The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1874-02-20
Farm, Garden and Orchard,
srAsoxABLE Farm HINTS.

Cc~cspoadercs Interior Journal
With your permission, | propose &C.
casicnally to jot down few reflections,
by wsy Of suggestions, to the farmers OF
Lincoln; | shall cndeavor TO observe
brcvity, in order to command respect
full reading, as long articles are seldom
read. I would, therefore, call the at
tention Of every farmer 70 the attested
fac, that under the present system OF Ia
Dor, it is impossible to manage farm in
terests in rs profitable a manner as was
done few years ago. Hence | would
suggest change, and instead of culti-
waiting so much corn, sow more small
grain and grass, and cndeavor to get at
least two thirds Of your lands well set in
grass, a. soon as you can with conven.
fence, and when you have succeeded in
getting a good set Of grass, commence at
once to make preparation to save YOU
own grass seeds. IL this was done by
our farmers, as I think it SHOULD be done,
they would soon find that their farms
would not be ovcr-grown with all sorts
noxious weeds, mullen, ETC., as is nov
the case, and as will he the case rs long
as they adhere to the practice of pur-
chasing seeds for sale in the North and
East. You may ask, "How are we to
get start with pure seeds !" l answer,
by going through your fields at the
proper time, q. e.) before those noxious
weeds have matured their seeds, and re-
move and burn every species of them,
and the result will be, you will have an
opportunity to save pure, clean seed to
SOW another year. Repeat this process
when necessary, and keep your seeds
pure and clean" l am inclined TO be-
lieve that Kentucky farmers could soon
learn to raise, save and clean their own
seeds Just as well and as cheap as the
New England States and Ohio. You
may be ready to ask the question,
"What would I've the advantage to us
b, grassing our lands, over the present
mods of corn-raising?' Well, you
could do with less number Of hands,
ard save yourselves considerably on the
scale of unpleasant annoyancies. If a
man hire a number of hands sufficient
ia cultivate large crop of corn, he may
reasonably expect to be annoyed, and
often during the year he will find himself
minus hands enough to operate with sue
cessfully. and thus he freis and scolds.
alto no avail, his crop suffers for work,
and is therefore cut short, and at the
end of the year he foots uphis expenses,
calculates the amount Of corn per acre,
and after deducting expenses he has a
very small pittance left, hardly. enough
in many cases to compensate for the
damages done during The year by washes
made all through the fields, especially if
-slse land isrolling. ns most Of our lands
are in this county. am, therefore, OF
the opinion that you can make your
lands pay better, with less l..bor, less an
noyance, less expense and with decidedly
more pleasure. by raising moro grass,
saving your own seeds, grazing more
stock, selling cattle from grass instead
Of corn feeding, than can be done on the
present system Of farming.
One other suggestion in reference to
our present operations: lnasmuch as the
prospect is good for our country to be
fooled for year or two with quite a
number of laborors, who will he employ
ed OIL our railroads, would it not be
well for the farmers to prepare for a
large crop Of vegetables, such as pota-
toes, onions, cabbage, turnips, etc?
! think there will be considerable de-
mand for these articles. You can make
more on one acre in vegetables well cult
waited than you can on four acres of
corn, and i; will certainly benefit every
farmer who has an orchard, to pay es
pecial attention to his trees, in order to
keep them healthy and vigorous, and
should we be favored with q crop Of
fruit this year, it will pay better to mar
ket it THAI to make it into brandy, aud,
to those who have no orchards, would,
in view of our railroad facilities, suggest
that they plant out an orchard immedi-
ately, and see that they do not get trees
raised North of the Ohio River, while
they have the opportunity Of purchasing
them at home, and from those will take
pleasure in guaranteeing everything true
to name, and adapted to our soil and
climate.
A FARMER.
vy0uderftll I,.Ow (arr;nce