The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-01-20

Out Of Manure.
Manure is the starting point of all good
and profitable farming and fruit growing;
and farmer might as well be without
funds az without manure. He can no
mere afford to be without q supply, OF
manure at all times than he can aftordto
let his pork barrel get empty. There
are hundreds of farmers in this country
who own their farms, free from debt,
who are abusing the soil which yields
them the means to exist They are most
of the time in the condition of farmer
in Mahoning county, Ohio, who in the
most witless way inquiries of the N. \.
II ibssne what he shall do with field
which, bya needless depletive system OF
culture, has been rendered unproduc-
tive; he wants to know what temporary
expedieat he can resort to to make this
field yield him bread enough to keep him
moving year longer. His case is re-
ferred to Professor Caldwell, of Cornell,
but we fear the poor field will not gain
much from this source. This man IS not
of much consequence, nor his field, and
the answer of Professor Caldwell is OF
less Importance still. Mr.. Crandall, OF
the Tribune, would have told him some
thing that he might have prOfited by.
But we allude to it to call attention to
the system of culture which, in so short
time as that in which the State of Ohio
has been settled, has made farms barren.
Such farming has q history which, if it
could be told, would afford some useful
lessons. One prominent fact is certain
to be met with in such cases-the yards
arealways empty of manure, and no COM
post heap was ever seen in the fields.
Here is the beginning of the trouble.
Did any one ever hear that Mr.. Mechi,
of England, was puzzled to know what
to do to make his fields produce? or
John johnson or George Geddes in this
country? Is it not strange truth that
farmer exists at this bright day who is
such dolt as to 60 on pursuing sys-
tenn of culture which makes his soil
poorer and poorer, his means less and
less, till his manliness and mental cali
Der are SO far gone that in fit of pitia-
BILE childishness and decrepitude he asks
an editor what he shall do with his
starved fields to make them produce
wheat? There are others besides this
Ohio man who are equally dEoid of
good business habits, equally Vdlpable
and negligent in farm management, and
always, like him, out Of manure. No
cattle, no manure, no crops, no cash.
Every year some emergency occurs in
farming which requires that q field or
plat of ground should be manfred i'm
mediately with some fertilizer which
will produce an effect at once for we
imagine that all systems of rotation and
of crop growing, are liable to be changed
somewhat by temporary and unforeseen
circumstances, no matter how carefully
planned. Then farmer needs q well
decomposed compost, of which the foun-
dation is stable manure. This will act
quickly, and that is what is needed. In
irregular rotation, green manuring comes
in very we'll as an adjunct, or aid, to tho
more costly barnyard manuring. but the
latter is the only reliable means of per-
manently improving the soil. In truth
there is no other means that the farmer
can safely rely upon and trust in all
cases. To he out of manure, therefore,
is evidence of o lack of thorough bust
ness management. Every field should
have its pile of compost. We are quite
well aware that many OF our readers will
say this is an impracticable thing to do
III ILLS COuuVEy WucIc IdDOK 40 % uctf.
This very thing is done, however. by
some farmers, and we believe it could
be done by nearly all. The cost of maxi
ing these composts is small compared to
the advantage Of having the enriching
material on hand when wanted. The
capitalist who has some spare funds by
him is prepared to invest when favor
able opportunity presents itself. Equally
serviceable to the farmer is the compost
heap. It is often and very aptly COM
pared with bank of deposit, from which
the capitalist draws to meet his needs.
We are quite sure the importance of
this matter is not over-rated. The only
great and successful farmers that ever
lived, and that are now doing business,
have based all their operations ON sup
plying the soil with rich fertilizers; and
to this end they have kept ~ many ami
mails as it was possible to keep, even lift
BECAME necessary to buy food largely.
Detroit Tribune.