The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1858-12-09
Anriralltnral department.
Defects in Farming.

"A late number of the Homestead, OF Hartford,
Conn. speaking of the defects IN farming III tha'
State presents mirror that VIII rehect true I'M
ages of some other States. 1t viii harm no one
to ponder them
to any competent observer. Let US notice afeW
of the more obvious short conings as they APP
near in every part of the State.
Dead capital, we may say is the besetting sin
of our calling. We think three founhs of all the
land in the State does not pay three per cent on
its reputed value. Nothing is more common
tain to find man with two or three hundred
acres, and yet not improving fifty of it, so as to
get six per cent for it. He has a portion in
swamp from which he gets nothing, another
portion in poor pasture, paying one per cent,
another in poor moving paying three per cent,
and the balance about half cultivated After
putting nearly or quite all ofhs capital into this
unproductive state, he has nothing left to work
his land with, without mourning debt, and he has
no such faith in the ucratiyeness of his business,
as to lead him to hire money to carry it on
His fault is not in having too much land, as is
often said but in his not having capital enough
to work it with A farmer wants full one half
ofhis capital in available funds, to stock his farm
with, and to procure the necessary labor for
draining, manuring and improving it. This
WOulu make HIS NHOl0 Cdpltdl pIouuollfc.
Too little labor is another of our defects, often
adverted to in the sketches of Connecticut agri-
culture that have appeared in these columns
The farmer wants to do all the work himself and
grudges every dollar that he pays to the laborer.
A very large portion of our FARMS of a hundred
to one hundred and fifty acres do not average
working force of three men for the. year. "A
very common arrangement is hired man for the
summer of seven months, and boy for the whole
year To this is added the labor of the owner
when he is not off to the mill, or to the market,
and few days of extra help in moving time
The error that underlies this practice is sort of
vague impression, that the products OF the farm
will be about SO much, irrespective of the labor
bestowed, and the great problem to be solved is
to go throug with the usual routine with the
least help possible That this is very serious
error every one acquainted with good husbandry
must know. The thing has been demonstrated,
so that there is no room to doubt that the pro-
ducts of farm are on sliding scale-more or
less according to the labor and manure expended
upon the crops. For instance, the corn crop in
this State ranges from twelve bushels to hundred
and sixteen to the acre. In the production of
the great crops reported on the premium lists,
labor is very important item The ground is
generally SUBSIDIZED, or plowed very deeply and
good deal of manure is spread and plowed in.-
The ground is thoroughly worked and brought
to a fine filth. 1t is patiently cultivated and
cleaned of weeds, SO that the corn has no rivals
The extra labor is more than paid for in the ex-
ira yield.
Too little manure is adefect quite as palpable
and serious as the last and partly grown out of
it. The overtaxed farmer feels that he cannot
afford the time to cart the necessary muck into
the yard, and to handle all the manure wanted
to grow great crops. 1t is not until within
dozen years that farmers have paid much atten-
ton to the business of making manure. One
who made all he could was rarely to be found
There were few convenienceS for this business
The common arrangement was simply an open
yard, into which loan from the road side or any
convenient spot was carted in small quantities
Barn cellars sheds, novels, and heaps of muck,
now quite common were rarely met with. Even
now, the great majority of the farms have no ade-
quate provision for manure making. 1t is still a
common practice to fodder from the stock, and
to leave the dropings of the stock to waste 1t
is probably the belief of one-half of our farmers
that this is the most economical method of ma
nuring
Aversion to hear Of our failings is q more
serious defect than ALL Whatever mans pre-
JUDGES and short comings there is hope of his
reform, if he will open his eyes to them. But if
he will not receive the TRUTH his case is hopeless
The farmers most needing reform are the ones to
resent any suggestions of Improvement They
are rooted and grounded in the system of SKIM
ing land, taught by their fathers ANY other
style Of husbandry is book farming and humbug
The Wheat Midpe.