Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-07-16
We nus, bear from Verdant' again
On THE HILLS NEAR MARrrSsvrLLE.l

Iuiy Sd, 1897. }
To The Editor Of TIE Ee1nont Chronicle.
DEAR SrR: On reading the list or prem
iums offered by the Belmont Co. Agricul-
turai Society. find ore of S25, and one
of SIS, for the Best managed Farm and
that the conditions of the Sia'e Fair of last
year viii be complied with New sir, here
is the difficulty; we do not understand y bs,
are the prerequisites, bat if it is meant 10
give the premiums for those farms that are.
managed from year to year, with the leas,
expense TO the owners; ue are in-yes sir
we are in, for both the first and second pron.
iums.
Allow me to detail our plan corporations
in part at least, and shall commence with
our Fences. Some one has said that mekiv "
and repairing fences is the largest item of
the expenses of the American farmers. bnt
That is because our plan is not generally
ADOPTED, why sir. il costs Us just nothing at
al to repair, and they are all the time oet-
ting better. When the fed is Just cleared
oh-that is, when the timber is removed
and the stumps left standing, it is surround
ed with Virginia worm fence usually seven
raiis high. without stakes. rider or lock. as
we cannot plow the corners, they soon
become beautifully set with Alders, Black
berry, sassalIas, and other bushes indiusn-
eous to the soil, which continue to spread
snd thicken from year 10 year, sill it becomes
imper;ous to anything larger than rabbit.
And as We never incur the expense OF build
ing stables for our csttle, or sheds FOR the
sheep, thesa nEturnl hedges, are useful tc
break the blasts OF winter, and afford pro-
lection to the stock.
Then as 10 our stock, swhaf was coc,
enough for our fathers is good enough fo
u.s. we wan, none of your Dmhams or Ayr
shires, your Freuch or Spanish merinos no
your Berkshire or Sufolks, at the fabulou
prices of which We sometimes hear. o
what advantage, pray, would q improved
breed of csttle be TO US, who sell calves Il
three weeks old to the Butchers. as we ex
pect our sheep TO shift for themselves, W
prefer the old sfull blood common, they ar
not so liable to be destroyed by dogs e
which we keep an abnndance,to keep ava,
the ours from the neighboring villages,
because they can outrun them. Our rui
for hogs is, root hog or de- and for ,hi
purpo-e the long legged, long nosed, sla
sided,wOot hog, can beat the world.
As to our method of Flowing. believe
is pretty much the same as that OF econo
nical farmers in other parts of the County
We plow as deep as wei can with
span OF small horses, without working theI
too hard, but as We usually break up grea
amount of surface, our teams of course wo'
break down, if we undertook to run OF
plows into the ground too deap, the sui
soil plow we have MT tried, it is SO exper
sive.
Another heavy item of expense to son
farmers, which we avoidsesdrainirg. In
we deem superfiuous.any one at ali acquai
TED with our part of the county, knows tn;
it is sufficiently hilly to drain itself. 1t
true tina. the frequent slips and land slid
that disfgure and render almost usele.
the large quantity OF water which remair
in the coil after copious rains, and might
avoided either ty sub-soil plowing O: unde
draining. But the slipping might happen
both the remedies was resorted to, and irr
to our theory of economical far ming we n
the risk.
No my dear sir. have given you fe
items OF our systematised economical IarG
ing, and ] think we are entitled 10 al Il
premiums which may be offered for the be
managed farms, which Of :ours, meal
those managed by The smallest exPenditu
ofbard cash in these hard times.
trust tina: you ill urge our claims uP'
the committee on behalf 0. my neighbo
and self. Yours truly,
VERpANC.