The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-10-23

they wanted TO raise q crop under The
trees.
EasesEn aAA WesesRn Farming.
Rrum ths County Gntsaa.
In comparing farming in New York ani
other Eastern States with that of th.
West, the chief advantage Of eastern far
mers is that when they make their lant
richer it lcounts Immediately as part O
the profits. In the West, Increasing Ia,
productiveness Of farms, except BY bring
ing new land under the pillow, has no,
been thought Of 30 much consequence
There are of course exceptions to this q,
to all general rules, but l refer to thu
prevalent systems Of farming. / do no,
say that this plan Of exhaustive cropping
with little or no regard to fertility. il
night or best, but it is at least better
adapted to the West than East. If ar
eastern farmer can farm only on this sys
tenn, undoubtedly the best thing for hin
to do is to quit the business and 20 q,
something else. The next best is to sell
out here, take Horace Greeley's advice
and "go West" Thousands Of such mer
have gone west, and it is perhaps safe tc
say that a large proportion perhaps 6
malority-of eastern men have gone IVES,
as farmers were more or less failures here
This rule also has numerous exceptions
especially among the young men who
have their fortunes TO make, and to whom
high-priced Eastern lands offer no attrac.
tons, because they have not capital te
buy and work them properly. When M
Eastern farmer has q good home
stead paid for, and with comfortable
buildings, he almost invariably makes a
mistake in selling out and going to the
West He understands Eastern modes Of
farming; those Of the West he does moi
understand, and while he is learning hi
will be quite sure to lose q considerable
part Of his capital. It may be that West
ern methods In the exclusive wheat-grow
ing States are not the best. Wheat after
wheat, until In some States the crop ha.
run down to less than ten bushels per acre
cannot be profitable. What apparent
profit is made is lost in the decreased val
ne and productiveness Of the land.
But this policy may be, or at least seem,
anecessity and therefore not to be avoided
Some eastern men who have gone ives,
with the idea that they would follow
eastern methods have come to grief.
They have perhaps improved their land,
but they have lost money while doing
this; and where land can be had at very
low rates, improving the soil does no,
make much difference. A farm where the
fertility has been retained has yet to be
sold in competition with virgin soil, which
is at least as rich. All the improved land
can claim is the fences and buildings, and
trees, when farm has to be sold. will
rarely pay cost. In many places the farm
itself will not sell for much If any more
than the cost of buildings and improve
ments be put upon it. In eastern farm
in. if farmers will make improvements
judiciously, they can make such improve
ments bring satisfactory return. The past
few years have been worse for farmers
east and west than were ever before
known, yet even during these barren
years some farmers have made and saved
money. They have bought partly run
down farms, have underdrained and re-
claimed waste places, made barren spots
productive, and now their forms are worth
much more than what they cost, and are
increasing in productiveness yearly. II is
true these men had capital, but in the
way they have used it they have made
this capital pay good interest by investing
it in their farms. | doubt whether this
would be possible where land is so cheap
as it is in some portions of the West.
Cheap land impels, if it does not compel.
farmers to make their profits by exhaust
i've cropping. Even when stock-xrowing
is practiced, the improvement of the land
is minor consideration, if indeed il is
considered at all. This :rule does not
apply to those parts of the West where
Of the land has begun.
Their tillers Of the soil are properly class
ed as Eastern farmers. There are many
such in Ohio and Illinois.