Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-03-11
AGRICULTURAL HORTICUL.
Tut E AND 10 n ESTlC
ECONOMY.
From Western Farmer.
Mixed Farming.

The great fault Of our Western sys.
tenn of farming has been Its lack oil
progressiy eness. And in thus remark
ing W only imply what is true OF oil
new countries. We break the prairie
sod, or clean the land OF the forest,
SOW aud reap and imagine that we are
agriculturists. And so We are in
very elementary way. But a very
few years OF this simple process sui
fees to exhaust our only resource, the
productiveness OF the soil, and the con
sequent failure OF crops sets US to
grumbling at farming as pursuit nd
we often become dissatisfied, sell out
and remove to town, and enter some
other business or retire on the income
of a few thousand. We should say
that fully twothirds OF our North
western farmers are secretly or avow-
eddy at cnmity with their own occnpa
ton, and envy the lore fortunate
man OF business residing in the towns
and cities-lt they could slip out OF
their present employment and slide,
unperceived, into a business position
i'll town they would do it quickly.
They seem not to have the slightest
idea that their business can become a
progressive one-,hat they can quad
ripple their capital and income All on
their own tarms.-They observe with
evident alarm that their crops are d.
minishing and growing more preca-
rious every year. Still they are either
ig ,orant OF the remedy tor this evil, or
are too mdolent OF mind to grasp
those fixed laws Of cultivation, that IT
applied, will surrey rid them to escape
their dilemma.
Here in Northern Illinois, on the
prairie, this state of things is wotull,
true We might term our system
.relasus tarming-rhat is we raise
grain to the exclusion of every thing
else nearly. True we tattcn a good
deal of pork, and rear . large number
OF beet cattle, and turn Oft a large
quantity OF dairy products; but the
principal thing is grain A man may
have l6O acres OF land, and lao Of 1t
under the plow: or 80 acres, and 20 OF
it under the pillow. We think that three
fourths OF the land IN Northern Illinois
that has been broken is vet under the
plow. some of it has been stopped tor
IS years. How can there be much
stock carried on such farms as these:
How can there be any adequate guam
lity OF manure made!-And yet we
find farmers who appear to think there
il no escape from this unreasonable
way OF farming. SUCH persons need
not plead that they have made money
SO tar, and that they will get along
well in the future. 1t is true you have
farms that are worth thousands Of
dollsrs; but you purchased them
cheaply when the country was new
The virgin soil Of your new farms
produced well, and you put the pro-
duct into improvements on your farms
But do your farms produce as well a
formerly? You can hardly claim that
they do. You have 80 good . start
that you may get through lite on YOU
present system. But what will be
come OF your sons and successors
Adopt mixed husbandry. Seed do VI
one.half your land, at least. 1t 20,
are faithiess as to clover, sow timothy
or both. Inc. ease your forage crop
and teed them on your farm. This ii
the first step. BY this means YOU
area tor blowing is decreased, and yos
can pillow it better. We do not pillow
enough. We do not pillow deep enough
or pulverize finely enough. BY hay
ing fewer acres by one-nalf TO pillow
you can attend to this mater. b,
blowing better you will secure largel
yield OF crops. The fewer acres under
cultivation the better you can culti
vate and the more manure you car
apply, and you can secure yo4r crop
more seasonably. Then, the produce
OF the land in grass is converted into
valuable live stock, bringing you in Al
much money perhaps, as the land
would have yielded you in grain
Pursue this system, aud all the time
your land will grow more and more
fertile and productive. Thorough cul
tuie counteracts the influence OF bad
seasons and unreasonable weather.
II. c. CHANDLER.
Rockford, Ill. Jan. II, 1869.