The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-01-13
The True System Of Farming.

! Trying to do too much is common erro,
into which the farmer often falls Eis great
eagerness in striving to be rich is, doubtless
the cause of his error He is ambitious aud
energetic, and forms his plans on large scale
too often, perhaps, without counting theeeost
He buys large farm and wants to be called
large farmer" without understanding o,
| considering the true clements that constitute
a real farmer. He fancies the greatness OF
that profession, as is too often the common
| estimate, to be in proportion to the number OF
acres, not to say cultivated, embraced within
the boundaries of his domain. The fact is
now being spread abroad, that large farm
does not make a man either rich, ccuteutcd
or happy, but on the contrary, the reverse of
all these, unless we'll titled, when his labor is
rewarded by ample crops and fair success in
the various departments in which he is en-
gagged. No farmer can realize the full bene-
fits Of his profession without adopting thor
ough system Of culture. His success, COM
mensurate to his wishes, always depends upon
the manner in which he prepares his grounds,
plants his seeds, and rears his stock Neither
of these departments, which may be consider
ed the cardinal ones Of his profession, will
take care Of themselves. The soil may be
rich but it needs culture His seed may be
sown, but it should lie in due time, and al
ways on soil we'll prepared, and of suitable
quality for the production Of the crop desired
His stock must be constantly cared fort
derives its thrift from the soil, and sends
again to that soil the sustenance it requires !;
but this is not done in hap-hazard way
f,rpoor,c ooro &c roau;,oJ ond oil h;c haitian
judgment must be exercised in keeping up
this system Of reciprocal benefits that may
be realized by every intelligent and indastri
GUS farmer.
Thorough cultivation and systematic atten-
ton to all parts of business is indispensable
to coed degree cf success. The very corn
er stone to this whole system Of farming, is to
do what you DO thoroughlJ-nature will not
be cheated, and never give full returns to the
half way work that is practiced by vastly too
many calling themselves farmers. If the
land has been worn, the extent of that ex
haustion and the food required must be first
considered. When ascertained, the fail meas
ure of these requirements must be given. to
bring out full returns IF the farmer has but
small stock, and consequently but = small
amount of manure to replenish his lard it is
obvious that but small farm can be supplied
with it; and good Judgment at once dictates
that to cultivate properly large farm, arti-
fetal manures must be used if good crops are
obtained And SO with the labor; two men
canEos suitably till one hundred acres of laad,
when the labor of two, and perhaps four,
might be probably employed on seyenty-fve
acres
This is the great error in farming Two
men strive to do what four can hardly do, and
thus thousands Of acres are run over, half
titled, and producing half crops. The land is
run over till worn out, sustaining year after
| year, an annual tax, till its energies are en-
tirely exhausted, and it fails to yield even a
| feeble CROP because its life is worn out.
The light that is being spread abroad on
this subject is beginning to correct this prac-
tice to some extent, but in most instances
very little is returned to the soil to keep it
alive, till after several years of continual
cropping it manifests signs of exhaustion and
| ultimate barrenaess. When tillers Of the soil
understand their true interest, they will cult
vate no more land than they can do we'll
Fifty acres of land for tillage, brought to a
high state of cultivation, pays better than
one hundred run over in the way that many
do Valley Spirit