The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-12-20
AGRICULTURAL.

AGRICULTURAL.
.+a=tlSAs-------- ~ q 80
MORE LABOR WANTED ON THE FAHs1.-l
What item of expenditure pays best in you
operations F answered :" Labor" He had thel
| IN the field six men, and kept them CONSTANT,
ut work for nine months in the year. He hat
but sixty acres Of land, yet the gross products
We're about fifteen thousand dollars year. A
single item in this years crop WINS 5000 bushel,
OF seed potatoes. His rough farm was rapidly
stone walls had been removed, and the small
fields opened into large ones. Rocks had beer
blasted and sunk, and the rough places made
| smooth. The wet places had been made dry by
deep drains. He SUBSIDIZED, and guarded every
crop against drouth. He kept at work upon
improvements, and made the crops pay for them
He said he regretted nothing so much as that
ne had not employed more help. This clear
headed farmer is unquestionably right. Moth
ing pays SO well as labor, even at the present
high prices. Almost all farm products have ad
xan yam Cd more than labor in the last eight years
AND II this were not so, we think in the single
Item of improved implements the farmer has an
advantage that more than balances the increas-
ed price of labor. He can make hay cheaper
with these tools to-day than he could ten years
ago without them, though he pays third more
for labor. Yet many of our farmers doubt this,
ana continue to apply the labor of one man to
hundred acres, and call it economy. We have
no doubt 1T Is the most expensive mode of ap-
plying labor. Almost everything can be made
cheaper ON Il large scale than small one.
Inc publisher makes very little on a thousand
copies of a work on a hundred thousand he
would make a small fortune. 1t will not pay
to build factory, and use power-looms to make
cloth for the use of one family; to clothe the
people OF a State it is a very. good business.
Most farms have every requisite but labor to
grow four OF five times their present amount of
crops. They have land enough, and often all
the materials for making manuxe. They lack
the men to haul the sea-weed, the muck, or the
mari, to burn the lime and to handle the COM
post. For lack of labor three-fourths of their
capital lies idle, or pays them barely two per
cent; per annnm. One great advantage Of plenty
thing at the fitting time. Nearly half the ex-
pense Of handling muck is saved if it is dug out
In time of drought. Three-fOurths of the
labor of tillage is saved if the men are put into
Every crop is followed up with timely care,
and is raised at the least cost There are inn
provements that almost every farmer has upon
his mind, that never get done for the want of
labor. He knows that undertaking is paid
for by the extra crops of two good years, leav-
ing the land more than doubled in value for a
Lifetime. He never finds time to do it. He
knows that manures pay well, yet he never
makes half the amount he could use to advan-
tage We need to do business on larger scale
20 make farming pay better. We must have
faith in our calling, and invest capital as liber-
lily as the merchant manufacturer does in
his. There is much less risk in our business.
We can afford to make our ventures larger. As
! matter of fact, the farmers who make the most
he msst help, and most wisely direct it. In
England they will often spend more capital and
abor in manuring and working an acre of land
han we do in it's purchase, with the expense of
nanuring and working added. At this season,
when we sum up. results and forecast the flu
nre let us plan to use more labor.-American
fgriculturist.
The Musk DUcK.-The Musk or Muscovy
Duck, (Cdrind mOschata) is a native of South
America but a frequent denizen of our poultry
ards. The most noticeable popularity of the
pecies is the great difference in size between
he sexes. The ducks weigh from four to five
vice as much. The ducks closely resemble
COMMON ducks of the same colors, differing
hieiiy i'll the greater length of the body, and in
. smaller amount of carunculated flesh upon
he head, and at the base of the bill. In the
lrakes this bloody-red, irregular mass of flesh
extends from the bill over the eyes, and covers
he cheek more or less. They of various
olors, from a blue black, with rainbow rides
ence, passing through all shades of bluish=
late color, and all degrees of piedness to pure
White. iellowisli-brown and white ducks also |
ccur. Those breeding pure white most
ighly priced matter of fancy. They are
air layers The eggs are of a grayish- White
DIOR, and not larger than those of common |
ucks. The duck sits about five weeks, and |
he young are hardy if not Matched until set
led warm weather. The name, Musk" is de- |
ived from the scent of the oil secreted in a |
land upon the rump of the drake. The appel |
alton " Muscovy," as if they came from Russia |
) a corruption. The brakes associate readily |
nth common ducks, and the hybrid produced |
q large, fine bird, superior for the table, and |
asily fattened, but incapable of breeding.-Ib |
RITUALIsM.-We present some excerpts re-
arding Ritualism. The first is from the Rams
ate correspondence of the Pail Mall Gazette
Prayers for the Soul of the late archbishop of
anterbary.-At the church of st. Mary, in this
own, the congregation were told, last Sunday
vening, LIST inst. by the officiating minister