Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-02-07
Carrying all tho Parts in Farming.


small may be their farms.
Carrying ali tho Parts in Farming.
Rotation in farming is understood
as an established necessity. This
with respect to crops, and the dairy
is also included. With the latter
may be put sheep. This even
where the land is more favorable
where it may readily be worked and
the soil is rich. In this case many
farms do without sheep, sheep being
put on hilly and less accessible
land. Sheep are probably here the
most benefit. But they will add to
the income and benefit of any farm.
All the branches, at least as a gen
eral thing, should be prosecuted
This, for one thing, to meet all the
markets. If one or more fail, an
other may succeed; some one or
more products will always succeed,
either in growth, beng affected by
the season or otherwise, in the mar
ket.
1t is seldom, if ever, that all pro-
ducts fail, both in productiveness
and price. Wool and mutton and
sheep, in consequence, have been q
loss to the general farmer for years
until now recently. The fruit crop
the present year is in the same con-
dition, so are potatoes, so are some
other products. Wheat is in de-
mand; so is wool and mutton and
sheep and other products. Thus
the products of the farm are tluctu
ating, and this yearly to greater
or less extent. TO prosecute one or
4 few branches alone is very risky;
ruin is often the result. With the
dairy this has less force; yet for the
past few years there has been loss;
loss with inferior and less properly
managed herds. Wheat was dis
couragement, now it begins to look
up again. Thus changes are con-
stantly occurring. We need not
point out the folly of being govern
ed by these changes; and yet this
is done. There are two ways to take
advantage Of the changes. One is to
carry all the branches (Which eli
mate and soil will admit; the other
is to thoroughly prosecute what is
done-better culture, better stock,
better treatment. During all the
time of the low price of wool and
the loss in sheep, there were those
who made it pay. They had good
lambs and a near market, and Sc
cured good tleeccs from their we'll
kept flocks, and their mutton being
of good quality, commanded fair
price; the whole put together show
ing fair profit on the outlay; and
when the times changed and wool
and mutton were in high demand,
they met their golden opportunity;
they did not need to buy and then
run the risk Of fall in the price
So with all kinds of produce of the
farm. The best always finds sale;
and if largely produced, on judi
cious outlay, can not help but re-
munerate when good market is
readily accessible.
Cattle and sheep should be kept
as well as the other usual stock of
the farm. Poultry on small scale
can be made to pay well. The
same may be said of swine. But
there must be good breeds and good
treatment; hap-hazard will not do.
What farmer can not have place
set apart for fifty OF hundred hens?
And if no more than a dozen, or
twenty sheep are kept-the best
kind, carefully fed and attended to,
each sheep averaging its lamb or
more, and often first quality as to
size and condition, the amount and
quality of wool to correspondence
cannot see that here is nice little
income with a fair percentage of
profit? You can make much or lit
tie out of a sheep. You thus have
your lambs to sell, your wool, your
eggs. porker or two, good surplus
Of butter from few cows-you have
your oots, your wheat, your corn,
your clover, and cornstalks to feed,
and timothy to sell; you have some
clover seed to dispose of, some APP
pies may be other fruit, grapes, ber-
ries, vegetables; you raise calf or
two, you raise in fine your own
stock. You thus have n chance for
a perfect rotation, extended or va
ried at pleasure. Your clover en-
riches your soil; so do your pasture
and meadow properly managed;-
your corn improves your land. In
word, you have an interest in the
market Of every farm product, and
you can not fail to get high price
for some of them every year, and
loss on no one with proper atten-
ton. Do what you do in the best
way, then you will ride the top of
the wavc.-E. g., IN the Utica Her.
aid.