The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-09-30
ORDERS SOLICITED.
President Canfield's Address

Agriculture is one Of the most use
Itul and 'dignilicd occupations ofman.
1t is not only healthtiul aud condu-
Give to religious and moral feelings,
but On the success otthe agricultural
interest depends the success OF COM
mcrce, and manufacturers the me-
chanic:,l arts and day labor all are
Influenced by it 4 year Of scarcity
from eitlierfof the extremes of drouth
or rain. first effects the the agricu|tu-
rists, and afterwards is felt through
] every department of business. It
should, therefore. he Us tauUh the
business Of the agficulturist to find
out, as tar us possible, a remedy
| against the two extremes, rs IT Is for
| the fin:lncier to find out Il remedy
| against contraction and expansion of
| the currency. he effects Of both are
equally injurious ta the prosperityoi
the country. Agriculture as u sci
ence is scarcely practicable here i'll
Iowa but the time has come when u
more scientific mode utIarming is c>-
sentiai. j will, therefore, give "a few
practical remarks on the rules and
modes most at oar diaposal, and most
successful in our Soil aud climate
The first grand rule 70 gia,ri against
the vicisitudcs OF tic seasons is to
keep up the fertility OF the soil and
improve it instead OF letting 1T deter.
iorate. An agricuturiat farm is his
capital, or principal, and it should be
a general rule in all business never to
encrC .ch upon the principal for any
dt 9. ase in principal will produce Il
proportionatc decrease ofinterest. and
cannot fail TO head to bankruptcy
In no case is the old ad;,ge lit is not
all gained that's put IN the pocket
more applicable than in agriculture.
We may awlargely upon our farms
for years, and fiatter ourselves that
we are doing "A good business, but if
we do not return q proper supply to
the soil proporlioned to the eShaus-
ton, we will find ourselves laboring
for nausht. 10 keep up i farm it
should be well rested. well manurcd
and well tended. So asto keep abund
ant food il. the soil for the different
grains, anditweadd to this alternate
cropping" we have the first tunda-
mental ,uIes to secure ;ai average
crop in almost any season The sec
ond mostinportant rule is ieepplow-
ing. This is one Of the great secrets
OF good farming, By this means the
soil absorbs the too abundant mois-'
ture III wct, weather, which remains
,ls a reserve iGi the dry seasons. ii
loosens tie greVntiIcGps that the
roots and tibers Of tli grain and
plants can peuetratc, u tlttns np part
of the sub soil Which IS b. be enriched
with manures, aiid which the sun and
fr,e : pulverize. thus deepening aud
/ proving ous farms \ field welt
deeply plowed and are
fully planted and well tended Will
generai!y insur.f u good crop Hthe
most u,i,syorable season, BIZ herclt
viii be necessary TO iaale aaitatilc-
tion between the management in Il
wet ami dry s,aseii In the latter
at every plowing, it should be crossed
tcIv with the c,tltivator, II
evel tillase best retsius the moisture.
Draining comes in then as the
most essential point scarcely amy soil
requires more dr. rainage than the Hat
ands in this section OF country,
would therefore recommend the hay
ns of tile rs the best mode of drain
age for our Hat lands, this | value IL
one ot tue most useful experiments,
and | take il. that seentiiic farming
should be we'll mixed up wifi' practF-
cal experiments, bc, su>c of the differ
,lcc in soil and elm; =, tor there
ar, but few general rules that can he
made applicable to different varieties
of soil.
Cieycry important ronsluer"tio"
in Seeding ,sow,, grass land 'H. that
it should never he ;tllaMod to bc eN-
haus ted too much by Previous crop
ping. Land that is properly mana,
ged will! improve, it throws up 81
stronger and better growth OF the
different gr,.sses, and whilst the. tar
..,cr fattcns his stock, they iatten his
soil Exhausted soils, III difficult to
renova .. Hence the cause OF cur
.nu SO mat /, almost barren tlcid>.
whilst the owner trutses on from
year to year withnut amy ramunera-
ting return.
Glover is generally recommended
as the best fertilizer in altet . ate crop
pinp, but i'll light soil inclined to
wash, ASH our country, would much
prefer a mixture citimo'hy, especial
iy for the purpose OF holding the soil.
Concluded on ID page