Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-02-05
From the Cultiyator aud Country Gentleman.
WHY EARMING nNFS NOT Ply

w h0 FAkMlNt DUES MOI IA
Farming absorbs larger amount Of the
unskilled labor Of the country than any other
/ occupation, not than all others combined.
/ This quality Of labor is too & morally accom-
/ panied by ignorance, slothfuness, and inn
providence; and these qualities become large
/ ly Incorporated into farm operations and farm
management, from contact and association,
The character and success Of the calling are
affected, if not determined by them. Hence
so much toll and so little profit; so msny
failures and dissatisiacions. The business, Of
course, receives the credit or discredit, instead
Of the man or management.
To illustrate, | will present the policy and
management Of an average farmer Of our coun-
try in a few particulars, believing that it is
picture Of much that is called farming, not
only here, but almost everywhere over the
country. My neighbours farm is large one,
of about an average quality of soil. He is a
steady, worthy, industrious man, works hard
himself and carries on his farm operations
with a few hands, and with as economical an
outlay of expense as possible. He is reputed
to be forehanded often with his spring blowing
and planting. He manures most of his plant
ing, but very sparingly, as it will not pay to
buy much manure especially to haul it dis
/
4 potatoes, melons, and other truck; harrows,
/ plows, cultivates and hoes assiduously, but Of
course not always as often and at the times
best for the crops His grain was harvested
and put in shock, but portion of it left in
the field for nearly two weeks during good
weather, and then a succession Of rains kept
it there nearly two weeks longer, until the
grain was sprouted and spoiled, and the rye
straw damaged-altogethe probably to the
amount Of fifty dollars, all Of which less than
ten dollars worth of labor would have saved.
Because it would not pay to cut and save his
corn fodder in season, IRON ten 10 fifteen tons
of that useful provender, worth a hundred
dollars, was lost to his stock, which, in con-
sequence, in the spring, were little but skin
and bone.
He raised some two hundred bushels Of
/ ruta baga turnips Of first quality. They were
! gathered and buried, and one-half Of them
worth forty dollars, lay and rotted in the
holes, the very spring his cattle were nearly
, starving TO death and for the astounding
reason that it would not pay, for they did the
4, cattle more harm than good.
Neither would it pay, he said, to gather ter
acres Of seed clover, which, had it been saved
and marketed, would have brought him ont
y hundred dollars. Because it would not pay
, he did not gather several tons of good hay
worth, say fifty dollars; il could not we'll b,
l cut with the moving machine on account of
, few stumps.
He plants--say about one-half of his whea
in good season, but with little manuring, anC
Q sometimes without any; from this he harvest
c from twelve to fifteen bushels per are; thi
e balance he sows about the first of November
and hRtvests from five to ten bushels per acre
$ He admits that il this last sowing were
e month earlier the yeald would be nearly OF
b quite doubled, but then he is not satisfied
o that it would pay to employ the necessary
Z additional help to gather his potatoes ant
o prepare the ground At that season. The out
lay offorty dollars in timely labor would brinl
i at least forty bushels OF wheat, or one hun
:, bred dollars. The ,ame errors Of judgmen
s or management extend to the care and treat
j. ment Of the stock, several particulars wherein
d might be specified But will refer TO tht
II poultry only. He keeps from forty to Git,
hens over wnter-these have TO be fed every
d day, as there is Scarcely anything else the.
2 can get. Ihay eat-say two glls of corr
d each, daily, for four months-but they are te,
T. a much longer time-amounting to nearly
T bushel to each fowl. OF one dollar keceiy
ing no other care or attention, the steady lay
tfb Will not average out-lOufNh OF the u-Ch
many Of the eggs are frozen and n other way
d destroyed and for three months he vii
e scarcely ge three hundred eggs, or ten dol
i lars la the spiing, when most Of them lay
+ not having supply Of nest accommodations
numbers viii crowd on one nest and break
a the eggs. Some will set others lay to them
AZ the same time. Some-the larger part
= will lay in stables or mows or exposed OF
= secret places, where the larger portion of the
e eggs are destroyed, and an average not
more than dozen day are saved. A poi-
3 ton Of these are set TO hatch but scarcely
ohe'half Of them ever produce chickens that
: live to profit
: Probably one hundred or one hundred and
tfty chickens are raised through the summer.
at an expense Of at least fifty dollars for feed
and fifty for damage in depredations on every
thing within their reach on the farm--not
counting the time devoted to them, and the
annoyance and irritation produced by their
trespasses. 50 thatit will be safe to say
: 'hat The income from The poultry does not
1 81 L. 4 -. e L