The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1859-03-31
TO Cur Farmers.

ready to meet II? We mean not in the
old careless, thoughtless inattcntivc man
ner in which farmers have been accus-
toned to perform the yearly routine Of
their drudgery.
But rather We ask are you ready to
meet it like wise man who has thor.
ougaly and carefully examined h'srrem
Uses, planned his labora, counted his
costs, and knows the final results under
all ordinary circumstances.
Have you determined whether it is
possible for you to SOW or plant a few
NOR. acres than last year? Or if it
would not be more profitable for you to
cultivate less and do it better than il
was ever done before?
These arc questions worthy Of your
closest attention. It is an undeniable
truth, that the mass Of our farmers are
far too negligent in attending to their
honorable calling.
A few planting and sowing too much
others too little, and nearly all neglect
ing to attend to what they have planted
aud sowed.
Need we any proof Of this. Go, With
US for moment to the various harvest
fields. We enter one and there behold
the reaping machine prostrating the
grain while evidently too green. We
enquire Of the owner why lie cuts his
grain 50 green replies, the machine j,
engaged every day for the next month,
and this is the only time he can procure
it. We survey the field with our eye
and think it contains about fifteen acres
Of small grain perhaps twenty. The
farmer is an able bodied man, and has
two sons, with no less muscl2 than him
self al Of whom are capable Of cutting
this field Of grain, binding and setting
it up in six or eight days at most But
the work is now done and they louneing
about the house with little or nothing
to do waiting for the grain to dry suffi
GENTLY for stacking, at the very time
they should have been in the field cut
ting it.
We count the cost and fId he has
expended at least fifteen dollars, besides
having lost one fourth if not one thild
part Of hislcrop by cutting too early; all
Of which he might have saved by proper
management and less dread Of labor.
We pass on to the next field and find
similar state Of affairs.
The next one We visit We find the
grain fully ripe, but no one engaged in
cutting it. We enquire Of the owner,
Why he is neglecting to cut his grain
his reply is. Il am waiting for the
machine We pass to the next, find
ing the same state Of things and upon
inquiry arc tod. al am waiting for the
machine > In few days after, We Wis.
it another field Of grain, which has the
appearance Of having been " dead ripe, u
for two weeks and are told by the pos
SCISSOR, :" | am waiting for the machine
to which perhaps he adds Il expect it
will DO here in about a week"
Now let US again visit these fields az
ter pause Of two or three weeks, we
find much Of the grain standing in
shocks, which upon examination proves
to be sprou:cd, some Of it consid, ably
grown.
II We extend our examinations, in
the autumn aud winter We shall find
this grain stored away in rail pens or
large bins, and SO musty that it is i'm,
possible to be converted even into third
rate flower. This We claim to be at
least tolerably fair picture Of the
course pursued by the majority Of our
farmers. Now have we any evidence Of
their performing their labors and duties,
any better in the spring. We think
not. Many make thcmselyes dependent
upon their neighbors for pt6ws, harroHs
and some even for teams, the consequence
Of which is, the ground is but poorly
prepared for the grain, which after be-
ing .own is so hurriedly narrowed in,
~ raj. II net hsrrcvsl ia that il might