Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-06-06
Losses of Farmers.


Farming. like manufacturing and com
merrial enterprise, is subject 20 elemental
contingencies, against which no care or
foresight can shield him. In the ease OF
the latter, the labors and accumulations
Of years are sometimes swept away in II
few hours by fires. floods, ar adverse
gales OH the ocean or interior seas; in the
former by extreme idity, UNDUE moist
NE at critical seasons Of vegetation or
plant growth or by untimcly FROST
These are losses against which no pre-
cautions can Guard them but there are
Others 10 which farmers are subjected,
which are traceablc to their own remiss-
ness. Thus:
First.-In consequence of n lack OF pre-
paralion for each division OF farm work
in the season OF il. II when the time for
removing the winter accumulation OF ma
nure. preparatory to spring blowing. ar
rives, no vehicles necessary tor the re-
moving of the former, or instruments es-
sential TO the execution OF the latter are
prepared, delay necessarily occurs. con-
Sequeutly the business of one period is
thrown forward upon that which should
be devoted TO other purposes. This is
loss, and sometimes very serious one to
the farmer
Second-A farmer may have every
thing Seasonably prepared for work and
still tail of securing possible and desir-
able results from n lack OF system in APP
propriating the several sections of his
farm to the crops to which they are best
adapted. Mistakes made here are Gel
tain to entail loss on the cultivator which
n little seasonable consideration would
avoid.
Third--The farmer who lets his work
get the start OF him in the spring, there
by constituting il the driver instead ct
the driven, will be pretty sure OF an un-
comfortable summer and crop result
anything but satisfactory. 1t is only by
keeping ahead OF farm claims. or fairly
abreaS. with them, that loss can be avoid
ed.
Fourth-In the management OF manure
mistakes are sometimes made 10 the det-
riment of the land, and consequent di-
minution OF profit to the owner. A sam.
pie case in point; A farmer had piece
of ground designed for brag crop Of
corn; and drew upon it and placed in
heaps liberal supply of barnyard ma.
nure, for the purpose OF being plowed
under. 70 forward business the manure
was spread in advance OF the arrival of
the teams and plows. The owner, hay-
Ing other Irons in the fires. wanted the
teams for other purposes, and the result
was that the manure was exposed - the
action OF the sun for two days. with the
thermometer marked eighty degrees, the
ammonia escaped into the atmosphere,
leaving parched mass with but a little
OF its original vitality remaining in it
here was direct loss-a sample of ma
interchangeable to lack of economy in
the application OF labor in the deposition
of manure The right course, in this
case. would have been to let the fertilizer
remain intact, till the plows were ready
to start. and then TO have spread but a
little in advance of the implements. In
this way the ammonia, instead of ascend
inc into the air, would have been retain
cd in the soil, affording plant food in the
proper season for il.
The foregoing are but samples OF the
losses sustained by farmers for want OF
conformity to the true principles of hus-
bandry and sound farm economy.