The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-04-13


4 storms and other destructive eansse.
System will also lead man to cultivate
lerops in such rotation as to improve, rather
than exhaust the soil Experiment and oh.
serva'ion will aide to snch a course, as is best
calculated to hrirg all the fertiIizing proper
ties of the soil into euch q state as to be
available in producing crops, Without exhaust.
ing its fertility. In this way land may be
Icultiva'ed from year TO year and still retain
IFS productiveness. If il is properly manag.
ed and fed. the effects will he as apparent as
in the animal creation, hut if it is overworked
at random, without any return for the crops
removed, like the halfstarved and worn out
beast it fails, and refuses TO yield its increase.
The importance of system is also apparent
in the management of stock. The prudent
farmer not only gathereth his own food in the
harvest, Int also that for bis bis animals
and sufficient quantity An animal that is
well housed, properly and regularly fed, and its
vents supplied will thrive on much less food
than it will take to keep one alive that is fed
al irregular NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. even to SUR
1
and this too without shelter in the most inele-
meut weather when they most need care
When hear man who despises and derides
book farming. affirm that animals will do as
well without shelter as .with,--that the only
difference is they eat little more, the reason
why do not tell him he lies is, l consider bis
nonsense unworthy of notice. If such be
fact, let him take his bread and cheese. and eat
it on the manure heap, ard then curf down on
the side of stump. or under the fence for the
night during norih invest enow storm, and see
if he will thrive well and grow fat. under such
treatment If their food must all be burned
mp ia the stomach to produce animal heat to
sustain the system, they cannot thrive, but
must constantly deierierste. Some farmers
waste feed enoughto half keep their stock, by
throwing it out at random, without proper
and racks to keep it from being trodden uncer
foot aud destroyed. And by snch process
the manure, that should be husbanded to en-
rich their soil, becomes almost dead loss
Manure needs care and attention in order to
ain its value. ss well as the animal that pro.
duces it, Men who despise all Improvement.
and especially book farming often err on this
point With them, the product of the barn.
yard is manure, if all IFS fertilizing properties
have been leached out. and washed away, or
evaporated Many load is often drawn TO
the field. that is about as worthless as the sand
in the street. The want of forethought and
system prevents man from taking proper
measures to rea ain or increase the amount and
value of his manure heap, and be thus loses
a mine of wealth, that might otherwise enrich
both his fields and his pockets. And while
the thorough systematic farmer grows rich, his
fields grow poor. his crops fail, and be spends
his time in hurried, fretful, anxious toll. with
out hardly securing a comfortable liv. lihood.
System will also give an air of neatness to
farm. that will not fail TO please. In this
respect. the owner will seek to copy nature.
and exhibit in every department. symmetry
and order. l know that anything like taste
or beauty about farm. is despised and derid-
ed by many, and their premises are in keep.
ing with their sentiments. The thistle, the
!. burdock, and the dwarf elder, are the adorn.
ments around their dwelling. The pig sty is
in close proximity to their door. if not direct
: ly in front of the house. Their fields furnish
fair tablet for the study of Geometry exhib.
: itiDg triangles, hexagons, octagons. and seq.
nents Of a circle-eyery shape except what
! they should be. Their fences, from straight
e line. vary to all points of the compass, and
u the rails of which they are composed. are
. some like the work of an idiot once knew,
e who on being set to cutting rail timber, and
u old to cut it twelve feet iu length. cut some
ID ten, some eleven, twelve and feet -
q And when expostulaied sIth for so doing, he
d replied, he thought 4 would average about
E 'weIve feet. Every thing s thus out of pro-
4 portion. and done at randose. But what of
that; they can eat, and siee sand enjoy life as
8 WE'LL they say, as il every thing was in the
+ most perfect order. And so can the hog, af.
ter he has laid waste the most tastefnlly cnlti.
i waited nos er garden, stretch himself out on its
ruins. and bask in the sun perfectly unconscious
/ tof the beauty he has destroyed.
/ But where the farmer works by system, il
:, will he seen in the division of his fields. All
will be so arranged as to be easily accessible.
: fences will be erect and in straight lines gates
d and bars in good condition. and in their prop
II er place, and stumps and rocks and all un-
rs slightly objects removed. The orchard win be
o in the right place, and properly cultivated
e The garden will be included in bis plan oi
10 operations. and attended 10 in the right see.
son, and not left for the work of leisure
s hour which he never finds. It will exhibit
q not only order and beauty. but the promise OF
ID an abundance of the Injuries of life. The
r dwelling and the fixtures around it, will show
7s their owner to be man of industry and taste.
q All things will conspire to render the situation
n an inviting residence, and to put to the blush
ID the careless, ignorant, and chaotic farmer.
Ill The systematic farmer secures time for ma.
. king improvements upon his farme. He. viii
So drain the morass, and render it fertile, remove
C or bury rocks and stouess--burn stumps and
re log heaps. that furnish ashelier for the vermin
is tsat infest his crops, and destroy much oi
e his labor. He will level the uneven surface,
y. and underdrain those parts where surface wa.
ne Ter renders the soil cold and heavy. and thus
IN hinders the growth of vegetation. He secured
or time also for experiments with different kinda
lis of grain and vegetables aud thus learns the
is most economical and profitable method oil