The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-08-13
Raise Crops and Stock Adapted TO your
Situation.

1t is of the utmost Importance to success
full farming that the crops grown and stock
raised, are adapted to the soil. Some farms
are better adapted to grass than grain, and
yet the owners may be vainly endeavoring
to make money by raising grain, and on
the other hand, some farmers may be rely
ing on stock for profit on decided grain
farms.
At the prices which have ruled for stock
and dairy products for the last five years,
we are inclined to think good grass farm
more profitable than one more specially
adapted to grain. Beef, mutton, pork,
milk butter and cheese, have all command
ed high prices, and probably will for years
to come. Where the farms are located at
some distance from market, the superior
value of grass farms is still more apparent.
The cost of transporting the raw products
of the soil to market is greater than it is
where they are concentrated by being con-
verified into meat, wool, hides, butter and
cheese.
Low, mucky land, and stiff, moist clays,
will generally pay better in stock; while
dry sandy and gravelly loans indicate a
grain farm. High, rugged hills, that arc
difficult of cultivation, are specially adapted
to sheep grazing; the short, natural grasses
which they produce being more palatable
and nutritious than the more luxurious
growth of lowlands. A portion of a grass
farm will be under culture every year, in
order to break up and reseed pastures and
meadows that have run out, but the grain
produced should never be sold, but fed to
the stock. In this way the stock can be
made profitable, and their manure returned
to the land, will keep up fertility.
A question of great Importance to own
ers of stock farms is, whether it is more
economical to raise their own stock, or to
purchase them when they have reached the
most profitable age for use. OF course,
with such stock as sheep which soon
grow into value, there can be little doubt
that it is more economical to raise than to
buy them: unless the loss in wool and NUT
ton to lamb-bearing ewes, is greater than
the value of the lambs; but with cows and
beef cattle the case is different. 1t would
undoubtedly be more profitable to the
dairyman to keep his cows only during
that portion of theft lives when they yield
the most milk-say from six to nine years
of age, and if dairymen could always
replenish their herds with good siX-year
old cows at moderate prices, it would he
more economical to buy than to raise them;
but if that were the rule the supply must
soon fail. So it would seem that there is
no way so reliable, as to save the heifcr
calves of those cows which show the highest
qualifications for that branch of the dairy
business which is the design of the farmer
to pursue.
Where the leading object is beef, we are
of the opinion that those farmers have
made the most money, who have bought
animals at the best age for fattening, and
then made beef of them in the quickest
time compa able with economical feeding.
To succeed in beef-making the farmer must
be a good tratiioer. We have known farm.
ers possessing the latter qualifications,
make handsome fortunes by buying up
cattle, feeding them until they were i'll
good condition for beef, and then selling to
drovers, or shipping to market themselves.
Those sheep husbandmen who rely upon
mutton as well as wool profit, generally
succeed best. Every flock will show some
animals that have tendency to wool and
others to flesh; let a .judicious assortment
be made, and every animal devoted TO that
purpose for which it Is best suited, and the
farmers gain will be increased proportion
ally.
Seine farmers succeed well in horse
breeding but in this business it is very
important the .tdrmer. as well as the farm,
should he adapted to the business. He
must understand the Horse aud how to buy
trade and sell him. Some men would sell
a colt for so per cent. more than others
would.
Upon the whole, we think stock farm
err requires more tact and intelligence than
grain farmer. He should possess, in addi-
ton to a knowledge of the best way to
grow grass and grain an intimate acquaint-
ance with the nature and habits of animals.
After all, probably those farmers are
uniformly most successful, whose farms arc
adapted to both grass ;tud grain, however,
we distinctly say: that no country dweler
need think himself man of taste who
does not adopt one or the other of these,
either Thoroughbred" or Of sufficient of
the breed in their composition to mark
them distinctly from the 60 common cat
tie of the country, and shows that he is 4
man of taste i'll the selection of his cows
A mean looking COW on highly cultivated
country place is an absolute disgrace to its
owner-C0r american Stock Journal.