The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1879-04-24
Some Wastes in our Farming.

II is an admitted fact by many who
own laEd in these days that il Is hard
work TO get fair returns from it. hear
many farmers say that if We can make
a living from our farms We shall be
satisfied. Many complain that they
cannot do that. All who are familiar
with the subject know that at no time
within the past twenty years mas IdIil
produce sold 50 low as IN the past TWO
wears. Then. too, taxes are hlg4; many
Of rs. are having interest on debts con-
tracted IN flush times, and the question
rov Is how We are to farm III order TO
nav our debts, educateOuT families, ana
tIave the ordinary comforts Of life. In
1ieyF of these facts, it IS well for US 10
look around our farms and see II we
are making the most Of our OppOrtu-
mites have found out in my own eX
Derie1ce that in no business are there
~ MANY wastes as IN farming No
business can thrive unless details are
attended TO. The question Of profit IN
2 large manufacturing establishment
often depends on proper management
of the waste Of that establishment, and
were our manufacturers 70 do busi-
Dess in the way many Of our farmers
10 II would only be short time be
fore the profits would be lost. The
fart il that were not nature indulgent
To those who seek her fayOrs, many
farmers would be without a calling II
life. One Of the greatest wastes on a
farm 4 the waste OF labor. We IN
dertake to accomplish too much; To
cultivate too much land; we spread
our efforts over too much surface.
What would be the thought Of the
man who attempts 10 paint his house
with mint OF paintZ This only Illus
trafes our efforts. Having land IN
aIuIudanee. we think we must culti-
yate il all. either in raising crops that
do not nav. or which we cannot take
care Of well. The result in many
cases Is that we are behind in our
work and cannot catch up. Many far
Iners waste their efforts on two hun
dred acres of land, while il the same
were done on fifty acres the result
would be profit. In this particular
waste / am certain there is an aston
isbin0 loss in New England. There
is another waste or many Of our
farms. and that Is poor stock.
There are many cows kept that do
NOT nav for the hay they eat. 1T
NAV be they are naturally poor; or
have grown OLD in the service. While
I'M a dairy of twenty cows there are
some that pay well, still we find
that there are usually some carried at
aIoss and the profit from the good cows
h Lost in that way. THE lean kline
eat up the fat kline" In this con-
nection a great loss is OccasiOned to
many by q want of proper care.
Cows kept on bog hay, and wint-
cred on the south side Of a stack
watered at some slough hole, or even
stabbed IL allowed to lie on their ma
nure without ventilation, cannot be ex-
pected TO make good butter, or much
OF It. 1t is often cheaper 10 buy lum-
Der and nails and hire a carpenter
than 10 buy grain. Poor stock, with
poor hay, makes poor manure, and ne
who keeps them will grow poor. An
other great waste Is poor tools and a
lack OF good ones. 1t might do in the
DAYS Of our ancestors to plough with
the old wooden plough that scratched
the surface of the soil, and harrow
with the old A harrow that turned the
turf back again. Then the
principal tool was a hoe, and
Il was necessary to chop a hole
In which to put seed; chop the grass
from around the hill, and turn over the
ground by the hardest kind Of labor in
order TO make crop grow. That kind
of labor has all gone by, and the farmer
who persists i'm cultiyating the soil IN
that way will find his sOns all go west.
Good tools mean less lSbOr and better
cultivation with better crops. Ii IS
cheaper TO do it well, and the crop IS
certainly more than half better. No
farmer who has them would be will
ing 10 go without 4 moving machine
and hUrse-rake, as they will get the
grass faster and better. Then why 90
without good plOughs. smoothing h1r-
rows, &c, all Of which accomplish as
much in their place ~ they do! An
other great waste in New England IS
waste in fencing. We have too many
small fields which il is impossible 10
cultivate as they ought To be. Horse
machinery cannot lie used 10 advan-
iage in them. Thore are too many
fence-cOrnerJ, in which brush an,l
weeds are allowed TO grow, Il they
cannot be got ut TO advantage unless
the fences are moved. Many Of cur
best acres are taken up with fences,
and it is with great labor that they are
kept up. IL Is much cheaper to remove
the inside fences than to keep the
farm divided into small fields. We
can use machinery in large fields to
Letter advantage. am in favor of 4
Law which would allow our rOallside
fences to be removed, and which would
make the owner of the stock respOn-
sible for all damage done. 1t would
lac great advantage TO all our far
mers.-HGutbOy, iH Country Gentle
man.