The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-07-04
sUFFIELD.

| LOcAicoPo-e-4C-AScsl
Sir II take advantage of apleasan'
rainy morning to write little Of
"what know about farming Busi.
ness called me north for a few days
and, as ] travelled in that direction,
could not but contrast the general ap-
pearance of the different Townships.
Ii seems to me thar our southwestern
township of Portage county viii COM
pare favorably with anything in that
direction-I mean, of course, in an
agricultural point of view. Our wheat
and oats look really well, and corn is
improving; bnt, as go north they
tell me that grass is king, and thought
he was mighty jealous desrot, for he
| don't allow much of anything else to
find place in his deminions. Some
three years ago, / noticed a remark
made by Western Reserve farmer,
writing to an Agricultural Paper, that
raising grain and paying. hired help
don't pay, and 20 prove his assertion,
he says they tried il, and founda to
their cost, that raising ten bushels of
wheat to the acre, thirty of corn, &C.,
did not pay, and believe SO too. 1t
man can't raise more than ten BUSH
els of wheat or thirty bushels of corn
to the acle, think, surely, it does not
paw, and that man wonld do better
peddling wooden nutmegs.
But he says cheese making does pay,
and tkat well. He says he don't wish
to get into long argument on the
subject, but the face of the country
looks much more beautiful than where
the land is torn up and cropped.l,,I ]
must acknowledged that am not much
of a poet, / suppose that is why Ican't
see it in the same light !; but do think
that our heavy waving grain and clo-
yer fields appear quite as beautiful as
his cheese farms.F Let Fus see where
the beauty comes in. In the Spring,
while we are plowing our sandy soil,
with dry roads and dry fields. and
preparing the land for spring crops,
our northern men are trying TO pull
their boots out loflaelag1mHd.f What
appears terrible tough. | noticed an
other custom prevailing among the
farmers north which helps 20 abeautify
the face of the country, that is, an in
genious continuance for disposing OF
manure. They make three o.. four
holes in the siding of the cow-stables
and shOye the refuse of the cattle out
through said holss, where il is left in
piles against their buildings, to purify
the atmosphere of the stable, | sup
pose. When they are taken away q
most poetical impression is left In the
shape of beauty-spots to set off the
farm buildings to advantage, and to
beautify the face of the country. X
Now for the paying part of the
question. 1 have conversed with sew
eral .dairymen they tell me that thev
can't keep oyer twenty cows on hum
dred acres Of lapd, and st6ats the aVep-l
age is not over forty dollars each sea-
son, making eight hundred dollars
He will have to make forty tons of
hay, which will cost at least eighty
dollars. Considering the capital in
and keeping up fencee, it WouId not
appear that making cheese paid very
big. BUTT is said that dairymen don't
work as hard, and have (bstter lines
in general than we have. We get 1t
in such style as this: The dairymen
get up in good season in the morning,
milk the cows, get breakfast, then
hitch up pair Of high pressure cheeae
horses and take the milk 20 the factory,
Then, the business of the morning be-
ing over, he finds time to loafa couple
ofhonrs, talk politics, &C., till evening. |
/ hope it Is not 80 bad as reported. IfI
] have exaggerated In the above, / |
must apolonize for my ignorance in !
that line of business and will be glad |
TO hear from any of the above men,
toned geptlemep through the, Press.
II deserve fitting 7 VIII fake il in |
good nature, and give little. mare IN
return, Y, '.3a,s1 ~ ' 1.i.ssI RovER.H !
SUfield, June "a, 1872, 4. Z 's',i'',i ..s4.., 5