The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-02-02


man possesses a farm. the land be-
ing 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 hall
crops. II this man goes ON lowering
the condition Of the land, he is bad
farmer; IL he does not weaken the soil
further, nor improve its capability TO
grow heavier crops, lie will be nom
progressive onc-a kind of milk-and-
water farmer = but IL he manages SO as
steadily TO increase the frnitiullncss OF
the whole extent, till, in the end, it be-
comes 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; he has
not hidden his talent under a bushel.
1t is easier to farm well than i'll. The
man who makes two blades of grass
grow where only ono grew before, and
makes every other kind Of produce dou-
BILE, too, is q happier man than the one
who pIods on, d0in. neither better nor
worse than the average, while the mis-
cradle mortal who inpoverislles his
land must feel how degraded position
he stands in; and his mind must sink
lower and lower with his property. If
q report of every farm through every
parish in the Union was made once in
seven years, and the Improvement, the
impoverishment, or the non-imprOvc-
ment Of each published, it would lyivc
the country at large, better idea of what
is going on in agriculture.
It is of no use denying facts, and the
truth is, starting from the East the land
is robbed Of more than half Of its fer
tility, and still as population moves on
so does the exhausting system. If when
la parish, county or State is half inn
lpoverishcd, stop can be put to the de-
bilitating process, why not stop at the
beginning? Why not reimburse from
| the start? Land is seldom too rich and
when it is what is said 10 be in the. very
highest state of fertility, whatsa pity il
i is TO bring it down. Yet this is the GUS
tom, the fashion aud example set by all.
This kind OF policy carried into other
lines of business, would cause men 10
say the guilty parties were insane or
fools. Land cannot throw up immense
crops on water and air; and therefore
If these crops are sold oil, the land is
that much the poorer, but science and
lcv,u common experience proves there
are stages at which some of the produc-
lti0ns OF the earth can be taken away
when nothing has been distracted 10
cause injury, and il at this period of the
crops growth it is turned into manure,
the land is benefited Without any for
lcign aid. Thus, by having intervening
crops of li.:s kind, there may be things
sold one year which will be replaced the
next by this renovation. This is why
The four course system, or some other
rotation, is insisted upon in England.
Poor land is brought 10 be rich, and
good land is kept up on the best estates ;
yet there are annually great quantities
of fat cattle and sheep sold from these
farms, and wool, cheese, butter, etc., con-
tinuc to be produced, because there is
an art in doing this, SO as to improve
and enrich the stamina Of the soil.
There is no mystery whatever in the
case, for here a field of barley, say
grown after roots; this barley, probably
sixty bushels per acre, takes away con-
siderable from the soil, though being a
quick growing grain, not SO much as
other sorts; but clover follows, having
been sowed with 'the barley. Every
body knows when clover is cut young,
the ground is benefited by producing II ;
therefore IL it is moved twice and cut
each time when coming into full bloom,
there will be from the two mowings
tons per acre of matter to be manufac-
tured into manure, which has not weak
cncd the land 1t grew on; consequently
this is q renovating crop, and has done
more in adding fertility than the barley
did in subtraeting; next comes wheat,
land that takes more away than the bar.
lev did, but then comes the intervening
root crop, which puts far more Into the
soil by being consumed thar the wheat
has taken Iut, and SO this easy, plair
system is 4 fair exposition Of all those
which are devised to enable farmers q
make money willie sustaining their land
i Country Gentleman.
j rAn entcrprising individual at Green
castle has been selling Mrs. O'Lcary'i
COWS tail At 81 per square inch. Ths
SassrIs,