The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-12-02
Cultivating too Much Land.

Cultivating too Much Land.
The farmers generally attempt to cult
vate too much land. The disadvantages
arising from this cause, are many and OBJ
vious. 1t is no exaggeration to say, that
the lands cultivated in the country are
capable, under a high state of cultiva-
ton. of producing twice as much as they
now produce. ....
When will our farmers in the country
fully appreciate this truly? There is no
one thing that contrib utes so much to re-
tard our agriculture, as the folly of cult
waiting too much land.
In the first place no farmer should think
Of managing 80 or 100 acres of land with
one or two men. 1t is bad economy to
do so: nothing can be expected from it
but poverty,-poverty of both land and
purse. How much better it would be to
cultivate half the number of acres, or less,
) in druus 1t costs just as much to
> \ will yield ten bushels
enSthat will yield fifty or
hundred bushels. The difference in hoe
ing would be trifle and the planting
would be the same. 1t will require the
same amount Of fencing in the one case
as in the other, and the same tax will
have to be paid on each. Why not,
therefore, plow less and plow deeper?
why not cultivate less land and manure
more? Farmers, many Of them, appear
to forget that they have productive
| farm just underneath the one they are
cultivating, equally and perhaps much
more productive than the one on the sur
| face.
| Turn up this farm, then, with deep
subsoil plow,-expose it to the action OF
the sun and frost, and thereby double
| your crop.
But the surface farm-if there are any
scruples about disturbing the one imme-
diately underneuth-may be greatly in
creased in productiveness by properly
manuring it. Let a portion of spring
work be devoted to carting out manure
on the land that is to be cultivated
Be assured that no labor will pay better.
If any one has doubts on the subject, let
him try an acre of thin land without and
another with manure. And If he desires
to be still more uiittclrian in his investiga-
tions let him deduct the cost of the ma
nure from the value of the increased
crop, and it will he found that it Is much
| better to manure one acre well than cul-
tivate two without manure.
! But let him try the experiment of both
| blowing deep, and at the same time ma
nurng well, and lie will forever abandon
the idea of cultivating more land than
lac can cultivate reN.
| Farmers. think of these things do
more, practice them, and our word Tor il
you will never have occasion to sregret
! that you did not cultivate more land.
PEKIN.-A recent traveller, speaking of
the Chinese town Of Pckin, and the first
impressions a stranger receives on enter
ing within the wall, says:
Once he has passed under the pom
! derous northern gate, measured the
thickness Of the stupendous wall, and is
fairly in Pekin, he will be entirely bewil-
dered all before him is q confused and
| dusty mass of colors, men, mules cabs,
| hundreds of camels, with the weary Mon
| gols in their once red gowns, enthroned
and fast asleep on their high summit; an
| immensity of wide, perfectly straight,
and endless streets; living ocean OF the
most degraded beggars. of cooks, BARRIERS,
orators delivering speeches; then, right
and LETT brilliant shops, cafes, and hotels,
surmounted by long poles of all colors,
wooden walls beautifully carved and
guilt over; in fact it is scene so unique
in the world that no dream could ever be
| so eccentric"