
mers have not made that progress in bringing Their
art to perfection which both their duty and interest
calls for. IN making this observation, we wish not
10 be understood casting censure upon this class
Of society," for we esteem none above it, but present
it as reason for few remarks upon such points as
seem to be mostly neglected.
There are many causes which have operated IN |
rendering the farming population Of the west care
less and Indifferent IS to improvements in the line
Of their profession. few Of which only we shall |
ailude to at the present time.
Most Of our western farmers have migrated from |
States east Of Illinois, bringing with them nothing
but their household furniture, and Of course had to
rely upon such market as the new country afford
cd for the purchase Of the necessary stock to start
them again in their operations. From the manner
in which the new settlers were compelled to raise
their stock-all kinds upon the wild prairiethat Of
the best blood soon dcgenerated into lank aud lean
frame, far inferior to the improved kind reared in
those sections of country where perfection in stock
is the pride and delight Of the farmer. From this
cause there is but small portion of the stock Of our
farmers which does not fall short in value of what
it would, had the original stock been good, and suf-
fered no degeneracy. This evil should be remedied
as possible by the introduction of pure blood
ed breeders of every kind from which every farmer
should endeavor to stock his farm as the de-
generate stock can be spared. costs nothing more
to rear that Of the best than that Of the inferior stock
and in value they bear no comparison. The farmor
who is content with such stock may be seen on
many western farms, is as cuIpable he who per-
mits his grain to rot in the field
In the products of the soil, too, there is a great
loss for want of proper attention in providing Seeds
Various experiments have shown that great inn
provements can be made by the timely selection of
seeds, yet that is matter almost altogether neglect
ed by the farmer, their seed generally coming from
the of the crop, regardless of its quality. This
should no longer be the case with our farmers
Those who have not already selected their seed-corn
should lose no time in doing 1t. The best practical
farmers never permit the frost to find their secdcon
in the field. 1t should be selected before gathering
the crop, and while the milk in the grain, by ira
versng the fields and selecting the largest and best
filled ears, which should be stripped bare, and hung
up by the husk, in place the least exposed to the
action of the weather, much injury is done the
grain by freezing, if it has the least moisture In it.
The ease with which an abundant crop may be rails
ed, of every article suitable to the climate, has per-
mtted the farmer to grow careless in such matters
finding that the praires are large enough to raise
Of he fish L.,
mand, consequently it has yet to be shown to what
extent our soil is capable Of producing under the
best culture
In tra-clling over our country it is no unusual
sight to large piles Of rich manure before the sta
bic door, and the cow-pen in some steep hollow,
washed by brook that carries the manure away,
without benefit to the soil. Remind the farmer of
the advantage of its proper application, and ten to
one that his answer will be that his land is rich
enough without it! What an ideal His ground
may be rich oil, but not rich that manure won't
helpit. If in its natural state his farm produces as
much as the necessities or desires of the farmer calls
for, it would be much better that it receive all add-
tons at his command that the same quantity right
be raised on part of it, leaving little to spare a
neighhor, the price of which might be laid up for
less prosperous days Look at villages, and you
can see that the town gentry have the aversion
to trying to improve the works of nature. Take
Bloomington and Burlington for examples, as they
are pitched up against the side of white-oak hills,
where improvement of the soil is necessary to ensure
good growth of vegetation. About one out five
families have garden the soil If which has never
been improved, consequently their growth wears the
appearance of having the chills and fever while the
richest manure is handy, and in the greatest album
dance. What would well regulated agricultural
society in the east say of such negigence-bIind-
ness, as this state of things exhibits!
But these are not the subjects to which we wish
ed, mainly, to direct the attention of farmers. The
adaptation of our Territory to the rearing of Sheep,
renders it of the most important subjects for the
consideration of the farmcr--the more so because it
has heretofore been almost altogether neglected.
Before this can be eflectually remedied, which must
be done before our country can reach the point to
which she was, by nature intended, the evil which
lays at the root of 1t must be removed, which will
be found more difficult than the rearing of the sheep
That evil is to be found in every grade and circle of
society. When our grandmothers were in ,heir
youth, in revolutionary times, the spinning wheel
was considered an essential piece Of household fur
niture, and even in our own youthful DAYS, they
were as common about the houses of good farmers,
in many of the States, as were old shoes. When
first used in the United States, their music was con-