The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1876-11-22
WINTER WORK.

WINTER WORK.
The farmer is the most independent man
In every community. This does not mean
that he has more time 10 idle away than
any other man. The thriving farmer is
never idle. Ia winter he IL preparing for
simmer; and in summer he is preparing
for winter. The principal winter work on
farm is .repairing fences.and making man
ure. For the last ten years, little atten-
tion has been paid to making repairs Of
any kind. aud most Of our farmers have
depended upon the market for their fertili-
zers. The bad results are too evident.
Farms arc generally 10 dilapidated condi-
ton; and whilst the crops have not iDcreas.
ed any great deal BY the use Of commercial
fertilizers. the lands have been exhausted
very rapidly. This Is nothing more than
what Ne might have expected. Most Of
the commercial fertilizers are nothing but
stimulants. They energise the productive
properties Of the soil. For this they are
admirably adapted. II is evident. both
from the nature Of these fertilizers, and il
has been demonstrated BY actual experi.
ment, that commercial fertilizers dv not
enrich land.
What most Of our lands. which have
been cultivated for numb,r Of years.
most needs. Is vegetable matter. The
vegetable matter that vas in them when
they we're first begun TO be cultivated. has
been worked out o. them By constant till
age. and washed out Of them b. the rains.
IL IS easier 20 return vegetable matter to
these exhausted lands than il l. 10 clear
fresh lands; and Il Is also much cheaper.
We bare no difficulty in pointing out
~hat Is reqnirsa 10 be done. but the man
ner IN which il mast be done mast be
len to the Judgment Of each individual far
mer. Wa have often thought that one
hand might be probably employed. yearly
On each tuo-horse farm, IN hanliBg waste
rege.abls matter. such ss leaves and rot
Ten timber. and hsaping the whole mass
up IN convenient places 70 decompose. The
decomposition may Be greatly FASTENED By
adding line. This will also odd 10 The
vslus q The manure. Ii Is clear that no
farmer is able 70 manure, in this way. bis
whole plantation 10 one, or even two years |;
but II the procesis iep, up. year after
year, his plantation viii he kept from xesr-
ing oat and becoming worthless.
There sill. IN oil probability. be les
eommercisl fertilizers used in tAe future
than Doe been used 10 the past Our far
neu must stop doing TOO things or they
riIl ultimately cone % ruin. They must
stop Eivise liens ou their crops, and they
Das SOP buying % much commercial
fertilizers. In their place. all the CON-
Insrcisl fertilizers IN the markek are good
and vzluzbls. an other rmds, these CON.
psrcial fsrtilisen are good Cor what they
sre really designed. end that : simply %
stinulsts sisgrish soils. Never can our
exhsasssd ls1ds b restored By The use Of
tbese eounercisl fertilizers; bat By broad
casting the>s falling lsnds. With asy decay
ina vegetable matter. ssd thea making
jgaisions application Of some these com
nercisl fertilizeFs. onr crops mar be in
creased fhrse-fold. whilst our expenses will
be resoced belou vtzt they are al present.
Another item 81 uOrk appropriate for
winter. IL the reslsiming bottoms. There
j. sesrcsly plasfstion ID eur sosotry bat
has more good lasd lying xasts Than The
owner u able properly % sultivate. These
sopsiss of brapcb bottoms. which. through
neglect. have beeb suffered 10 grow up With
krisrs aud trees. Vegetable natter has
been scesnlsiisg % The los grounds for >
namber u yeaFs. and tbsy ere Dyw rich
some af tbess brsBeh bottoms may be small
sod many a them will require. besides The
removal q the bsier<, sssss asd trees, 70
be ditched. The wet psacet must be drsin-
ed and ditcbed. must be cut 10 - TO pre-
vent the water from abe hills overlooking
she cool lands. TIE retaining of al
sBA lands may he easeted With less COS.
and les labor han clearing forest lands.
and generally. tLsJ are fer more prodnc-
five. These grOsn-sp brs0ch bottoms are
generally fenced 10 hence. no feDcs u 70
bs made. Tia 10 No small item 10 The bill
~ expsn~e. IL sssus strange that farmers
d. noi. 10 walking over their farms. discover
that iLsy are working the poorest lsBds on
their Tlautafions. Large plats are covered
With briers. which indicate rich and lively
soil. These vl4ss nay be cleared daring
Che wintsr. Such course would be true
economy.
No small part Of The winter vek q
ever farmer d 70 70 manage BIZ dopsstie
snims.s that they may make 70 gress . re.
tara - possible Cor The expense o. keeping
them. To Do TIM. ssery coz ard ssH
shouId Ne hest IN he ~, Or IL nmsIl, -