The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-07-30
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Progressive Farmers.


little more fertile every year, anC
their richest land little more pro
ductiye, rather than rctrograding If
fertility. There is such q thing q.
progressive agriculture. and no doubr
every ambitious farmer cherishes {
growing desire to be able to present
the unmistakable and tangible eyi
dence that ne ready merits the ap
peIIation Of progressice farmer
Every magnanimous enterprise,
like rousing sermon must have a
beginning. a good middle, and bet
ter ending. Hence. to be an excel
lent fruer or gardener, one must
entertain ~ clear views of the OBJ
jects to be accomplished; ~ he
must have a complete understanding
Of the requirements, the means and
facilities for accomplishing the des-
ired end ~ he must understand the
fertilizing resources Of his land, and
It's adaptation to the production OF
certain crops; al he must be so
much Of an agricultural chemist as
to be able to determine in regard to
what particular elements of fertility
in which his soil is deficient, and
then mast know how to supply them
in an economical manner; o. he
must be so well versed in mechani-
cal agriculture that he will be able to
manage his manual operations in
such manner that the wages Of two
or three laborers shall not be absorb
ed lip performing what should be
done by one man only. There are a
score or more essentials which can
not now be alluded to. let rs par
tieuiarize briefly on some of the
leading topics Of each division Of
this subject.
I Progressive agriculture does not
consist in an expensive and commo-
lious villa, costly and spacious out
buildings, expensive fences, elabo-
rate ornamentation and extensive
rural embellishments, notwithstand-
ing al such appliances are desirable
in their appropriate places. Solo
mon has given us one Of the wisest
and most judicious agricultural max
inns Of any ancient or modern writer
on the cultivation Of the soil In
Proverbs xiv: p, he writes =
Prepare thy work without, and
make it fit for thyself in the field,
and afterward build thy house, If
one has access to a treasury, on
which he may draw to defray all ex-
penses at any time, he may build,
ornament and embellish at the same
time when he is improving the fertil-
ity Of the soil. But when one must
depend solely OH the resources of
the farm, it is necessary for him to
forecast his plans and compute his
expenses, and thus ascertain what
can be done daring one season to-
ward improving the productiveness
of his cultivable fields. By judicious
planning, work can be performed at
the proper period, and much may be
accomplished during the autumn and
winter months, when labor is com
paratively cheap.
2. A farmer who would be success
ful should have his trade so well
learned that he will make no mistake
in cultivation. He should know ex-
without mourning the expense
Of an xperiment-what kind of
Plows, harrows, cultiyators and other
field implements and hand tools will
be required. AS blowing is the
grand means on which all farmers
must rely for the thorough pulver-
ization of the soil, it will be found
Of far greater Importance to be an
expert plowman than good GRADER
or mower a portion of the farm,
or parts of certain fields, may need |
draining; or some entire fields may !
require the adoption Of a system of /
Thorough draining parallel drains,
twenty, thirty or more feet apart, |
over the entire field. Relieving wet
land Of the super-abundant moisture,
constitutes the stepping-stone to
successful system Of progressive
agriculture.
3. In some soils, certain clements
e fertility are wanting, while in 9TH
ers tlo desired elements are there,
although not in an available state to
promote the growth of crops. In +
uany States where sand predomi-
mates IA the soil, the sources Of fer
tility may be in distant mari pit.
in the clay banks and in the muck
deposits, while on many other farms
the fertuizing atoms are in the soil
so securely locked up in the indura-
ted particles, that nothing is requir-
ed only the introduction of such a
system of farm management as viii
develope the fertility. One of the
most economical ways to do this is
TO pillow and puIverize in the most
thorough manner, cultivate such
crOps rs are adanied To tho coil