The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-08-29
docs FARMING PAY?

1uc Iurd SulWr VI tuV fAmcilCah
Rural Home is visiting some ofthe best
farmers of Western New York, and
giving accounts of the farms and their
operations. We give the following ac-
count of one as an answer to- the above
question:
A PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE FARsIBR.
About two miles west of the above
mentioned farm is farmer who has the
reputation, in all that region round
most successful of farmers. Thither
was unfortunate In finding "The Lord
of the Manor" absent, but quite fortu-
nate in finding two of his bright, INTEL
ligcnt sons at home, qualified to give
any information desired about farming.
Nearly forty years ago Mr.. Norris
Sawyer commenced on the nucleus of
his present farm, about one hundred
acres of good, strong, gravelly loan,
on which were poor, cheap buildings.
The land had been worked for several
years by tenants, and was generally
regarded in the neighborhood as rather
poor and unproductive, but when Mr..
s. took II in hand he. coon demonstrated
the fact that suocess depends more upon
the farmer than the farm. Good, heavy
crops of wheat, corn and other cereals,
began TO take the place of Canada this
ties and other noxious weeds, and the
general opinion of the quality of the
soil underwent change. Mr.. S. was
man Of excellent judgment, hard
worker, and man who made his en-
ployees earn their money, for he worked
with them and led them, and if neces-
sarily absent day, knew whether his
men had done days work or not.
BY gradual accretions from neighbour
ing farms the nuclcal one hundred
acres have grown to four hundred
acres. The, larger portion of the added
acres Is very strong soil, but perhaps
thirty or forty acres are rather wet,
thin and cold, much below the average
of the farm. The additional three hum
bred acres have been made out of the
profits of farming, and in addition quite
q surplus, we are informed, that has
been loaned and invested elsewhere.
Besides this, he has raised family of
four daughters And four SONS. = Z We
call him progressive, conservative
farmer, because he will adhere to old
methods of culture till new ones are
prOren to be better, when he will adopt
them. He Is too conservative to seek
novelties, welcome Innovations. try
experimentsg and too progressive TO
cling to the, old whom ithas been fairly
demonstrated that the new is better.
Thus far the editor has written from
his own recollection. From the young
men he learned that Mr.. Sawyer usual
ly raises from 60 to 80 acres of wheat !;
this year he had the smaller area and
on the early sown it was little injured
by the Hessian fly, and some was dam
aged trifle by the rain. 1t was all
Clawson, which he has about deter
mined to abandon. .About thirty acres
ofhis wbest is grown on barley stub.
BILE, 1thc remainder on summer fallow.
He fanoTs clover and tihoSty sod, and
usually plows his fallow twice, the first
time early in June, bat this year he was
late in blowing 1t and so it will receive
but one blowing. His barley he raises
after corn, of which he raises, gener-
ally, about forty acres. This year he
has fifty acres of corn, and such corn il
is q pleasure to see. He grows his
corn on slower and timothy sod, which
remains seeded two or three wears.
He plsntt his corn. in hills and Works
it SO clean that he seldom finds il nee
essary to use the hoe much.
All the manure made on the farm is
put ON the sod which is plante(lto corn.
His materials for making manure are
about 35 to 40 acres of hay, the straw
from lo0 TO l20 acres of grain, the
stalks rom Az b0 acres OF corn, what
oats he raises TO feed bis horses, and
what corn he feeds. His. machines for
making ma4ure are ten or'twelve hors.
es for working the farm, nine or ten
cows, humber OF steers and yoke OF
oxeps between 300 and 400 sheep, q
portion Of yhtch he fattens, and quite
In Addiioh 10 the manure made from
the farm, for the LAST two years he has
sowed Bradley ~ superphosphate on his
wheat and barley with good effect.
lbs large lock OF sheep, high-grade
perines, is soa carefully replied from
year to year that they shear fleece Of
washed wool averaging seven pounds o
head The eullings he fattens. We
LOGGED over this years clip Of wool and
foni1d TIA choice lot,
In cultiyating his arm be uses the
Syracuse Chilled Plow, tho Farmers
Fav0Iito dfzll and the Champion reap.
er, andv Wien . man with such sound
Comparative judgment adopts "a now
implement or machine, It Is. valuable
testimony I'm It's favor 81 Out Of ne
profits " this ySluableg axAr1fI nave
grown new buildings, respectable and
cofnmodi0us dwelling, large, spacioua
barns ana other ont Idinks, ali %.
ing, 70 show hst when an iiiteflig6ht,
indhbtfious, economical man adopts
farming, and sticks right 70 1t, through
good aud through evil times, he gener.
ally, In series of years. accumulates a