Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-12-26
farmers department.
Profits of Farming.

of MIR. Ouren, Oh w UVDuri, StatihS
that having acquired competency
by farming. be desired to dispose OF
his farm. In article we request
ed Mr.. D. to giveus some account of
his mode of operations that we might
lay before our readers. We are now
happy to be able to present some
commonsense and well considered re-
marks of his, not only in regard to
his own farming, but also in relation
to farming in general. which we
think will be read with interest. =
We copy the most important parts
of the communication:
The surest, most reliable and most
important crop of the farm IS Inc
grass. Out of grass and nature
own crucibles come meat and mix,
and cheese, the more enduring form
of milk; boots, shoes, clothing. the
very foundation of existence; and he
who makes two spears grow where
but one grew before is certainly .
benefactor to the race, In his way.
Within .he last fifteen years pre-
sumo have raised and sold from
twelve to fifteen hundred dollars
worth of Swedes turnips, but ques-
tion whether ] am any richer for it.
I think / could have raised as many
dollars worth of corn and fodder,
which would have returned manure
to repeat the process; and turnips
make heavy drafts upon land. L
have also dabbled some in other
sauce, but found dabbling did not
nay; first it interferes with milk rails
ing, taking invaluable hay time; and
secondly, you are not apt to raise
enough to get good run of trade,
ana, therefore the best price. Fruit
and cider / have sold considerable
of, never l think more than one hun
dred and fifty barrels of apples in
one year. But when they are plenty
they net but little above expenses;
half crop generally pays as well as
o full one, by bringing better price,
At best you get crop only every
second year; and if one fails, you
have lost three years use of your
land, besides expenses, If you cult
vate. So l pat my orcharding to
grass some -four years since, and am
sure of two crops yearly as the rain
is to fall. or course one would raise
fruit and sauce enough for his family,
or try, and would often have little
to sell. These ideas apply perhaps
only to my personal taste, or pecu-
liar soil on which I am situated, or
more surely, it may be, to the proper
milk raising distance from market.
Nearer the cities, where land is very
precious, sauce and small fruits must
be the only paying thing; and farther
into the country, where land is cheap
stock, butter and cheese, fruit and
grain, are things, as being not so
perishable, easily transported and
pleanty of land to draw from.
Another consideration is, grass
and milk are produced with much
less labor than other kinds of farm.
ing, quite an item in these times
Oae man can very comfortably take
care of fifteen or twenty head of cat
tie, spread the manure and plant
three or four acres of corn with only
few days help, except during the
hay season. Some of the time dur
ing the war l had man only three
months in the year, but wouldn't
advise being too much alone. II
you can get good company life is run
on higher plane. Jostling each
other is fruitful of ideas, and ideas
are vastly more pleasurable than
whiskey; souls are made of them.
have had light run Of grape
fever, but been pretty cautious not
to devote too much time and terri
forty to them; planting them about
walls, buildings, etc, to determine
the kinds that succeed best and their
profit.
Of swine, l used to keep quite q
number ten or twelve years ago, but
realized no profit except in manure,
and of all that l know of, having
kept strict account Of them, only
one man made above expenses,
seventy-five cents, throwing in the
refuse of his table at that. 1 do not
care for them as food, not that /
have any prejudice, or think we
would be sharper than Jew without
them. 'scould eat a raw rat if man
ners were in question:" as well as
Thoreau, I'm confident. / used to
let cattle run over the moving in the
fall, but have done with that as far
as may be; especially are they inju-
rious to moist and meadow land
Think OF the pressure of four hun
dred pounds or more in the small
space of an animals hoof all over the
ground. The soil can't aerate under
that. / wouldn't have a hoof on
meadow land if / could help it. l
NOW with scythe altogether.
Now for the profit. I estimate the
income from good cows at one hun
dred apiece. This distance from
market (ten miles, wholesale prices
and sold at the door; nearly double
that marketed and retailed yourself.
Extra COWS considerable more, from
one hundred and twenty-five to one
hundred and fifty dollars apiece. /
have, and l could pick ont many an
other such, twenty nine acres lying
near the house, six in pasture, three
perhaps in wood and waste, and
twenty acres left, on which, when it
is all in condition, (some five acres
not yet reclaimed, / affirm and l
think modestly, that I could cut
sixty tons per year; one and one half
tons at each cropping, which should
keep fifteen COWS and a horse the
year round, except turning half o
dozen dry ones into the country
during the summer. Now isn't the
way plain, modest, sure? For when
grass in moist places fails, all else
will have failed before it, and there
Is famine.
To be sure, there are operations