The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-10-31
asriruIturul.
Improbable Farming.


The following extract from an address by
Mr.. Greely, before the Erie County Agricul.
tural Society at Buhilo, contains some use
full hints. ..
"Tho truth which am most anxious 10
impress is, that no poor man can afford to
boz poor farmer. When have rccommcn'
ded agricultural improvements, / have often
been told this expensive farming will do well
enough for rich people, but VIC who are in
moderate circumstances can't afford it,
Now, it is not ornamental farming that |
recommend, but profitable farming. II is
true, that the amount Of mans capital
must fix the limit Of his business (; in agri-
culture as in every thing else. But, how
ever poor you may be, you can afford to cul'
tivatc land well, il you afford to cultivate
itat all. Itmay be out Of your power to
keep large farm in a high state Of cultiya-
ton, but you should sell part of 1t, and
cultivate small one. II you are u poor
man, you cannot afford to raise small crops;
you cannot afford to accept hslfa crop from
land capable Of yielding whole one. IL
you are a poor man, you cannot afford to
fence two acres to secure the crop you ought
TO grow ON one; you cannot afford 10 pay
or lose the interest on the cost Of 100 acres
of land, to get the crops that will grow on
so acres. No man can afford to raise aO
bushels Of corn per acre not even If Gland
were given him, for 20 bushcl. per acre will
not pay the cost of the miserable cultivation
that produces 1t.
"No poor man can afford to cultivate his
land in such manner as will cause il TO
deteriorate in value. Good farming i'm
proves the value of land--and the farmer
who manages his farm 20 as to get the larg-
est crop it Is capable of yielding. increases
its value every year.
"No farmer can afford to produce weeds.
They grow, to be sure, without cultivation /:
they spring up spontaneously on all land,
and especially rich land but though they
cost no toll, farmer can't Afford to raise
them the s,mo elements that fed them,
would, with proper cultivation, nourish a
crop. and no farmer can afford to eIpend on
weeds the natural wealth which was be-
slowed by Providence to GIL his granarics.-
Lam accustomed. my friends, to estimate
the christianity Of tho localities through
which pas, by the absence Of weeds on or
about the farms. When Sc one covered
with gigantic growth OF weeds, take it
for granted that the owner i' heather, u
hereto OF, IN inidel; u christian he cannot
be, or ho would not allow the heritage which
God gave him to dress and keep, to be so de-
formed and proianed. And to make an ap-
plication Of tho above remark, l must say,
there is much missionary ground between
New York and Buffalo. Nature has been
bountiiul to you, but there Is great need Of
better cultivation. To prevent the growth
Of weeds, is equivalent to cnriching your
land with manure; FOR to retain in it the
elements Of which crops are formed is as
profitable as to bring them there. IL bet
ter-that weeds should not grow at all but
when they exist and you undertake to de
stroy them, It is economy to gather them up
and carry them TO your harm yards, ani con-
vert them into manure. You will in this
manner restore to your farms the fertility Of
which the weeds had drained it.
Farmers cannot Afford to grow crcJ
on coil tha. docs not contain the natura
elements that enter into it's comp osi,ion.-
When you burn Vegetable, large part g
its bulk passcs away, during the fsocess o
combustion, into tho air. Bat thero Il al
ways ar~idpc Of mineral matter. con si-,in'
Of lime, potash and other Ingredients, ,ha
entercd into its composition. Now the plan
drew these materials Ou. Of the, earsb. an
II you a,terp, TO grow tia. in sail ,ha. !,
deficient in thee ingrcdients. you are dri,
ing an unsuccessful business. Nature dos.
not mako vegetables ous Of nc,hlrg, ans