Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-11-22
ROW TO FARM.

| When the same is complete.
Row TO FARM.
1t has been cause of astonishment TO
me. says writer in the Cincinnati E1squsrer,
that SO litsae progress has been made by the
mass OF FARMERS in the way of improving
their methods of farm management. AS
the earth is the basis of supplies for the hui
man family, the great source from which all
his bodily wants are supplied, it would seem
that his own interest would lead him to
study carefully the resources and capabilities
of the soil; to carefully note what sub
stances plants feed upon; to study tire ef-
fects of drouth and moisture, and to expert
ment in the way Of hybriazing plants and
improving them by careful selection of seed.
We should also expect him to study the diff
ferent domestic animals that are to consume
the crops grown on the farm, and to select
from them those best adapted to the pur-
poses for which they were intended, and
then to carefully experiment with different
kinds of food and different methods of pre-
pairing it tor them.
In addition to this, he should be wide
awake business man, keeping an account of
the expense of growing every crop produced
on the farm, and posting himself as to the
laws of supply and demand, that he may .be
able to dispose of his crops to advantage.
He should be able to tell approximately
how isaany pounds of beef or pork could be
made from a bushel of corn, and what the
average cost would be OF producing bushel
of grain. In these modern times he should
be something of machinist, SO as to use in
telligently and keepin order the varied ma
chinery of the farm
believe this to be a true picture of the
farmer that is needed to-day, and OF the type
that is being developed by the influences
now at work. Ehe time is past Wien
'.musele without brains'' will succeed, and
the successful farmer can no longer he called
a .'elodhoppcr.'' The man with the ability
to manage farm of 160 acres with modern
implements, and to SO manage it as to get q
fair interest on the capital invested, and at
the same time improve his farm, certainly
has need Of Us much executive ability as the
merchant who runs store with capital OF
$4,000, or the foreman Of a factory. This
is the kind of men that are needed on q
farm, and believe there are influences at
work to produce them.
| think the reasons are easily discovered
which have produced the poor farmers that
we find so abundant in cur western States.
: And first and greatest of ah is the TACT that
less than q generation age our farmers had
virgin soil to cultivate. The fertility that
had been accumulaling for centuries was at
their command ): they began with soil that
was full of vegetable mold and when field
showed signs OF leanness they cleared q new
one and began to crop that On these vir-
, ein soils, if the farmer could scratch up
enough mellow soil to cover the grain he
: was sure of crop. He sawino necessity ol
saving manure if his strawrWas not needed
f for the stock, lie burned it; and he interpre-
{ ted literally the Scripture which says Take
y no thought for the morrow Man is such
e a creature of habit that many ofour farmers
! became so accustomed to the hethods o.
s planting and cultivating that succeeded II
pioncer times that they have not yet discoy
cred the necessity of a'chaage and OF adapt
r ing their practice to the new order Of things
; The banks that honors drafts, continually bu
e receives no deposits, must, finally s'1Rens