The Osceola times., 1876-10-28
UuprOntabic Farming.


Farmer writers, who give expressions
of experience, are very much more
ready TO relate their experience of
success than of non-success still very
much is frequentlygainedb by investigating
the causes which lead to improbable !
farming. Its always preferable to make
all our farm operations pay us profit : |
yet few pass a lifetime on the farm, who, |
if they kept a strict debt and credit ac
count of all farm transactions, upon
review, would not find many more or less |
unsuccessful ventures-some from enc
cause, some from another. Now, these
instances of on-successes, as well as
those other successful ones, form what is
termed experience, and are valuable
teachers for future plans and hopes, and
should be more frequently given TO the
farming public. 1t is just this expert.
ence which may be kept fresh to us and
our successors, and can he obtained in
no other way than by keeping an exact
account and record of all farm operations,
which, when furnished to Others, would
be of great value, by warning them OF
the shoals and quicksahds to be avoided,
and the successes to be improved upon.
| Beginners in farming, coming from other
walks in life, and even young men, bred
/ to the farm but inexperienced AZ head
managers, but more especially those com
ing from other pursuits, having read the
glowing description of the success of ex-
pericnced farmers have their minds
| lured by the charms ofrural life and art
aud by experience are frequently disap-
pointed, whereas had the non-successes
of these same experienced farmers been
set down beside their successes, and also
the reason or oriniluences leading to these, a
valuable chart would have been furnished
to the inexperienced enabling them, in
improbable results in the same line. 1t
is too often the case that experiments in
any thing new are tried by making heavy
investments, instead of trying them ON
small scale, as should be the case and
in farming community unsuccessful
ventures in any new enterprise iniure
ones reputation for Judgment, etc, es-
pecially among n certain class, and it is
frequently brought up against him in af-
Ter life, however successful he may have
been generally, especially if he is too
often termed "book ,armer," and
is using his endeavors to advance
agriculture to its true position among
the arts. 1t is wise and profitable
to experiment carefully, in n small way,
in new schemes which have the sanction
of reason and Judgment, hut beyond that
il can hardly be advised, for any thing
that may "cost more than it brings" di-
vcrts farming from what may hitherto
have been a profitable course. We usu-
ally find those farmers the most success
ful who steadily adhere to the sys-
tenn OF raising such products as the farm
is best adapted to and the markets de-
mand, pushing their efforts To increase
the production from II given area and
diminish the cost of the products. The
actual profits of farming are not us read
lily determined as are the profits of mcr-
chandising. In the latter everything is
bought and sold at n money value-the
merchant counts the interest on capital
invested, rent, cost of labor, etc, and
he breaks up, discharges his clerks, and
sells his stock he has all in an available
form; but with the farmer the result is
less easily arrived at-his business NAV
have been prosperous, but he may have
distracted his profits on crops direct from
the intrinsic value of his land (capitan
and if such is the case, even if the farm
sells for the same he paid for it, il is still
not worth IA much to his successor.
Profitable farming, then, would seem
to include the proposition that all the
land of the farm, and the Improvements
thereon, should increase, or at least not
deteriorate, in productive capability,
while it furnished II fair profit on the la
Dor aud capital invested. This PROPOSE.
tion being true, the following practices
would seem to make farming unprofta-
ble blowing more land than can well be
cultivated and manured; letting the land
get foul with weeds, taking the strength
therefrom, which should go to increase
valuable crops; keeping poor stock
which consume as much food and require
more care than better ones, and finally
sell for very much less money; neglect.
ing to provide suitable grazing, stabing
and shelter in winter, with good whole
some fodder and clean water 10 keep the
stock thriving instead of using up fuel
in the system, already accumulated; /;
neglecting to take proper care of all
farming tools, when not in use, by hous-
ing, cleaning etc, repairing at the first
appearance Of break OF wear; want OF q
well matured system of rotation, by
which the farming may be conducted for
many years in advance, and produced at
less expense TO the soil; neglect, in ex-
pending money in judiciously paying
Improvements Of permanent Kind
H. W. Waite, in Neio Eagioad Farmer.
nesAsss saa rhlnhias Ras,ners.