Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-08-09
9rpartnfist,
M must Farm it Better.

rh. 20 too much bad managtE
nart among farmers-too much sg-
-;onltpre that is Of q non-paying-
retrocressire, slip-shod character
On msny farms the entire manage
ment IS faulty. When we pass
tbroueh the country, the first thought
is. in many places, that the lsnd IS
moor: and the next IL, that bad cul-
tiyation makes it look less produc-
tive. The rule is, in most parts of
the country, poor land, bad cultiva-
ton, and injudicious management,
while occasionally we meet with the
ercepton-s good farm well TILED,
where every branch of business
moves on tremendously, progress
sively. and in paying manner.
Let the thought be repeated: We
mast farm, better There is too large
a norton of our cultiyatable fields
that are excessively wet; and often
the standing water flows along sew
eral inches deep forward<of the torn
ing furrew slices when the land is
being plowed. Such soils cannot be
properly prepared for crop of any
kind until well underdrsined; and il
will be folly to think of introducing
an improved and renovating system
of agriculture until all this surplus
water is conducted away. Draining
wet portions of certain fields, and
thorough draining where the soil is
heavy and retentive as to hold sur
face water for several days after 8
shower, is the very first step to sue
cess in improved agriculture.
We must plow better. Our soil is
not hslf plowed, In most instances.
The furrow- slices are cut too wide.
The ground is not all broken up
There is too much cutting and Gov
ering. The soil that is plowed is moi
half pulverized In most instances
large proportion of it is only turn
ed upside down. Plants cannot
flourish luxuriantly where the soil is
not finely comminnuted. We must
keep our plows in better order; use
sharper points; employ better plow-
men; and keep better teams to plow
with.
We must make and apply more
manure.
Farmers, as a class, do not hus-
band the manurial resources of their
farms. Too much Of their fertaliz,
ing material goes to the water and
the winds. The starved and robbed
soil does not get it. Judging from
appearances, the least manure most
of our farmers have, the better they
like it. But it brings starvation to
their crops and impoverishment to
their soils. A very few farmers
make and apply enough to keep the
fertility of their farms improving
from year to year. This system rem
ders their good farms better. and re-
pays well for expenses incurred in
labor. The few whe farm well reap
better crops annually; while the mass
of farmers receive smaller and less
abundant yields as long as tney con-
time their present system OF culti-
yation.
We must keep more stock. A
mixed system OF husbandry is the
best that can be adopted for main
tanning the fertility of farms, as well
as for restoring such az have been
impoverished by bad management.
Neat cattle or sheep, in connection
with grain raising, will eventually
improve the agriculture of our coun-
try, so that we shall reap two spears
of grain or grass where now we see
but one. Let every proprietor of a
farm commence st once renoyating
system, and resolve to farm better.
A good Judge on this subject, look
ing over our shoulder as we are writ
ing, says, An.en!