The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1877-10-09
Ex-sENATOR CHANDELIERS AD-
DRESS AT THE BRANCH
COUNTY PAIR.

all prominent men Of our country have
been in degree agriculturalists.
Washington. Jefferson, Franklin, Web
ster and Clay all took great pleasure
and interest in agriculture, and thus
did much TO promote its interests. i,
myself. in my day could swing scythe
or cradle as well as any man, / dare
say in Branch county. was born on
farm aud own the old New England
homestead upon which | was born, and
besides i possess an extensive farm
near Lansing. where / raise few cat
tie, sheep aud swine, enough to keep
my hand in the business.
To be a practical farmer claim that
a man must be "born and bred" 10 the
work. Book farming is Of the poorest
order, yet would recommend TO farm
ers, both the successful and the unsuc-
cessful, to read sufficient amount Of
agricultural literature, keep up with
the age and be posted. Science ia the
haud maid OF Nature. IL leads aud in
s,ructs rs. aud many useful hints and
much valuable knowledge can be de
rived from a stndy of the scientific ex-
periments which are constantly being
made. The most surprising advance
ments that have been made in agricul-
ture since the time that Cain titled the
ground and Abel tended focks have
been made within the past hundred
yeais.
Ii IL a fact that at the Worlds fair at
Vienna, the center OF continental En-
rope. every reaper aud mower intended
for practical use we're Of American
manufacture. Fully one-fourth OF the
reapers and mowers made IN this coun-
try are sent 10 foreign lands, which IL
indisputable evidence of their super
iority. Nearly all OF American manu-
factured agricultural implements excel:
the cnltivstor, rake, shovel plow, and
the like, are the best in the world, and
unsurpassed in their uses. All this
superiority is owing TO the intelligence
which goes hand in hand with labor,
guided by the hand of industry. In
the advancement OF the world in agri.
culture We are behind in our produc-
tions OF live stock, cattle and sheep.
We have some blooded stock but not
enough Of them. A few stock growers
are doing their best in this direction,
but it is only pioneer corps. We
want an army OF mon TO profit by their
experience. or the twenty or thirty
million Of cattle in this country there
is on the average only one in twelve
which is of any particular blood. The
shorthorns have outstripped nearly all
others in popularity and beef. and
they make very good mixers. In some
localities the Devons are raised TO ad-
vantage. The Ayrshires and Herefords
excel ID milking qualities, but the
Shorthofns take Il decided lead in beef.
At three and half years of age they
weigh as much, make better beef aud
more meat than the common stock at
four aud half; thus there Is a saving
OF one year in breeding and the inter
est on the money IN favor Of the Short
horns. In Michigan and adjoining
States a grnat deal OF attention is paid
to sheep raising. Our flocks ought to
be materially improved. the common
stock is inferior IN wool aud mutton.
/ would recommend some good breed
or a cross of some good breed with the
common stock. In number, sheep take
the precedence of all stock. There are
32j millions in Europe, 100 millions in
America, lG5 millions in Asia, aud oth-
ers increasing the full number TO over
600 millions In the world. The Suffolk,
Shropshire, Leistershire and Dorsest-
ershire are good breeds. The Merino
are an extensively bred sheep, and so
are the Cotswold and Southdown. A
cross is profitable, and I have learned
from experience and theory that they
are the easiest To breed aud TO market.
Because wheat and grain bring ready
money many farmers engage extensive
ly in their production, making a con-
tinued drain upon their land without
making any return therefor. You can't
cheat your land. You must pay your
debts 10 il, for il You don't you viii
make pauper OF yourself and your
descendants A rotation OF crops and
a system Of fertilizing must be adopt
ed and adhered to strictly.
The horse ia SAID 10 be the most no.
BILE OF all domestic animals. IL does
not clothe man like the sheep, nor feed
him like the oxen, but il deserves more
attention than any other animal, and
there is great room for Improvement.
Many OF our horse arc OF mixed blood
or OF entirely unknown blood, and
wanting in many essential qualities.
Endurance and strenetl must he well
looked to- think that the general
system Of premium il not what II
should be and want 10 see an im-
provement. Is G horse with record
Of 200 worth more on the farm than q
four minute horse2 Lightness of body
aud feetness OF limb is not what We
want on a farm. You want one that
will take yourself, wife aud half doz-
en- chilpren 10 the county fair. lou
may, il You please. keep fast horse
for the boys; wouldn't deprive'shem
Of any such pleasure, as I've been right
there myself.
Too many farmers pay little atten.
tioh 10 the location OF theu barns and
other outhouses. II IL matter Of
great importance in sanitary point OF
view that the prevailing winds should
watt in direction opposite to that IN
which the house il standing. IL IA bet.
ter for the hsalth OF the Inmates that
the barn and outbuildings be set upon
high and rising grounds. Daring the
night malaria and diseases spread over
the country. setting upon an uncon-
scious people. A good orchord is a
valuable adjunct 10 any farm. A Judi
selection az ornamental trees aud
schrubs, even though no more than ton
or fifteen dollars is expended % time,
would adj much 10 the attractiveness
of the place, and would be a refining
influence upon the younger members
Of the household.
The study Of agricultural chemistry
cannot be too highly estimated by the
farmer IL teaches him the composite
elements OF the soil, the value Of fer
tilizers gsed, the various chemical
changes thar take place in the land, as
the result Of heat. light, moisture and
manure. II teaches him 10 Judge ap-
proximately what he must do 20 satisfy
the drafts be has drawn upon his laod.
Nature has done much for the husband
man and he in tnrn must help her.
The system Of cultivation which IL too
extensively engaged in, has rendered
whole nations barren and unproductive
! Egypt orce the grsinery az the world
~ now ksrren, except where the Nile
osorfowed. Northern Africa, enee .
land Of trees and rivers, - now barren.
Persia and Palestine. once literally
flowing in milk and honey, are now al
most barren and unproductive for lacl
of proper cultivation. Tile draining i
an element Of cultivation that deserves
extensive adoption. BY its use the
subsoil can be employed aud turned e