Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-05-09
WHOLE NO. 9Of4.
far TIE fmmer.
From the Ohio Observer.
TIE DROUGHT AND IT'S LESSONS.

sons, which may be gathered from the
Drought and its results. This is the
second Drought which has occurred IN,
ten years-one N 1916, the other IN
1854. There is usually in August 3 lack
of moisture to sustain vegetation. The
Western Reserve is land of cheese and
butter. The general effort Of farmers
is to produce as much as possible of
these and as little of anything else. The
effort is to push off all kinds Of stock,
and to buy cows, cows, cows. Another
class of farms is devoted to the maturing
of cattle for the butcher, and the talk Of
their owners is of bullocks, but the plox
is little used and on some farms not ct
all from year to year.
1t seems bad economy to depend en-
tirely upon one resource anywhere, but
especially in such climate As this
There viii always be liability to failure,
which shall bring distress upon the whole
community. This is true in the South.
where one staple, as tobacco, rice, cot
ton or sugar is the sole dependence; if
that fails, there is of necessity CONNER
cial trouble, and the greater, if this fall
ure occurs, as this year. at the same time
with a general interruption Of confidence
in the commercial world. s-d
If a mixed husbandry is pursued, It
will rarely happen that all crops viii fail.
If the grass and corn fail, wheat may be
a good crop, and the straw, chat, and
shorts viii keep the stock though the
winter, and the farmer win not be COM
PEELED to buy food for himself aud his
cattle at the same time.
It is not then the true policy Of our
farmers to run all to grass, but to pur :
sue q mixed husbsndry; to cultivate q
few acres in the best possible manner,
and raise a crop of wheat, another of
oats, another Of corn, with potatoes for
family use. The amount of stock which
could be kept would be diminished, but
by nomesns in proportion tothe increased
security; for at the same time the
amount of winter forage would be IN.
creased. The habit Of ploWing more
would increase security in another way.
Lands which have been plowed sud seed
ed are much less affected by the drought
than natural meadows, except bottom
lands, of which we have very little. In
1s45 the crop on plowed lands were'dou-
be that on unplowed. The early part
of last season was wet, so that the pro-
portion was less, though there was great
difference. Besides all this, ! expect
that in less than fifty years, an improved
culture viii show our clay soils to be the
true wheat soils. $3.50
The lesson also seems to be taught BY
this Providence, that there is no safety
in stocking farms to their utmost ca
pacity in good seasons. These win oc-
cur about as often as the barren ones,
while the majority win be Of medium
productiveness. God taught Egypt, by
the mouth of Joseph. to lay by in the
fruitful year to supply the lack of theun-
fruitful. So he teaches Us by his Prov
idenee. Years of careful observation
and experience have convinced me that
in good seasons, the farmer should cal
culste to leave over, in this climate,
about one-third of his fodder to provide
for the contingencies Of the following
season, so as to let the abundance Of the
one supply the lack of the other. But
the propensity is to stock up full, to make
up for the loss Of the last season; the
consequence is, COWS have to be bought
when high and the farmer is reduced in
means. He finds at the close Of the sea-
son, perhaps, that the price Of the pro-
duct has been diminished, and he has
made nothing. The second or third sea-
son is short and he sells at sacrifice,
till he thinks he can get through, and
he does get though with the loss Of some
Of the weaker ones but the others are
"spring poor" and therefore moderate
ly productive. -
The annual August drought suggests
another item of economy. Diaries uni
formly fall of in this season, and with
out any necessity. No season, not even
the last, has been known to be so dry
that well prepared field would not pro-
duce considerable quantity of cOrn-fOd-
der, if seeded for that purpose. Every
dairyman should SOW from one 70 ten
acres, according to the number of his
herd, to supply them with green fcddei
for this season. He could thus increase
lis number and add greatly TO their pro
ductiveness, and whatever was not wsa.
ted could be saved for winter use. The
land being cleared early, would. If prop
erly worked through the season, be il
the best order for wheat It should b
put in early so that the crop could be al
removed in time for the early sowing
of wheat, that being the best season fol
curing that which is lett,