Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-04-29

1t is surprising how much muscular
labor is wasted every year, which
might be saved or better directed.
This is trrue Of all kinds of business,
and not the least in farming.-For is
stance, how n my farmers toll on year
afer year, with scanty or imperfect
'npiiments Of husbandry. The mod
eru improvements, which save much
labor and do the work cheaper and
better, they will have nothing ito do
with. Improved varieties of seed they
hold to be almost without exception,
humbug. Draining and subsoil plow-
ing rank in the same catalogue, they
are labor lost but manuring cold, wet
lands, and blowing them late in sum
mer, few inches deep, and gathering
scanty crops-this is not lost labor.
Rotation Of crops and manuring land
with reference to the grain or roots to
be grown on them, they consider
something like book farming-a very
dangerous thing.
We never could see why far
mers should not think for themselves,
and be able to give satisfactory rea-
son ft. every process they under
take.
We never could see why they should
not endavor to improve in all farming
operations, to learn the very best way
Of doing everything, and then do it 50.
1t is told of certain backwood,s far
mer, who had not yet found time to
clear the stumps from his fieldf, that
his boys complained. bitterly Of their
troubles in blowing and narrowing
the old fashioned "drag" especially
troubled them by its frequent overturn-
ings while plupging among the stumps,
and needing to be set right side up at
every few rods.-"Boys," said the en-
ragged farmer, one day, take that har-
row over to the blacksmith, and tell
him to make all their teeth twice their
present length, and sharp at both ends,
and we'll see what that'll do" The
thing was done the teeth now poin-
ted both ways, like those o., a revolving
rake. Gee up, Bill now 60 along"
"But, father, it has upset again as bad
as BEFORE "Never mind, 60 right a.
head it will work well either side up.
See, now, what comes from = little
thinking" and sure enough, it did
work, and the field was narrowed in
spite Of the stumps. We might have
selected more digniied example. of
the use Of head work, but this home
ly story will answer our purpose.
In the matter of rotation Of crops,
there is need of foret bought and man
agement.-Some farmers neglect to
manure largely, because Of its expen-
siveness they wonld like to underdrain
more extensively, and to subsoil pillow
their lands. if these things did not cost
more time, labor and money than they
think they can spare. But it costs
more to follow a good system of rota-
ton Of crops, than it does to carry on
q farm without any such = plan. Yet
such system may bring the farmer
tbree-fold greater and better crops
Nor in devising such plan, has he got
to depend entirely on his own expert
ence or sag lily. Books and agricul-
tural journals are at hand, containing
the results of other mel experience,
and all he has to do is W adapt such
information to the wants of his own
case. A very little head work Of this
sort would pay we'll. 1t would pay in
clean cultivation. 1t would pay in the
increased and prolonged fertility Of the
land, and in more bountiful crops.