The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-08-11
WINFIELD, August LIST, 1858.
TO the Farmers of Scott County.
Gentlcnle2.-

| Gentemea.-
Permit me through the press
to address few words to you connected with
the Agricultural Society lately organized in
this county. Other trades and occupations
associate themselves together for mutual
protection and benefit, and why should not
we! This association, if properly sustained,
and if we are true TO our own interests, is
calculated (and that in a very few years. to
develope the resources and improve the ap-
pearance of Scott County to such an extent
as few Of us can even anticipate Our meet.
ing annually, or oftener, is OF tsellin the OPP
portnnity it affords US Of communicating to
each other the result of our practical ex-
perience in matters relating exclusively to
the farmer, Of more consequence than many
might at first suppose. Who Of our num-
Der that has seen farm divided off into ara
BILE meadows and pasture fields, with living
fences well trimmed and neat, that would
not consider a change from the miserable
apology for fence that exists on more than
half the farms i'll this county, most desira-
Bile. beautiful and beneficial improvement!
But in the art Of tanning live fences find a
large majority of our number wh lily uniniti-
ated.
In the art of cultiva,ing the soil many who
are wholly convinced Of improvements that
might be made, are SO welded to old customs
that unless some general forward movement
is made they will still adhere to the same
so called, good-old-way. Butwith the pros
pect of gaining prize Of ten or twenty dol
lars from the S. c. A. s., ambition is rous-
ed, mind begins to operate; one discovers
that his patch of corn would have been
much better if it had been hoed as the few
rows that were heel were ~ twice as
/ good as the rest. He sees that neighbor A
had such a fine crop of wheat after bis corn
/ that was well cleaned and hoed, and he
had no trouble ploughng it in the spring to
/ put dow n the foxtail and wild buckWheat that
had grown in the hills amongst the stalks
where the plough could not reach. He OBJ
serves that neighbor B. had very little trou-
BILE cleaning his corn and had mos, excel
lent crop, but he ploughed his stubbles down
Immediately after harvest and the stubbles
and weeds all rotted. He remarks that neigh
Dor c. has sown some Of his land in timothy
50 that he may ge, his hay before harvest,
as he says he thinks it will pay better than
going hunting the prairie after harvest and
he will be able to plough his land easier;
that little spot he ploughed on the election
morning was much better than that plough
ed in the fall, while that ploughed in the
spring hardly paid him for cutting. All this
and more one discovers when he comes to
regard the labors of his brother farmers
He sees also that neighbor DIS. stock grows
much better than neighbor Els, that his
yearing from such and such an improved
bull, and wintered in warm dry stable, al
though it was only rooted with straw and
prairie slough hay, are as good and look
much better than neighbor F's. two year olds,
and that neighbor G's. hogs are such quiet
inoifensive things they would not jump over
fence three rails high, but then he has a
pump close to his hog pen and he gets his
corn all cracked and steams potatoes, pump
kin. and cracked corn all together for them
and feeds them like Christians In short
to give anything like history of the dscov-
cries likely 10 be made, is entirely too long
task for this busy season Of the year; but
if you will all come to the Court House in
Davenport, n Saturday the 18th ult., we
will have long talk about it; in the mean
time Get your grain all well stacked so that
you can leave and not fret while away.
am &C.,
A FARMER.