Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-05-03
IMPROVED MACHINERY ON THE
FARM


FARM.
Every year hereafter in the history Of the
agriculture of this country will show an in.
creased attention given to farm machinery
Not only will this be demanded by the ad.
vance in che pursuit; but it viii be positive.
ly necessary to enable the farmer to meet
the expenses for labor and manure.
When the soil of our State was fresh and
untramped cultivation just deep enough
to XIII the wild growth was sufficient to en-.
sure good crop. The subsoil was porous
and loose to a great depth; the virgin
mould required only to be tickled to laugh
with abundant crops, but many causes have
since cOnspired to render deep culture a
necessity; and to effect this improved
plows are now made, and ere
long improved power will be called
into requisition. Our farmers do not
keep active capital enough. Prof
Cook, Of New Jersey, who has recently
been among the farmers of Europe, asserts
thai the active capital of a farmer should
equal the value of his farm. Mr.. James
Campbell, of England, has Gently tested
the relative cost of blowing by steam and
blowing by horse. In the preparation OF
1000 acres for his best field, he stirred it to
the depth of three feet at 80 cents per acre,
and in order to do this he bought four
steam plOws of thirty horse power each.
For these he expended $4,000, and they
pulverized four acres an hour TO the depth
of three feet. The narrowing was done by
steam, and with this preparation of the
soil he relied with so much certainty upon
making a good yield that be expended
one hundred thousand dollars for machin-
cry to work up his beets into sugar. He
is said now to be feeding $500 veal cattle
and 1900 sheep on the refuse.
OF course we call this high farming, and
a long time must elapse before we can even
initiate our English cousins in these mat.
tiers, but We may advance in the right di.
rection. Work should not be rendered
nugatory by using inferior tools. An axe
that, with given amount of face, will en-.
ter only half as far as a good one
costs the farmer fifty cents every day be
uses it, to say nothing of the imperfect
manner in which the work may be done
The same may be said o.
hoe. The greatest loss of time and O
force, however, is in the use of a bad plow
A ploW that will not scour in the soil, vii
require greater exertion Of dynamic force
to 90 thrGN inches in the soil, than the use
of a light one going six inches. The add
tional three inches of dirt will be a constant
quantity, always on the mould-board, in
cressing the weight of the rlow and di
diminishing its effectiveness. Let our farm
ers and farmers clubs discuss these thing,
nationally. Why employ a man and fur
nish him with an implement by the use o
which he can only do a boys work. Fo
the sake Of economy, it will be vastly bette
10 empty boy and put an instrument il
his land with which he can do a man.
work.
The use of mean tools is very costly
practice, and those who have any doubts
b!POn that point may make the experiment
\ very easily, and satisfy their own judg
ments. Use none but the best and have
the best Of work done and the best result
will as surely follow as the light from tn,
SIM