Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-07-19
FIELD AND GARDEN
Ed,,ed by NJ. Il. BATEHAM.
SOWING TURNIPS

use, and the Globe OF Jcssey Navet for
winter. 1t is rather late now for SOW
ing the Ruta-baga or Swedish varieties.
Frequent RAINS have caused some de
lay and damage to the wheat harvest in
this section. The hay crop is largely in
creased by the same cause, and the cut
ting of it delayed. Corn and potatoes
oil fiat lands are suffering from excess
of wet and weeds. Potato bugs are in
creasing rapidly where not attended to;
and the heavy rains have made it neces-
sary to apply Paris green frequently.
PROSPECTS, OF THE GRAPE CROP.-In
view of the failure of the peach crop,
people are naturally desirous of learn
ing what the prospects are for grapes
There will be few or none in this, sec
tion; but in a recent visit to several
VINEYARDS near Cleveland, we found
about quarter of crop of fruit on Con-
cord vines, and n less amount on Hart
ford Prolific-alf others, seemingly an
entire failure, and in most cases the
vines killed to the ground, as Is the case
here; though the cold of last winter, at
Cleveland, was not as severe within ten
degrees or so, and peach trees do not
show as much damage.
In tile western parts of the lake shore,
and on the Islands, we learn there is a
fair crop of Concord grapes, and few
of other kinds, in some localities; but
the excessive rains of late have caused
some indications ofrot and mildew.
SOWING GRASS AND CLOVER IN THE FALL
The question of success or failure il
sowing timothy and clover Immediately
after harvest depends on the quality o.
the ground and the weather. Will
good, rich soil, grass and clover viii
take in spite of very dry weather; bu
with an average amount of rain, they
will be sufficiently advanced to resis
the winter on moderately good soils
We would on such ground, SOW twelv'
quarts of timothy and six of clover, har
rowing the ground well before and afte
sowing. The last narrowing should b.
light. We, on one occasion, succeeded
i'll getting an excellent stand by sowing
after crop of wheat was harvested,
bushel of buekwheat with the grass-seed
and leaving the bnckwheat to be GU
down by the frost. 1t was protection
to the grass from both heat and FROST
Americdn Agriculturist.
WHY FARMERS DON'T MAKE MONEY.
The following, from "Walks an
Talks on the Farm" in the America
AgricuHurist for tile present month,
good reading for the farmers of North
ern Ohio rs well as western New York
Last year the wheat crop of Wester
New York was the poorest we have ha
since / have been on this farm; and thi
year it is worse than it was last yeal
That which was sown early is badly in
jured by the, Hessian fly; and thi
which was sOwn late is thin and poor.
Farmers are thoroughly discouraged
Said one of my neighbors to-day: @
had calculated Oh getting five or 81
hundred dollars for my wheat, but
shall not get much more than the seed.
"You farmers must be getting rich,
said city friend. ''with wheat at $2.2
per bushel, potatoes at $l.15, and ha
$32 per ton"
YES" l said, "farming is splendi
DuoiuCSSs DOIl yOu W Ouy
farm? Farming is not a monopoly.
is not patented. This is free country
If you think we are getting rich you wi
find plenty of farms for sale"
But to be serious, taking the city vie
of the matter, farmers, in this section
any rate, ought to be doing better tina
they are. There are two main reasol
why we are not making money. Firs
the extreme fiuctuation in prices; an
second, the low average crops per aer
There is no remedy for the fiuctuatio
in prices. It depends on causes beyon
the control of an individual farmer.
is not caused to any great extent b
'middlemen,' or spectators, or raj
road monopolies. 1t depends Oh IL
the great law of supply and deman,
Ali that these men can do is to aggr
vate the evil. By refusing to buy Who
the supply is large they. may depre
prices to point far below the. cost
production; and by refusing to Sc
when there is scarcity they may for,
an article up to an eXorbitant rate. b
this is all they can do. Instead of wa
ting our energies in trying to renlet
this evil, it is better to accept the ia
that it mas always existed and alwa
will exist, and act accordingly. ri
real remedy is for a farmer to adopt
and stick to it. At this time last We
potatoes were not worth % cents
bushel, now they are worth over Il dC
lar bushel. Taking one year with a
other. the crop, in favorable localitie
can be made profitable. Make up yo
mind about how many acres it is best
plant on your farm, and plant no mo
nor no less, no matter what the pri
may be. And so with wheat, barle
corn, oats. and other crops. And tt
same is true in regard to raising por
mutton, wool, beef. butter, cheese, et
Adopt 4 system, and stick to it. The
articles will always be wanted, and W
bring prices i'll the long run, in propo
lion to the time, labor, skill capital, III
intelligence required to produce them
The other reason why farmers are Ct
ting such inadequate compensation
their labor is the low average yield %
acre The remedy for this is, to CO
siderable extent, under our control. '
must farm better. 1t is the large ar
of land under cultivation and the lc
average yield per acre that is the CHI
cause of all our troubles. A favoral
season floods the markets with produ
which can hardly be gwen away; an u
favorable season causes high prices, |
we haye nothing to sell. A good f;
mer would have fair crop even in
unfavorable season. If 1 had been
good farmer | should have had 6
bushels of potatoes per acre; but as
was, / had not hundred bushels |
acre-and many of these were too sm
to sell. For the good potatoes l got 81
per bushel, and if 1 had had had :
bushels per acre, and ten Or a doz
acres, l should have had no reason
complain of hard times. AS it IS, l s.
"Hhe weather was so dry that my pc
to crop was Il failure" But, in point
fact, L know that this is not the ex
truth. | had a bad crop because | al
bad farmer. If | was a good farme
should have had a good crop in spite
the drouth. This L know, because
one row manured for mangels,
planted with potatoes, l had a la
yield of large potatoes.
"That is all very WE'LL" says the
con, "but where you going to get "
manurc?"
'In your case and mine, Deacon,
said, ''it is doubtful whether we can
ford to buy any fertilizer except gypsl
We shall have to make more manure
of better quality. TO do this, we III
either buy more grain, bran ,oilcake e