Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-09-03
agricultural.
Wby Farming Pays no Better.

R. B. Shepard, Mount Vernon, Ind. gives
bis brother farmer the following advice. Ii"
writes: 80 One OF the reas IDS why { rming
pays no better with the majority is simply
this: We raise too few kinds of grain ami
grass, and not enough kinds of stock. The
ia mers that raise nothing but corn and hogs
can never expect to make as much money
the farmer tina. devotes his time to the care
of horses, cattle, sheep. hogs and poultry
al d to the raising of whe t.. corn, clover,
potatoes and fruit The last mentioned far
mer has work for himself and bis teams every
day in the month, and every month in the
year. He has always something that will
bring lair and remunerative price, for il
some of his crops are low others wilt he high
Last year corn was selling in south western
Indiana for thirty cents, while wheat was
worth from 81 90 to 81 so per hushel The
farmer that held both was lucky man. Ii
one did not more than pay the cost of pro-
duction, the other did. Not so with the hog
and hominy farmers. who had nothing to sell
but corn at thirty cents a bushei. which
would MOI more than pay the cost Of produc-
ton. Let us glance at the figures and see
where the nost money is made, in mixed OF
corn farming. Let us suppose that man is
going to plant eighty acres OF corn. The
breaking up of the land, planting, cultiyat-
ing. gathering, and hauling to market will
cost in round numbers; $500, and counting
the interest on the money invested in the
land, and the taxes, the corn farmer will bt
behind in dollars and cents. Not so with
the farmer who raises all kinds of farm
produce. He is cuiElvating twenty acres o
wheat. twenty acres OF corn. twenty Of tim
Oily grass. five of root crops, such as beets,
POTATOES and turnps, ten acres of orchard,
and five acres of other kinds of farm crops,
with all kinds of live stock in proportion
His wheat will yield fifteen bushels per acre,
in AL 500 hu-hels, which al 81 so per bushel.
makes 81 so tor wheat corn, fly bushels
per acre 900 bushels at thirty cents MAX
ing 500; timothy, two tons per acre, 40 tone
in ali, at SIC per ton, 500 the root crop
will vie average ot 200 bust els per
acre, making / 600 busIe els at twe1ty-hv,
cents, equal 60 $3.50 the orchard ought t.
bring IN about $500 year at least TIE
other farm crops | speak Of will bring IL
probably 500. Thus at the end OF the yea,
he has the snug little sum of 50 040 aga,nsi
81 200 If the hog and homIny FARMERS. Be-
sides bis gram, etc., he will have butter anc
eggs, and a lat hog 10 sell during the sum
mer months. We should follow Uni xed farm
w all KIN W that painting corn year afte.
year on the same land is injurious 1t wear
the land out and IN lew Years it Is unit To
cultivation. But If We look to our interest
and follow mixed husbandry, and study GU
rotation Of crops that Is b st suited tor GU
land, and keep IL up, we will J ave land II
better Condition to leave to our ch ddren thai
1t was lett To US. Auot ,er way to max,
farming pay letter Is to drain more. d..
di es, to let # all agnant waite aud IL
s"me cases your crops Will be about double
The last reason | Will give is this: We a
TAI mers IT az too little anu cOnst uuently W.
are b hind the times. | do not mean a
farmers. but the ma JOrity farm the same Wa
their 1athtrs anu granular hers did in OF,
times Wien agriculture Was LOT making a
much Pre- gress as now and was C, LII pdrative
ly IN It's lniaicy. Farmers should study II
tie winter months, and lay plars Tor tn
spring and summer. Read papers of a ster
Ia merit, AID 81 ect such books as Allen
New American Farm Book, Todd's Y ,un
Farm er Manual, liza rir on the Pig, Stone
benge on the Horse, Allen S american C4ttie
Randal's Sheep Hushal dry, and Sander
Domestic Poultry, and then they will Law
library 10 Itself that they en- read ram
days and winter nights. THIS not only prof.
them. but will afford many hours IF pleasur
IN learning ID re about their Iro ess on
raising and eievatIng it. Tals witt tue MA
J'rlty OF farmers, IS now ranking th
lowest down calling that man has eve
KNOWN But lt sh ,uid not be 50; it shou
rank with any other profession. ~. E
HOHieSte0d