The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-10-17
FARMERS, READ.
RESI-. ESSAY ON THE SUBJECT OF MAN
URTNG LAND AND HOW TO
APPLY IT.

The proprietor of the Reading Eagle
offered two premiums for two OF the
ssbest ESSAYS on the subject of manurlng
land and how to apply it. " To pass up
on the different essays written IN re-
Spouse to these premiums, hon. george
ID Stitzel. Ezra High, J. Ii. Funk, w.
q Moore. and Christian SheaTer, all
practical farmers, agreed to act as
committee to read and pass upon the es-
saws and award the premiums.
The committee examined the diner
ent ESSAYS submitted to them by the
writers thereof. and after due consider
alton awarded the highest or first pre-
mium to John ). Eckert of Womelsdorf,
| and have decided to hold the remaining
! ESSAYS under ADJUSTMENT. Following Is
/ Mr.. EckeTt's essay
/ I live in Heidelberg township, a short dis
/ tance below WOmelsdOrf, on farm owned
/ by one of my best friends, George B. Eckert,
/ of Reading l have lived on this farm for
/ the last fifteen years. The community know
the condition of this farm when hrSt occu-
/ pied it and believe l have improved the soil
I as well as the general appearance OF the
| farm very much. From what ! know OF fer
/ tiIizing land | believe barnyard manure to
be better than guanO or phosphates. 90
! not believe in tOp-dreSSing with manure, Tor
| after YOU seed the ground the manure VIII
still be on top and a large part OF the am
! mOnia will be lost instead OF entering the
soil and enriching 1t; My plan II 10 manure E
oats stubbles and plow 1t under. The best
I wheat | ever raised was by plowlng down
/ sod. well lined. ManuTing the sod or the
/ oats stubbIe is very good, and l believe with
good season a splendid crop VIII reward
beIieve farmers make a mistake in seed
ing timothy. 1t would be better to cast the
! timothy seed into the sea and double seed
. with clover To plOw timothy sod You VIII
I 1 Il md looking
Z poOr and the soil not in a good condition.
Glover sod is right the opposite of timothy
clover being blacker and richer. Some
farmers argue if they do not raise timothy
I they will not be able to feed their stock, aS
their soil is maTshy, and clover VIII freeze
out Such is not the fact II farmers VIII uS6
I harvard manure instead of phOSphateS
T which do not believe pay the farmer at all
: . PhosDHatns NAV paw small truck farmer,
/ near a city, book farmers. ne latter
/ conclude to quit the city and live III the
| country then buy farm and expect result:
/ from il lust as practical farmers get. These
- ! fancy book farmers forget the long and pa
, tfcnt toll and close observation of the laws O
/ nature which practical farmer must possess
to make farming profitable. A fancy bool
~ / farmer believes man must serve an appren
!, ticcship to become a matchmaker, but tina
!! ANYBODY can farm. This is a great mistake
. FXperience on the farm Is worth more thar
'' ANYTHING else. / think that after manure
> and proper cultivation Of the ground a gOOt
B
. make what we plant grow 4 farmers labor
will not amount to much. Every farme
should know that the better the soil Is tillet
y the more it will produce and pay. keel
your weeds down.
There is a great difference between lime
! stone and gravel soil, and also between roll
n ! ing level and low lands. Rolling lands vii
III . require more feeding than level land on &C
= / count of the drainage. Heavy rains on roll
ing land will wash it and carry of the fert
/ izerS. which is not the case with level land
/ with good drainage. To raise a good GRO
:. I of corn. D0W rolling land in the spring an
level land in the fall. Rolling land whe
plowed i'm the fall viii become mellow an
: wash out the sod. while such is not the cas-
with level land | believe in deep pOwing
: if the soil allows it. Deep furrowng fC
planting viii save corn from drOuth and
; will not blow down so readily.
u. CANADA IbjStlcS can be killed by using flu
dust from the furnaces put on about four il
"a CheS thick. | have killed Canada thiStles
IS : this way. and also have enriched the soil b
~ it. You can get the luc dust from furnace
without cost, and you Will be richly repai
n for your labor
\ grave question for the consideration
farmers in the future Will be fencing. i
! I the country becomes more tuckly settled an
timber becomes more scarce fencing will co
much more than nov. To overcome tn
prospective trouble / have Usage orang
which will last lifetime and will not cost
much as post fence. l planted Usage Oranl
:, I for two thousand feet at cost of three az
A. a half cents a foot, which are growing NIGEL
is | would also urge my fellow farmers TO plal
~ shade trees around their dwellings, for
v this way YOU will make your homes mo
comfortable and valuable.
S, Often city people speak of farmers BEN
. . careless in their dress. We cannot be
- tidy in our dress as city people, for our bu.
ness will not permit it, but against this V
10 7 know how much better fresh milk is from
. / cow than after it Is hauled to the city al
drank by city folks. We also know no
G much better fresh vegetables are than aft
u they are kept for several days and then SO
Pie and eaten by city people.
y, To my fellow farmers | would say agai
": plO" uetp Nllle >iUGGdfbS oietp ana we "
ch have grain 10 sell and to keep.
M Remember any work well done viii bTi
% + its reward.