Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-03-26
Cleanliness In Farming.

A sloven is never good farmer. No
matter how industrious he may be, or
saving Of time and money, if due regard
is not paid to cleanliness very great sue
cess will never crown his efforts. We, VT
course, do not allude TO the person of the
farmer, for that is his own business;
whether he ever takes q bath or combs his
hair is nothing to us, nor does 1t concern
the principles we wish to inculcate or the
errors we would warn him against at this
time. But clean farming is the great feat
ure in successful farming, and the man
who neglects to keep his fence corners
clear of weeds is off the track, and the
sooner he gets on again the better.
1t may be asked what have a few dead
or live weeds in outof-the- way places to
do with good crops, or what does it mat
ter if there are heaps of old brush, straw,
manure or rubbish lying undisturbed in
the back yards or fields? These do no
harm, it is said, if let alone, and it will
take time to remove or put them out OF
the way Suppose these materials are not
needed for manure or other purposes, are
they really harmless? No; for 1t is in
such rubbish heaps that hundreds OF
species of noxious insects breed and come
forth to attack the farmers fruits, flowers
and grain.
That great pest of corn and wheat in
the Western States, the chinch bug, hi
bernates in winter in heaps of grass,
weeds, and other rubbish, which is found
in greater or less abundance about evey,
arm; also our common squash bugr
which preys upon various kinds OF vines.
Consequently the greater the amount OF
such rubbish about the farm the better the
opportunities for the increase OF these
pests The moths, which are the parents
of the cotton and corn worm, also live
through the winter under leaves, grass
and weeds, which, if burned late in the
fall or early in spring, would destroy i'm
mense numbers Of these destructive IN
sects.
Knowing these facts, the importance of
removing such rubbish and burning over
all waste places must be apparent to ev-
ery farmer. and this is but the first step
in what we would call cleanliness in
farming. Old rubbish heaps of all kinds,
including the undisturbed heaps of barn
yard manure, are the breeding places of
flies of various kinds which annoy us ia
our houses as we'll as the animals in the
barn and fields. 1t is rs important the
barn, stable and all outbuildings should
be thoroughly cleansed once or twice
year as IL Ia to clean the dwell
ing house. Measly pork Is the
offspring of filthy hog-pens. Lice
on fowls, scab ON sheep, scratches In
horses, itch, and various kindred dis
eases are sure indications of uncleanlincss.
Then, again, there are frequently stag
nant pools on the farm which are breed
ing places of mosquitoes as well as MAS
matte diseases. These should either be
drained or filled up, or in some manner
kept clean and pure.
If we visit the dwelling houses of
many of our well-to-do farmers we may
find the cellars fragrant with decaying
vegetables, the odors Of which penetrate
every part of the house, leaving the spores
Of microscopic plants in every crack and
corner from basement to garnet. Perhaps
the good housewife IL at the same time
trying her best TO make good, sweet but
ter, but fails on account of an impure at
mosphere. 1t Is well known TO every
chemist that butter Is one Of the most
powerful absorbents of favors given of
by other substances; hence the often-re.
peated advice TO keep milk, cream, and
butter in clean, sweet rooms. These are
but q few of the many reasons which we
might urge in favor Of cleanliness about
the farm, 30 far as il relates to filth that
must necessarily accumulate in greater or
less quantities unless put out Of the way.
In the same category, although not as
important ON account of health, but
equally SO for profit, we might place the
purity Of seeds sown upon the farm.
Clean seed wheat, rye, oats and other
grain are seldom too highly valued, even
by the most careful farmer. Ii Is waste
Of time to cultivate weeds and foul seed,
to be afterward separated from the grain
and thrown away. The honest miller Is
often blamed for too great shrinkage In