The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-09-07
FARMERS COLUMN.
RENOVATING AN EXHAUSTED
FARM.

GLOW can [ renoYate an exhausted
farm. without manure, with but little
stock and little money!" is the substance
Of many inquiries and many articles IN
the agricultural press And these 1nqul-
rios are not make believes-they are
realities. and the instances cited do really
exist. We are acquainted with many
rundown farms occupied or owned by
men in poor circumstances, who have
hnt limited means for farm improve
ments and yet who would, if it were
reasonably possible, put in force some
nlan that would increase their income
and render their farms more productive.
Perhaps briet statement Of what one
farmer did actually accomplish under
similar circumstances, may contain sug
oestions that others can turn to their own
BENEFIT, Tt was related to us not long
since nv q hard working farmer, now en-
loving the competence he has SO we'll
earned, and the statements were the re
snIt of his own experience.
nv force of circumstances he found
himself in possession of a naturally good
hnt "terribIy skinned" farm. The hay
had been sold off, year after year, and in
consequence, but little stock had been
kent. and as there was no manure, no
boed crops Of anv amount had been rails
ed IN brief, the farm was way down.
II cut. the first season he went on to it,
lust five small loads of hay, against from
twenty to thirty tons when In It's best
condition years previous. Fortunately,
he took possession OF it in the spring;
but unfortunately he had but little stock
and no money He commenced turning
70 hi
words. "tLere is great manurial value in
old grass roots'-a truth which more
farmers ought to find out by actual trial
He broke from three to I'VE acres per
wear of the worn out moving tields-so
exhausted they would hardly pay for
going over with a scythe. The course
was TO break up, sow oats for FODDER,
seed down, NOW one year and then go
over the same rotation. In the course of
a few years the land had by this system
got in so good heart as to bear keeping
1p two or three years. By sowing oats
in this way for fodder, he was enabled TO
keep some stock the first winter, with the
aid of the small amount Of hay cut, some
roots and corn.
Together with this plan of proceeding,
one Of his first operations was to purchase
two sows, and engage in breeding swine.
He hauled muck into the barn yards and
hog wards, kept the pigs at work, and
besides selling some pork and making
enouoh for the wants of his own family,
had the first fall very liberal quantity
of suDerior manure with which to top
dress a field that had apparently been
cropped less than some Of the Others
The next having season this field yielded
4 verv good crop. By this course a good
start was obtained, and in years immedi-
atelv following that upon which he first
took charge of the farm, his crops in
creased in amount in proportion to the
quantity of manure applied, and as his
means of feeding the land become more
extensive; his land in return gave beau
tifuI crops. But the same course was
followed through a number of years, as
was adopted at first Grass roots were
turned under, enc or stwo crops Of hay
taken off, and the land was again ploWed
up. Muck contributed to the bulk and
value of the manure heap, and every
means for making and saving manure
was adopted In ten years the farm cut
forty tons of hay, and by good manage
ment has continued until now, being re-
0arded one of the best farms in KennebeC
County.
This is a plain account Of what one
farmer actually did in bringing up to a
high degree of fertility run out farm
and that too with no capital to begin
with but willing hands, energy and a
shrewd Judgment It is what any one
else of similar capacities, placed in a
similar situation and employing similar
means. could bring about. And from our
observation in different portions of the
State, we judge there are many like
farms that only need to be put under
such treatment to yield good crops, and
by the returns astonish those acquainted
with them. We wish the trial might be
extensively made, and the results duly
reported for the encouragement of poor
farmers passing shiftlefs existence on
skinned farms "-M0i7ae Farmer.
#-e CO.
THE SENSATIONS OF AN EXPLOSION
An old miner who has experienced explo-
sions, thus describes them: AS soon as
the explosion occurs, it drives like a
whirlWind and with force enough to
carry any weight before it in the direction
Of the nearest vent. In going it sweeps
along the ceiling, tearing away props,
orattices, and everything else, even the
pillars of coal The unfortunate miner
who may be within its influence in
sinctively throws himself fat upon the
ground. Before he can rise the gas has
eacountered the body of air moving in an
opposite direction They came together
with an elastic shock sufficient to change
the direction of the gaseous tornado, and
back it comes with rush, lifting the
miner and finging him probably a