The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-09-19
AQrieultural.
A Little Farm well TILED.

A Little Farm we'll TILED.
At the last meeting of the Farmers
Club of New York city the most inter-
esting event was the reading of letter
on low farming from farmer in Pennsyl-
vania His ideas are not new, but they
are so important. and so universally dis
regarded that we copy the material part
of his letter, in the hope that some one
"shiftless farmer" may be reused from his
lethargy, and try henceforth to farm to
better purpose.
II have watched" says the Pennsyl-
vanian, "with much interest the call on
the farmers and the response which has
come from many sections of the country
to farm cone acre more" If it had been
to farm one acre less more would have
been accomplished. The whole system of
farming has been upon this principle of
planting more acres, and as necessary
consequence our lands are becoming ex-
hausted Where one farmer is improv-
ing his land, nine are practising upon the
plan of gradually exhausting the soil.
The consequence is, crops fail; too much
rain produces rust and mildew, vermin
destroy the weak and feeble plants, and a
hard or soft winter is alike injurious. By
farming less land well, and manuring well,
more can be accomplished; one grows as
much wheat on ten acres as others grow
on twenty, and yet in defiance of practi-
cal experiments. farmers persist in sowing
many acres and reaping small crops. A
ride through the interior of Pennsylvania,
Maryland and Virginia at the ensuing
season of the year, would convince any
one of the pernicious effects of this sys-
tenn of farming, and have no doubt the
same remarks apply to Western New York
and Michigan.
Earlier in the season, when the fields
look green and luxuriant, farmers hattel
themselves that the late rains and favor.
able season will make up for the deficiency
of manure, but the ripening crops tell {
different tale Wheat that should be turn
ing yellow remain green, the meadows art
waving with sorrel and blue grass instead
of timothy, and the corn is stunted shor
and yellow. They are perhaps members
of the County Agricultural Society, have
sowed choice seed, have the most approx
ed patent plows, and plow in the mos
approved manner, but all won't do. The
crop is short; they never seem to suspec
that they are farming more land than they
are able to manure well, and therefor,
practice upon the old system, and grow
Indifferent crops. When manure can b,
purchased, this may not generally be tn,
case, but in the country at large it is too
true. Then if by chance field yields
bountiful crop of wheat, instead of SOW
/ ing it in clover as should be done, man,
farmers are induced to SOW it in whea
again, and the consequence is that the,
have crop inferior in quantity and quail
ty, and the soil is left in an exhausted con
dition to produce poor crop Of grass.
'.But in no way is the grasping pro
pensity more fully developed by farmer
than by the quantity of cattle they keep
more than they are able to feed; ofte
twice as many and they are consequent
always poor and hungry. Everything
about the farm in the shape of feed
eaten up by the first of May, and the
they are compelled to turn them out t
pasture, whether the fields are sufficient
forward or not. The young grass is 500
eaten off, and the cattle are driven frol
field to field, destroying but never satisfe
until before midsummer; such farms al
more barren and desolate in appearanc
than they should be. Unified barns ar
followed by barn-yards containing littl
manure, and that is spread over extensiv
wheat fields as grudgingly as possible
frequently only on high grounds, leavin
the low land to take care of itself.
this condition thousands of farms al
placed by the owners to contend with ev'
ry variety of season and every form I
, insect life, the soil exhausted and unab
to resist any of the numerous evils
which the best soil and the most approve
system of farming will, to certain exten
be exempt"