M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-02-24
AgututuraI,
Choice Ora Farm.

It has been justly observed by an
eminent practical agriculturist, that
too much can hardly be paid for
good soil, and that even low rent will
not make a bad farm profitable. The
labor Of cultivating rich and a poor
soil is ne9rly the same while the latter
requires more manure and consequent.
ly is more expensive than the former,
and the returns bear 10 proportion in
value. 1t is a wise maxim in Eus-
baudry, OfNhatevvr nature the soil
may be, that, like the cattle by which
it is cultivated, it should always be
kept in good condition to enable it to
do ,he work is expected to perform.
Tue ordinary height at which common
grain crops can be raised in the Brit.
ish islands is from six hundred to
eight hundred feet; but in some situ.
ations, from particularly favorable cir
.rumstances, tolerable crops Of barley
and oats may be produced at n height
o! nearly nine hundred and even high.
tn In proportion as the climate is
improved by sheltering plantations
aud drainage, the height at which
grain crops may be realized becomes
the greater In general, it is more
appropriate to devote high grounds to
sheep pasturage than to tillagc; and a
consideration of this circumstance
viii guide the selection aud rent Of
land.
III making choice of land for
farming, let 1t be rule to prefer a
gently sloping surface, or level, to Il
hilly and irregular surface. The labor
Of working land of irregular surface is +
very great, independent of other dis
advantages; and if taken, it should be
at a propOrtionabIy low rental. If .
possible, select land that lies with an
easy slope to the south, though if well /
sheltered, the inclination ia other d.
roctions is Of little consequence. If
the land require drainage, or be ex-
posed to heavy rains, observe there be
sufficient inclination to carry off the
water. Ifthere be no low er point to
which the, water may be conveiently
drawn, avoid the risk Of tGking the
land, for this defect in its character
will prove frequent source Of troa-
lie and loss. In the case of dry, cal
careous soils, and in moderately rainy
districts, the inclination OF the sur
face and means Of drainage are imma-
terial.
Land on the banks Of running
stream is likely to be more salubrious
for crops than that which is near slug
gish brooks, or dull sedgy lakes
From dull, inert waters there arise, in
certain conditions Of the atmosphere,
heavy, pernicious vapors, which steal
along the surface of the adjacent
grounds, and tend to blight and other
wise iniure the crops. These waters,
also, are fertile hot bed of insects -
Running waters purify the air, and are
ofgreat advantage for cattle. See,
however, that the land is not liable to
be flooded in the spring, for contin-
gency Of that nature should cause q
diminution in value.
Considerations respecting climate,
soil, elevation, &C., are, however, OF
subordinate consequence in compari-
son with the very important matter of
distance from markets and roads,
A long carriage to market, particu-
larly if the roads be indifferent, is one I
the greatest drawbacks which the ag-
riculturist can possibly encounter
Where bad roads interp ose, a distance
OF few miles is practically as bad as
a distance ofhundreds, or even thous- .
andS ofmiles. The means procuring
an abundance Of labor, at a reasona-
BILE rate, also forms an important mat
ter of calculation for all persons before
Il