Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-01-03
Keep all tn. Stock Won can.

The Massachusetts PIoughman In discours-
ing upon the above subject gives the following
excellent and Truthful remarks, whsch,should
be needed by all our readers:
There Is no way TO keep mp a farm so readi-
ly, or so well, as by keeping all the stock IL
will fairly carry, in order to produce the larg-
est possible amount of good manure. Some
thing may be done with artificial rnauures to
be sure, but they are TO be considered rather as
slim ulants to the Immediate crops, than as
means OF keeping up the permanent fertility
and condtisn of the land. We believe in stock
ing farm pretty nearly up to Its utmost ca
pacity. We do not mean by this to Recommend
well, but to keep as much, and IL he has to sup
Plement little, that IL, TO bHv more or less
grain or hay to help out rather short crop, he
had better do this than to sell his nay for want
OF stock enough to consume IL. In other words,
IL is better TO sell the produce of the farm on
four legs, than TO sell II in the form of hay and
grain, unless he has some other and extraord- :
mary means OF supplying full equivalent in
the form of Fertilizers that will keep up the
condition OF the land.
We have seen hay ssld in the barn in tn g
country. within a week. at thirty three dollars
a ten, and that too, more than forty miles from
Boston. Of course the temptation is very
strong "to let slide" at such aprice, rather than
TO feed 1t out 10 an ordinary stock Of cattle. No
one would pretend to say Ii Is worth that mon-
ey TO feed To common stock. Cattle ought to be
or a high and first rate quality to Justify an ex-
pectahon that it will pay that to feed out. And
yet II Is probable that ii will 60 higher instead
OF lower in the course of the winter. But we
must look ahead a little aud see where we are
likely TO land. Manure 10 high as well as hay,
and when we begin to look about to see how
we are TO supply the place OF a large heap of
COED barn yard manure In the springs II is
not easy 10 tell how 10 do II at any reasonable
price.
The good farmers OF Connecticut valley.
many OF whom we know personally, find it tor
their interest 10 buy a large amount of stock in
the fail, and to buy grain from ne West at
high prices TO feed ont to il for the sake of th
manure. They may lose on the stock. ltmay
sell for less in the spring, or, at any rate. for
little more than they paid for il In the fall
with the manure, to take up any loss they may
sustain on the stock, and having tried II year
alter year, they do not look in vain. They
have learned to put confidence in manure, and
every farmer who expects TO prosper must
learn the same lesson. Manure is the basis O I
the farmers prosperity, and stock is the fertile
source of manure.
1t is. therefore, n short-sightedspolIcy to sell
hay If iii possible to consume II on the place
with good, thrifty, growing stock. Much of
the STOCK IN our barns Is not OF this description,
we are sorry to say. Some oft Will pay and
pay well. Some of ii will consume a good
deal OF hay and not pay at ALL There is a vast
difference between the two classes OF stock in
this respect A COW that is really worth from
seventy five TO hundred dollars Will pay bet
ter IN the long run for the food she consumes
than COW that is really worth only forty or
hfty dollars. In many cases farmer had bet
ter pay even more than the higher price. tina n
10 take the lower priced animal as a gift. The
percentage OF profit on the one will he large,
even with the present high prices of hay and
fodder of all kinds. The other will pay no
percentage whatever, and it may even cost
aboutas much as she is worth to fatlen her
What we need more than anything, in our
New England system of farming higher
and more profitable class of stock. We are
gradually coming TO it, Twenty years of the
present enterprise and spirit of improvement
Will make great change. and the plan we
suggested Of stocking our state and own fums
With pnre bred stock will contribute more 10
bring about this result than any other that we
can devise. Keep good stock, keep it well, and
winter as much of il as you can winter well.
1t VIII pay betier than to sell hay.