Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-16
farmer's Department.
rhOnght-Profsable in Farming


Perhaps there is no respect in which farmers
differ more from each other than N ;iv amount
Of hougM they bring 10 their work. OHe man
laboIs hard from January to Dtcrmner, yet
wonders TO see that he accotnpisheS less than
his ueighbor who works fewer hours a-day
than he. He tolls on Ehorously in the same
Old routine, without f0rethought, wiihou, kill;
his neighbor seeks to do everything Intelligent
j.. With wise forecast 0f the best means oi
doing it. Suppose the first farmer wished I"
remove large boulder from his wheat held
lie bad seen his father get rid OF such rocks
by calling together all his hands and nclghbor
OF two, and rolling it by mere muscular tore"
into corner by the fence. Nov, he never
bothers himself TO inqnire whether there Is any
better me:hO than his fathers so hc spends
whole daY in getting a single boulder INTO
corner, and thinks, after much Stralnlng and
WEAKNESS, and many bruises that lc ha& really
doue u great deed. But the second farmer
thinks twice before touching his boulder. He
examines It's shape, size, texture Can it be
sunk out Of Sight, aud bcEo" the reach Of plow
point? Or cuu it be more easily rolled out
Of the way by good, stout levers or will 0ia>t-
ing do the work as Quickly, and save him the
pieces for future use? Having once settled
the point, he goes to work with Will, and the
boulder is soon disposed Of rhS an cX-
ample but the same principle applies TO every
operation The thinking farmer takes advaut-
are Of opportunities and means OF dong things,
which escape the notice OF careless men. His
h2ag5t shows itself in his house, barns, stables,
pg-sty, cow-yard, bitches, fences fields, every
wEerc-Spring, Summer, Autumn and Win
ter.
Hearken, now, to the Improvement" Of
our little sermon Another season Of outdoor
labor has closed the year, with lis tolls, sue
ccsscss and failures. cannot now be recalled &:
it can be reviewed. And let US view it
Ncighbor Jones, how do you account for your
il!.luck in that cOrn-hrld down in the corner
lot ? Is the ground cold, wet, and full OF grubS
and wire worms? If 50, or possibly SO, HinE
about it before you repeat the same proitlesS
experiment Read and think about the effects
of draining its cost and the probable gain to
your crops Their, if yon determine on drain.
Ing (and VIC really hope you will make your
self master Of all its details, such IL, draining
with plank, stones, tres, and the best ditch,
It's depth. direction, its outlet &c, -. And
so, when the season opens yOu will be prepar-
cu to go to work inteligently and successfully
And. farmer Smith, what gave you snch
rousng crop of potatoes, while ueghhor John
sous was so small Perhaps you scattered
good top-dressing Of hoUgh over the land be-
fore you plowed and planted. Farmers general
" need to do more head " ork. This should be
applied to the management of the dairy and
orchard, sheep and young cattle, rotation Of
crops, and, in short, 70 all the operations of the
farm
During the leisure months of Winter now
begun, form your plans for the coming year
Make good use OF the past Review the year
now closing and see what real improvements
vou have made aud where other things will
bear little mcndng This will make your eX
perience of great advantage. Avoid, if pos
sible, former mistakes, and repeat the methods
which have proved successful
Draw up on paper plan of your farm
After suitable deliberation, assign to each field
its respective crop, end determine on the way
the land shall be prepared for the crop. May
not the old orchard be improved 10y rcgraft-
ing some of the trees with new and superior
kinds Of apples Perhaps it is time to com
memcc the planting of a new orchard And
what grand undertaking is that How it
looks into the future. aud what q spirit of be-
nevolence it awakens for those who shall come
after US TO determine what sorts are, on the
whole, the best for succession of Summer,
Autumn, and Winter apples is no small mat
ter, and requires no little study. These Win
ter months are jnst the time for that study.
And so, in reference to all the details Of
farming Give them careful oyerhaung- -
Don't be mere routine farmers, but have a
reason for everything aud do everything in the
best possible way. Put as much thought into
your farming as you have to spare, and surely
it will pay.