The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-02-13
Farming, &C.
From the Cultlvator.
Management in Farming.

>
The present is a very appropriate season
far review of the past operations ofthc farm,
and deyising plans for the future. Every
o"c who has not yet reached the highest sum
n mh of agricultural skill and perfection, will,
Snbtless wish to make continual advances
M wards that desirable accomplishment, and
Me direction Of the attention of such
70 some points in practice, may posi-
Div be of value.
iVhe great secret of success in all kinds of
husincss--thc reason why one man becomes
rich while another remains poor--is, man
GgrmcnL A great deal is said Oft the impor-
to,jce orcaplai to begin with, and il is indeed
a very great convenience. We know many
young frmers who utter frequent regrets
Ihutt6ey have not us fair start rs some 9TH
ers-they could, as they think do wonders if
they had plenty of means as n beginning
But regrets do not mike money. Every one
knows,that he who does not reap large profits
from a liberal capital furnished him, must be
apoor manager indeed. The man who has
hundred acres of land, with one thousand
dollars as additional capital, may farm much
more satisfactorily than he who has the same
amount of land encountered with thousand
dollars deht. lie is two thousand better of,
and would be much the worse manager Of
we're not decidedly the greatest. That man
shows his skill pre-emincntIy, who, instead
ofppining ut difficulties, slIrmouuts them;
who by superior management, keeps pace
with his longer pIrSed ncighbGr.
But" say some, when they llcur of an i'm
wncd mode of farming, "wc know this is
Y b'lest practice, bat the fact is, we cannot
u pdSue tive have not the means and we
annot get tive are not rich enough TO be
thus economical" N0w we hope such per-
SONS will permit us tn say that this conclusion
proceeds from II want oiini0rnulion. A.ccr-
tain young farmers expenditures are three
hundred dollars yearly: and after the most
rigid economy i'll every particular, so that n
single dollar could not 10 retrenched, he saves
nothing Another voting farmer, with the
same means precisely, and with equal ccon-
omy, saves two hundred yearly. What is the
reason of this difference? Whit the secret
ofthc better success ofthc lattGr? The an
swcr is--a better application of the same
mcans,-or in other words, better manage
mcnt. Hence, the vast importance Of under
Standing the best application oflheans.
We will vent IRE to suggest Il few of the
nrticuars in which we think many of our
armcrS might make more or less improve
mcut-some ofthem very decidedly so.
One otthc first of these is, Il neat and H.
dclous laying ont ofthcir firms,-ior ccono-
my in fencing: for convenience of access to
ali their fields; aud in such Il manner, that
each crop may occupy as nearly us possible
its own field, so as to admit Of Il good system
o'rofaton. Hence, the lane or farm road
SHOUTED he good, hard and level, to admit of
oo% carriage ofmanurc and crops,to and from
aIhn fields. Hence, too, iIlhG land varies
Inequality, that of similar character must he
pl,,., l.
'othat meadow and pasture may comprise
the wet, and arabic land the dry, and the
most sterile may be brought separately, into
Mcnrlching course. A farm so laid out that
cattle may obtain water ofthcUrscIvca, may
save whole weeks OF labor in driving them to
water, Sc, every year. Indeed, the saving
NiMhor by well laid ont farm, can hardly he
estimated in the mutiiarious operations cen
SANITY taking place.
! CAREFUL saving. manufacture, and good
application Of manure would promote Il great
Improvement with many. Much of the val
lie OF the products of the barnyard arc lost
from war: ola good supply Of straw, dried
muck or peat, to absorb the liquid portions.
Much is lost by the wrong application, and
specially by the want of its thorough admiX-
lure with the soilby repeated plowngs and
mrroWings. From our OWE personal ohser-
SallonS, we are perfectly satisfied, that the
heheflts from manure might be tripled on
nne-tcnths of the farms ofthc northern states.
We do not mean here 10 include, ut ALL those
VINO suffer their manure to remain in the yard
I'VE years, till nine :cntirs IL lost by fcrmen.a-
non and vapor: nor those who do not apply it
Maln the man who built his hog-pGn a.
cross stream, that the cleanings might be
conveniently shoveIed into tho water, and
washed away. Manure may he oven well
NPp"ed,and well mixed with the soil, and
"'en wasted by an eXhausting course.
c"re'ul, constant, and vigorous attention
~ weeds, would work wonders on some
rH'S' There are two modes of disposing
u, ~ ''cSe costly intruders; one is to destroy
'ieil thoroughly when only an inch high,
, wnEn Tue work may be very easily and effec-
,'a''y done, and before the soil and crop have
.een INJURED by their growth; and the other,
o'o "lIoW them TO get Il foot high, thus doing
s,ca' damage, and then to make an assault
"l'', mem at an enormous expense. so, but
We 'la not intend to have suffered the weeds
yer so large, but we were backward in our
%o J.N, ana were disappointed in our hired
P' Dut you must remember that good
G' ''iIdseiheht causes man to take time by the
opc'ock-or, to speak more strongly and
.o"slIy, to take him by the snout; and YOU
must endeavor to secure such hslp rs will
"ot ulSappo'nt you. Many farmers err by
ImGthip'lng to do "A great deal with n little
"''P' the consequence is, everything is hur-
,,'c", aud everything is Northumberland
%'e'' more hel p must be ultimately hired, or
u mte work neglected Mt still greater loss
would it not be cheaper to hoe an acre ofcar-
'o'S' with three days work, while the weeds
uG as yet no longer than small feathers, than
!" noe them with ten days work, when the
leeds have attained growth Of two tons to
;'e acre' 1t would he cheaper to hire man
I"a''fe, ut double price, and pay him with
borrowed money ot nirbty nor cont ;ntor,s.