Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-10-09
AaritnItitraI.

ENGLISH PRIZE FARNINo.-It is not from
Eng lish farmers who merely rent their farms
that we hear the complaint that their business
is not profitable, but from tho owners of Amer
lean farms; yet these English farmers each year
pay large sums for rent, and still larger sums
for permanent improvements upon the land,
from whichthey derive but q temporary benefit.
At the sametime we own our lands,in our esti-
mate ofprot the interest on cost rarely enters in
TO the calculation as charge upon the receipts;
yet the complaint Is general that our farming
does not pay. Possibly there may DO some
thing in our want Of good management, and
comparison with the methods followed by some
English farmers who have been competitors
for the prize of $500 offered by the English
Royal Agricultural Society, might help to point
out the weak spot. The farm which was award
ed the prize was one occupied by Mr.. W. G.
Walgate, OF 400 acres, Of which 100 are In grass.
His rotation is one Of FIVE years. viz: turnips or
other roots spring grain (wheat oats, or barley,
clover, wheat and oats, or peas and beans. The
\ stock conss is Of 100 heavy long sheep, or
as many more as may be needed to consume
the roots; large numbered pig, many Of which
| are purchased for fattening, and not reared up
| on the farm; 40 bullocks for fattenng, and IL
| horses. The labor cost SIS per acre. All the
| manure made goes TO the root crops, with 600
pounds of bone dust and 400 pounds of super
phosphate per acre in addition. The eonsunp-
ton OF oil cake aud other purchased feed Is I'M
mense the bullocks eating @ pounds day
while grazing, with pounds Of meal per day
added when finally fed on turnips; the manure
/ is, therefore, very rich. The wheat Is sown In
drills inches apart, and to 10 pecks per acre
of seed is sown. This crop is horse hoed, also
hand-weeded. The clover fields are sown with
IA pounds Of white and pounds of red clover
seed per acre, with little Rib.gfass Marrow.
leayed Plantain) mixed. This farm is said "a
have been evidently under profitable manage
ment, and on no other farm was their such al
excellent stock in the fields. Mr.. Walgate has
been tenant of this farm for 70 years, and has
built the greater portion Of the farm baildpg,
himself. One of the other farms was admired
for its neatness both around the farm in,
and the fielts. The report says more charm
ing garden, tidier fields, bett er roads, and NOR,
perfect fences were never seen. The other o
t the three farms competing was managed In
; similar manner to the prize farm, but the spe
cal object OF admiration was a maguifcen
wheat field.
Now In comparing the condition and man
agement OF these farms with that of the eehers
| run OF our farms, there are a few leading point
4 of difference. They are the root culture. Ii,
e eral feeding Of cattle and production of rio
Q manure, clean cultivation Of even the ybea
$ crop, heavy manuring at the commencement
r the rotation with two hoed crops in succession
y beans (Which take the place of our corn) an
turnips, and clover crop between the two sma
r, grain crops. The abundance of labor is rel
IS dered necessary by the system OF management
Ii II is rot necessary to point out wherein we II
< short IN any respect; it speaks for itself. Tie
y Is nothing here impossible of achievement |
it any American characterization A0ricuit
( | riSt.