Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-02-14
The Art of Farming.

4 man possesses a farm, the land being Of
average fertility, which medium state means
il is half worn out or only exhausted Of half
its plant food, and thus has the power of
growing half o crop. If this man goes on
lowering the condition Of the land, he is
bad farmer if he does not weaken the soil
further, nor improve its capahiity to grow
heavy crops he will be non-progrossive one
"a kind of mlk-and-water farmer but if he
manages so as steadily to increase the fruit.
fulness of the whole extent, till, in the cud, 10
becomes sufficiently rich to grow as heavy
crops Of every variety as can be brought to
perfection, he is good farmer, and one the
country should honor be has not hidden his
talent under a bushe Iii easier to farm well
than Ill. The man who makes two blades OF
grass grow where one only grew before, and
makes every other kind Of produce double,
too, is happier man than the one who plods
on, doing neither better nor worse than the
average while the miserable mortal who
impoverishes his land must feel how dograd-
ed a position he stands in, and his mind must
sink lower and lower with his property. If
a report Of every farm through every parish
in the Union was made once in seven years,
and the improvement, the impoverishmcnt, or
the non-improvemcnt Of each was published
it would give the country at large better
idea Of what is going on in agriculture. 1t
is no use denying facts, and the truth is,
starting from the East the land is robbed Of
more than half its fertility, and still as popu-
lation moves on 20 does the oxhDustiug sys-
tenn. If when parish a county, or state,
is half impoverished, a stop can be put TO the
facilitating process, why not stop at the be-
ginning2 Why not reimburse from the start
Land is seldom too rich, and when it is said
to be ain the very highest state Of fertility
what a pity to bring it down, Yet this is
the custom, the fashion, and the example set
by ALL This kind Of policy carried into other
lines Of business, would cause men to say the
guilty parties were insane or fools. Land can
not throw up immense crops on water anc
air therefore il these crops are sold of, the
land is that much the poorer, but science anc
even common experience proves there are
stages at which some Of the productions o
the earth can be taken away when nothing ha
been distracted to cause injury, and If at this
period Of the crops growth it is turned int
manure, the land is benefited without an,
foreign aid Thus by having intervening
crops oil tnlS KIM, lncIt may w AuiuEn sun
one year which will be replaced the next b,
this renovation This is why the four cours
system, or some other suitable rotation, is in
sisted upon III England. Poor land is brough
to be rich, aud good land is kept up on tn
best estates yet there are annually grea
quantities of fat cattle and sheep sold from
these farms, and wool, cheese, butter, &C. con
tinuo to be produced because there is an ar
in doing this so as to improve and increase tn
stamina of the soil. There is no system what
ever in the case, for here is a field of barley
say grown after roots this barley, probab
sixty bushels per acre, takes away considered
from the soil, though being q quick CROWN
grain not so much as other sorts but Glove
follows, having been sowed with the barley
Everybody knows when clover is cut youn
the ground is benefited by producing it Their,
fore, if it is moved twice and each time whc
coming into full bloom, there will be from ii
two mowings tons per acre Of matter to !
manufactured into manure, which has ne
weakened the land it grew on consequent
this is a renoyating crop and has done MOI
in adding fertility than the barley did in sub
tracing next comes wheat, and that take
more away than the barley did, but thei
comes the intervening root crop, which put
far more into the soil by being consumed tina
the wheat has taken out and so this cas-.
plain system is a fair exposition of all thos
which are devised to enable farmers to max
money while sustaining their land.--Countr
Gentleman.