The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-03-11
evening State auarnal.
TUESDAY EvEN'G, MARCH II, 1873

SPHINX 10 bOiiiiifdity lciCs lhC AAclu lb
bors of the year will soon commence, ant
we should see that everything is ready fol
energetic, systematic work. How to make
money by farming is the great question
There are two ways of getting rich. One
is to spend less than you earn; and the
other is to earn more than you spend. Ii
may be thought that this is distinction
without difference; but such is not the
case. The farmer who aims to save fifty
cents out of every dollar he gets is very
different man from the farmer who aims to
get Sl.50 instead of S1.00. One saves
Just as much money as the other. But the
latter has just twice as much to spend as
the former. And it will make quite DIFF
ference to farmer and to his family, and
to the community in which he lives, wheth-
OF he spends $500 or $1,000 year or still
more whether he spends 50, 900 instead Of
81 900. The distinction we make. there
FORE is one worth considering. We be-
lieye in economy but we believe still
more in work.
When John Johnston was blowing one
hot day in his summer fallow, butcher
came to buy some cattle. Mr.. j. told
him his price and then started the horses,
and the butcher walked by his side. lie
was very fat, and the land was soft and
mellow, and the perspiration soon burst
from every pore. By the time he got to
the end Of the field, he was willing to
''split the difference" Mr.. j. turned in
again, and the butcher still walked by
his side. When they got back to the
starting point, Mr.. j. put in the pillow again
and started the horses. "Hod on john
ston," exclaimed the butcher, "I'll take
um; would not walk up and down that
field again for double the money!" Here
is man who knew his own mind-knew
what his cattle were worth; and above all
he kneo the Ualue of time. He knew that
a man and team were worth 30 cents an
hour. He knew that il he stopped and
went home with the butcher the men work.
ing in. the field would be likely to do less
work while he was gone. An hours idle
talk would probably have cost him so
cents. He was determined to save this so
cents and run the risk of the butcher not
giving what the cattle were worth. And
this affords one reason why Mr.. Johnston
has lived in great comfort, brought up
large family, and made over one hundred
thousand dollars by farming.
Hints About Work.
Make up your mind what you intend to
do. Sit down and count the cost. Do not
undertake more than you can perform. 1t
is unwise to commencework that YOU are not
able to finish in due season. Many farmer
loses more by getting behindhand with his
spring work than would buy another team,
and pay the wages of man for year.
This has, at any rate, been true more than
once in our own experience. Have you
not found it SO /?
What then shall ase do?-Shall we buy
more horses and hire more men? Not if
we can help it. 1t would probably be bet
ter to pillow less land. This is point each
farmer must decide for himself. All we
can say is, do not get behindhand with
your work. Almost anything is better
than this.
The Seasons do not Change. are
quite apt to blame the weather. And yet
it is matter of fact that there is no change
in our climate. There have always been
wet years and cold years and years of
great drouth. We should be prepared for
them.
Undertaking on all wet soils is in
dispensable to real success in farming. A
well-drained and well-worked heavy soil is
rarely affected by drouth. Every enter
prising farmer will do more or less drain
ing every spring. If he once commences
to underdrain, and does the work well, he
will not be likely to stop until he has. made
all his land dry.
TOp-dreSsing Grassland is a grand
means Of ameliorating the effect of drouth.
Spread the manure as early as possible in
the spring, and if you have a Thomas har-
row use it freely to break up the manure.
Go orer the Farm as soon as the snow
melts in the spring. You will see many
things that need to be done. Make note
of them and prepare to do them at the
right time.
Let off Surface Wata.-This is always
in order. Farmers will let it off wheat,
but very few ever think Of letting it off
bare stubble. If there is no crop to kill,
they think it can do no harm. A few
hours judicious labor will often let off more
water than the sun at this season can evap-
crate in o month.
Make your Walks Dry.-Put down
planks or boards if necessary; but it is far
better to get the water off. You can do this
if you attend to the matter before the
water. soaks into the ground.
Irrigating Grassland at this season is
q capital thing, provided the land rests on
Q dry, porus subsoil or is underdrained.
But irrigating low, wet land will do no
good. Better get Oft all the the water you
can, instead of getting more on to it.
Drain first, and then Iirigate. will
double or treble your grass crop and not
injure the quality. There are many
streams that might be easily damned up
and the water diverted over acres of grass.
land at small cost. 1t is mistake to
suppose that irrigation Is OILY necessary in
dry weather. 1t does great good on grass.
land early in the spring. Try it.
Sosv Grass and Clouer Seed on yhea
early in the spring, unless you propose to
harrow the wheat. 1t is seldom that thu
seed is injured by the frost. Do not spare
the seed, and be careful not to miss any
land.
Plaster may be sown at any time wher
most convenient from one to two bushels
per acre is enough. 1t will do no good on
low, wet land.
Repair the Fences. -This can be done a
times when other work is not pressing
say after ram, when the ground is tot
wet to pillow.
Piing Manure should be done, if done
at all, early in the spring. Many farmer,
prefer to draw their manure out of tn,
yards directly on the land. We will no
argue the question here. All we say is
do something with the manure. Either us,