Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-12-04

"eii do e"S iiieIt tHe uuaHtlty. oucn va
rlety of wheat, for example, as the Claw
son, shows that more productive sorts may
be secured; with excellent quality added
greater profits might be obtained at no ad
dltlonal cost. Continued selection has civ
Ell heavier crops of corn. 1t is to be pre-
sumed that the best variety Of the potato
has not yet been raised. Machines for sep
arating grains, supplying only the best
seeds Tor reproduction, promise large gains
at little or no additional expense. The
more general adoption of good rotations Of
crops, with modern facilities for tilIage.
have already reduced the quantity of those
profit consumers, weeds, in the best regions
OF the country but here there is still much
room tor Improvement. The general adop-
ton OF these facilities, as may be easily un-
deistood, would add hundreds of millions
| to the farm products of the country.
1t is still disputed point with intelligent
cultlvators, whether high expenditure in
improving and enriching land is warranted
by strict regard to economy and profit.
There is no question that tile degree of im-
provement would vary much with the iudg-
ment and skill of the manager. Extraya-
giant outlays might be indiscreetly applied,
not to be warranted by their results great
er effects might be produced by constant
or yearly turning of everything to the best
advantage, through the agency of thorough
understanding, plowing under green crops
and manuring by animals and purchased
fertilizers. Nurserymen have understood
the necessity OF placing their land in the
best condition for the successful produc-
ton young trees, and as secondary re-
suit have raised some remarkable farm
crops from the land thus prepared, after the
trees were removed, of which single cx-
ample may be cited. A few years since,
during season SO dry that the potato crop
generally through the country was nearly
a failure and prices ran high, i. twenty-acre
piece of ground belonging to large nur-
sery, after the first crop of trees had been
cleared from it, was planted with this root.
The land had in previous years been under
drained and cultivated in the best manner,
but not highly manured The deep and
mellow bed of soil retained and gave out
the needed moisture. and the potatoes av-
eraged 100 bushels per acre. or about fair
product for assmoist season. They We're all
sold at the neighboring city for rs cents
per bushel, or for $3.50 for the 5000 bush
els. 1t will be perceived from this exam
pie that an important advantage of we'll
land is in supplying good crops in
scarce seasons, when high prices are real
lied, and farmers who by gradual good
have brought their farms to
this condition, nave not only made the oper-
alton pay in augmented crops as they have
year by year, but possess an i'm.
mense advantage in the end.
Some OF our readers will nave observed /
that i'll some years when drouth has re-
duced the potato crop, we have had at the !
same time large products from orchards.
and the consequent remark that while in /
one season bushel of potatoes would buy
four bushels of apples, IN the next one bush
i of apples would buy four bushels of po-
;atoes. 1t is well known that manure and
,illage tend greatly to equalize the apple
crop in different seasons, and this treatment
If the orchard, in connection with deep and
good tillage for roots, would in a great
measure place both above the influence of
lrouth.
An examination of these and similar facts
would tend to satisfy farmers that they
leed not have wide domain in order to
obtain the largest profits, but they should
lin to do everything in the best manner.
improved machinery. clear fields, clean cul-
ivation. improved seeds, the best animals.
md constant aim at advanced hnsbandry
promise much for the country in future:
md agricultural papers and stated fairs
will be potent agents, as they have already
'een, for carrying on this Improvement.