The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1873-03-21
Questions Asked nnd Answered
on Agriculture.

ply with equal force 20 other counties il
the State. The great and paramount
question with the farming classes Of thii
country is, How shall we protect our
selves from the rings and cliques that ar,
preying upon our substance ~ We be
lieve the correct answer is, "Unite.
Organize farmers clubs in every county
and in every precinct in the county
consult and take hold Of the matter IN
earnest affiliate with district, State, and
national associations, and you can declare
your independence, and govern the prices
Of the products of mother earth:
The following series Of questions, pro.
pounded by the Agricultural Bureau,
are answered by the experienced agricul.
turist, Mr.. J. ID. Guthrie. the CORE.
spondent Of that department from this
county. We call the especial attention
of our farmers TO the answers, and hope
to have further communications on the
subject.
/. Is systematic rotation practiced by
any portion Of the farmers of your coun-
tyr fso, what proportion of the whole
number, Of how many years does the
course consist, of what crops, in what
order, and with what preparation Of soil
for eachp
Rotations Of crops are practiced by
nine-tenths Of our farmers from three to
four years; first corn, then wheat or
oats; if intended to be succeeded by clo-
yer, this crop remains on the ground two
years, followed by hemp, if the soil is
adapted to its growth and the price suf-
hciently remunerative; if rye follows
corn, to be fed down to hogs at maturity,
corn will follow. Rye managed in this
way is considered as remunerative to the
soil as two years in clover.
The ground is broken up TO the depth
Of from six to eight inches. narrowed,
and rolled if cloddy. This is generally
the preparation for wheat or corn; frye
or oats after corn, they are put in with
double shovels twice in row, and har-
rowed, IL clover is to follow.
2. With those whose practice can not
in any sense be described as a rotation,
what crops are most grown, with what
preparation, and how many years in sue
cession is any crop cultivatedr
Corn two OF three years, followed by
wheat, rye, or oats; then corn, which
seems to be the principal crop with this
class of farmers. Their soil grows less
productive and less valuable year by
year.
3. What efforts towards soil improve
ments are madeY What fertilizers are
used. and to what extent--commercial,
barn-yard, or green-soilingH Is clover
ing practiced, and, if SO, how and to
what extentI
Very little commercial fertilizers are
used; barn-yard manure is hauled out
ON some favorite spot. Clover and rye
are the main dependence to improve the
productions of the soil.
4. What proportion of your farmers
consume the larger portion of their field
products upon the farm? Give illustra-
tions, with accurate figures, of the COM
parative profit of selling and feeding hay
and grain.
Ninety-nine one-hundredths of the
farmers consume large proportion of
their main crops (save their surplus of
wheat, hemp, and potatoes in feeding
mules, horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs
The market value of corn is thirty cents
per bushel, hay fifty cents per hundred
pounds. One bushel of corn and forty
five pounds of hay will be ample food
for a bullock three days, which ought to
increase his weight six pounds, or thirty
cents in value; and two hogs following
to pick up the droppings would increase
in weight twelve pounds, or forty eight
cents in value, making difference in |
favor of feeding of twenty-five and a
half cents on every bushel of corn and 1
forty-fve pounds of hay.
If corn is fed to hogs alone at the
present market value of each, the differ
enoe is not so great. 1t will take fifteen
bushels OF corn, worth four dollars and
half, to increase the weight of healthy
hog one hundred and fifty pounds, or its
market value six dollars-a difference Of
ten cents per bushel in favor of feeding.
b. What branch of farming las the
growing of corn or wheat, the raising of
stock, or production of wool or meat,
lairying, fruit-growing, market-garden-
ing, etc., is at present deemed most
profitable, and whyS
In interior counties like this, adapted
10 the growth of clover and bluegrass,
md distant thirty miles from a large
stock raising is more profitable
han any other avocation on the farm;
his would include sheep, were il not for
he inroads of worthless curs; it requires
less outlay for labor, less risk, and more