The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-03-19
CBe 9ailp yournal,
AGRICULTURAL.
Farm 1Ianagcment.

Farm IIanagement.
| The leading object in all farming is to OBJ
tain the greatest amount of produce possible
from the land under tillage, with the smallest
outlay of labor aad money, and yet keep up the
land in good heart And while this IS the pro-
fessed object of every farmer, one with the
same quantity and quality of land, with the
same means and the same crops, will turn off
nearly double the amount of produce that his
Ineighbor will in the same period. 1t is sub
ject really worthy ofihvestgation and inquiry
why it is that the returns Of two adjacent
farms so widely differ? why it is that one far
mer enjoys handsome yearly profits, while his
neighbor adjoining barely lives? -
We believe that the,problem is Of easy solu
ton. In no case is success in farming mys-
Itery; but generally is the result Of wise sys-
ten. Of management, and cf determined energy
land perseverance, in carrying it out. In nearly
every case Of success it will be found that q
systematic course, embracing most of the fol-
lowing points, is strictly adhered to in prac-
itice.
l. First of all. the land has been brought
into condition to lie readily worked at all pro-
per times, 50 that men and teams need not be
idle during hurrying season, on account of
superintendent wetness. The land, ifwet has
been well drained.
2. Stumps, stones and bushes, which i'm
Ipede good culture anywhere, have been re
moved, and the space they occupied devoted
| to crops. On some farms great saving is
made in this way. ....s.
| 3. The land has been kept rich; its dryness,
and the good tillage which it has always le
iceiyed, has enabled the proprietor to apply
Imanures TO the very best advantage, complete
- J, 81,
lceiving the full benefits of its powerful and
beneficial action. It has not remained in the
soil useless thing by being covered with wa
Iter-soaked earth. And furthermore, by keep
ling up a high degree of fertility the proprietor
lis able to produce much more with the same
labor; the same number of day work. on rich
land, he finds, are worth double what they
are on poor land. GLOW plain it is that the
lpoor farmer cannot afford to work poor land, or
do work 't0 the halUes," as thousand do)
| 4. Thorough culture is the Golden Rule" in
ltillage, and a consequence every inch. of ara
BILE land is made available; weeds and every
idle thing find no harbor or rest, and thus the
whole strength of the land is saved to the USE
full crops.
S. Growing those cropswhich bear the high
est market value. has not been considered the
better policy always; but the cost of produc-
ing, and especially their eIxhausting nature. have
generally been the governing considerations in
The choice Of crops to begrown. A crop which
draws severely upon the soil, is repeated at
long intervals.
| 6. Everything is done in it's season. Here
is the main spring of success. Farming, like
all other empIoyments, to be profitable, must
be d,Iven If this is reversed, and the business
dr3ves the man, the profits are very likely to be
small indeed--they are eaten up by the loss
| eS.
| 7. A carefully adjusted rotation Of crops, is
adopled, by which successive crops take differ
ent materials from the soil. Thus wheat, oats
barley and the like, which are called silica
plants, are followed by lime plants, such as
clover, beans, peas, &C., and these again by po-
tatoes. turnips, &C., which are potash plants.
By this mode of procedure the soil is kept in
balance and in yigor. Indged the proper inter
mingling of the different crops-the alternat
ling of grain and grass--is the only philosoph-
! ical system of farming ordinarily.
These points, with others which might be
named, are strictly observed by all successful
farmers; that is, those who are successful
through long series Of years. 1t is possible,
and really often done. for the shiftless and un-
systematic to locate himself on some of the
rich prairies. and for a few years make money
| IN spite OF MS unlarmer-lhe management
Yet such farmers, by and by, are to behold
revelation Of their folly, in haggard soil, and
in crops which the summer winds may blow
away. :.
We repeat, that success in farming is no mys-
terry, but it is the result of wise system Of
management, close application of labor in
carrying it out, and careful observance OF the.
state of the markets, by which sales of pro-
duce are made at time when the highest pri-
ces are realized.
1t would seem by this, that no farmer need
be poor; and indeed, if these rules were close
ly observed, ard sharp look cut kept up for
incidental casualties all might be prosperous.
| WbV uot2