The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-11-13
AGRICULTURAL.
Me th cd in Farming.

Among the contributions by the Farmers
Club OF the American Institute of New York
to the Farmers Club Fair of Massachusetts,
is series of contributions by its members
on agricultural topics, which we shall pub
lish in future issues. Herewith we give one
of the articles, written by Horatio d. Shep-
pard, in which he relates the following as
the substance Of conversation which he
heard about half a century since, between
two New Eogand farmers, well known and
highly respected in their day.
Farmer Jones, who, by the way. was an
intelligent Scothchman, was Intercepted as
follows by his friend and neighbor Farmer
Davis whose object was evidently to obtain,
from man of practical wisdom, some of the
secrets OF his success.
''How is it, Neighbor Jones, that you
always have things in 80 much better condi-
ton than ordinary farmers? Your crops are
abundant, you have grain in your granery
plenty of hay in your barn, beef and pork ia
your barrels, wood in the wood-house, while
your buildings are also in good repair, and
things generally seem to be easy and smooth,
and it at any time there are any needful
things to be sold very cheap for cash, you are
sure to have the cash to buy them with. Now
would like to learn how you manage to &C
compsh so much and apparently with little
effort"
To this Farmer Jones replied: 81 can de-
scribe to you some of my methods, which are
probably different from most of nv neighbors,
In the first place, keep my manure better
sheltered, so that it is not easily washed away
by the rains nor dried out by the sun. More
over, apply it on the best land, rather than
scatter it over poor and gravelly hillsides; In
other words, cultivate only as much land as
can keep rich and in good condition. 1t
cost no more to fence, pillow and cultivate an
an acre of good land than one that is poor
aud comparatively worthless. find that the
labor bestowed on the best land briggs the
reward. You will find, if you look around
you, that most OF the farmers in this part of
the county spread themselves over too much
inferior soil and the tendency of this practice
is to keep them poor all their lives.
"Again, do not undertake to winter too
much stock. Rather than do this prefer to
sell in the fall and buy in the spring. But
what do winter over are we'll fed and shell
tered, and kept in good heart, at whatever
cost. find can generally buy up lean and
hungry cattle, and other stock, in the early
spring for very small sum; a little Indian
meal, with forage or early grass, and good
nursing, very soon brings them up to the
right point. This cost far less than carrying
too much stock through our long winters.
Again generally manage to keep some
ready money on hand, or within easy reach.
consider this one of the necessary means
for keeping my finances and my general bust
ness in the best condition. Whenever occa-
sion arises for paying out this ready money
l set to work to replace it as soon as can,
just as would any other necessary imple-
ment of the farm or the household
Now it seems to me that many of our farm.
ers of the present day would find it to their
advantage to take leaf from the old Scotch
mans sound and successful philosophy of
farming.-American Cultiuator.