Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1874-04-16
The Farming Interests.

West Virginia, but at the present time
ar ming is undoubtedly the most Inn
pOrtant pursuit in which our citizens
are engaged, and on its successful
prosecution the welfare ofthe local.
" in a great measure depends
In view Of she great progress be
ing made in the science Of farming
at other points, it would be well for
the farmers of this section to examine
and see if they are up to the require
1aents Of the times.
When We speak Of farmers, We al
lude to that class ofcultiyators Of the
soil who make . business and a study
oftheir profession. We do not In
clude that large class Of miserable
beings, "of all men most miserable,
who take no pride IN their noble pro
tession who look upon it as asimple
refuge from starvation, (and not very
far removed from it, bequeathed to
them by their parents, and followed
because they are not fit for anything
else. although totally unfit for it.
The soil Of West Virginia, in its
almost entire extent, is well adapted
to farming in all Its branches, as Is
generally the case, although the eli
matte influences vary, yet nearly all
staple products flourish equally in all
parts. Wheat, Corn, Fruit, Grass,
these most important Of the husband
mans resources are well adap,el 10 all
parts ofthe State. But it Is too much
the case that farmers take advantage
ofthe liberal hand with which nature
deals out her fayors, and make no use
ofthe advantages science and expert
ence give them.
There are many reasons to urge,
IN support Of the view, that it's the
duty Of the farmers to use every adj
vantage that science gives them in the
cultivation of the soil, one ofthe chief
Of winch is the duty owed by one
generation to the next, to transmit
without deterioration, the advantages
received from nature, and not expend
them layishly, in such q manner is
10 destroy the source from which
they are derived. We have 0urselt
witnessed the most criminal wa>tetul-
ness on the part Of farmers, of ma
aerial that should have gone to enrich
ing the soil, which was instead, per
lnitted toencumber the farmers opera
lions. and then wautonly destroyed 4;
we lave seen immense rick> of straw
LET standing In the field, until il be
came q uuisalce, and then when the
ground was wanted for some other
purpose, burnt up we have seen ma
nwe hcape up around a stable in
the field until it was impossible 90
get in or ont of it, and then stable
and manure left to rot together, aud
new table built in another spot to
undergo the same process in course
Of time.
But th- most serious consideration
j. that there is no inherent property
of restoration in the soil, and by the
continual cropping which is pursued
it's becoming exhausted before ma
ny years It's fertility Will become less
than a. present, and eventually must
cease unless some means are used TO
prevent its destruction; this being
the case, it Is criminal for men 90 de-
stroy their own heritage, when the
remedy is in their own hands. a rem
cdy that viii not only prevent the
evil spoken Of, but viii increase
the value of the land and the crops
and thus pay for itself while being
used.
One of the most important crops,
is wheat; the agricultural statistics
Of the country show that the average
production in West Virginia is not
over 10 bushels to the acre; some
time ago we were in conversation
with a farmer, who said, Il have a
pretty good crop OF wheat this year.
We asked him, how much He
faid "thirty six bushels GLOW
much land?" we asked. Well he
said, about six acres How much
did you sow well, I try to get
IN three pecks to the acre And he
called himself a farmer. The trouble
IA, there are plenty more Just such
who know nothing about the capa-
bilities OF land, who are content to
go on from year to year scratching
over six acres for what can be raised
onone.
And so in corn.--On good land,
vel tiled, co 10 100 bushels per
acre can be raised while by the av-
erage showing OF the crops of West
Virginia very few raise 50 bushels