Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-06-25
How TO Bring mp Fertility ON Exhausted
Land.


In Connecticut, especially, it is said the
soil is run down to the lowest poverty.
Inquiries arc frequent respecting the means
10 regain plant food aud there arc Du.
morous varied methods recommended; but
some would cost more than buying good
soil: others would loso the purchaser any
benefit for two or three years, and the
growing Of clover. the favorito idea now,
cannot be Of much use to pillow in, because,
oven with plaster ashes, etc, to start it,
there is 10 stamina TO produce any quantity.
In England il is the usual and almost uni.
yersal practice TO fetch up any light soil
which has been exhausted, by using the re.
liable fertilizers for roots and eating them
on the ground With sheep, which, to further
enrich their droppings, they will feed with
grain; but the consumption Of roots 10 this
way is not understood IN America, and the
New England climate would only permit
Of its being done in the autumn; aud as
sheep and hurdles or other means Of dis.
tributing the manure aud urine are not at
hand, this will not be adopted and thus
other courses must De rc,oriod to.
With all respect TO those who are 80 10
favor Of ploving under clover, that must
5c grown Grst, and any exhausted soil will
not grow enough to do any good, therefore
when by other means clover is produced
the roots arc sufficient for the food Of the
ensuing crop without sa 'riic'ng that which
would be worth $50 or more per acre as
hay
When land has been completely worn out
blythe straining Of the muscles and the
studied direction Of every contrivance cma.
mating from the brain Of men whose whole
thought is employed in turning every par.
iicle Of support within reach into the next
harvest, it requires kind Of reverse in the
management, as foryears it has been sucked,
cultivate aud suck again, and naught is
lcft; thus o reverse system would be for a
man to buy good improving animals, say
sheep, and buy food for them which they
would pay for eating aud by keeping them
on this poor land it would soon become
rich
Mr.. johnson, who is SO often referred to.
continually bought sheep which we're only
half fat, aud by high feeding not only
gained all the extra weight made, but the
frame which be purchased was worth so
much more, too, because ripe mutton is
worth so much more per pound than lean,
scraggy carcass. Depend upon it, any man
who gets interested in high feeding as a
means Of highly fertilizing his soil, will learn
to buy 10 such localities and markets as to
insure liberal profit; aud good stock
farmer, whether he breeds and works his
own raising through to the butcher, or If
he buys well-bred animals from those who
have not the heart to fatten anything
---.a and there are hundreds who grudge
everything belonging to them even their
own offspring, enough to eat, or at apy rate
Of that which is good-the either the
breeder or the purchaser will do well by
himself and his farm.
Poor, thin men poor, thin cows, sheep,
etc. poor, thin land, poor in pocket and
poor ideas! whereas fertile brain might
make a jolly sort Of man, with contentod
heavy cows aud sheep, good, rich land
pocket well lined and ideas ever flowing to
devise ways Of turning more and more Of
the good things Of the earth into mutton
aud beef, into butter and wool, Sc. Trem.
bling fainl-hearted men cannot be made to
see how much cheaper manure is bought by
fattening animals on the land-A Working
Farmer, in Rural Nev Yorker.