Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-02-03
A0rienlinral department.
DO NOT LET THE FARM RUN
DOWN.


capital; on this depends largely his
success or failure, and his great anxiety
should be how best to keep it up to the
highest point, at the least expense. 1t
is q we'll known fact that it is much ca
sier to keep it up as we 60 along, than,
after it has been allowed to run down,
to make spasmodic efforts to restore its
former vigor. 1t does not pay to raise
small crops of any kind medium crops
may just pay expenses, while that part
of large crop which is in excess of the
medium crop, is nearly all profit. Hence
we know where to look for our profit,
and study to devise the best means of
enriching our lands at the least expense.
There are several ways suggested. One
man feeds his stock another plows clo-
yer under; another buys commercial fer
tilizers. The Western man uses up all
the fertility of the soil, and then goes
farther West to repeat the process. l
have seen something of this system, hav-
ing known lands in Central Illinois
which few years ago produced 100
bushels of ears of corn, which now pro-
duce but Is bushels in favorable sea-
son. They tell us that this soil will
never wear out; know of none that
wears out quicker.
The same is the case in our Eastern
States. The writer was on some New
England farms some months ago. that
had once been the home of thrifty but
improvident people. The life of the
land was gone; families were separated,
and there was dull prospect for a
young man to begin life on such an i'm
pOverished farm, so these bright boys
from the New England hill-sides seek
other and more lucrative avocations.
They are full of energy and vitality in
ured to the rigor of the climate, and
the rough, hard land. Agriculture can
not afford to sacrifice such men. If
farmers wish to keep their sons at home
they must keep up the fertility of the
soil.
Stock feeding is one of the most I'M
portant branches of farming, and re-
quires much judgment, care and atten-
ton. A prominent man said that to be
successful with flowers you must love
flowers, and so to be successful with
stock you must love stock. The vener
able John Johnston once told the writ
er that he owed his fortune and his rep
utation as farm to one pile of manure
While poor and in debt he bought al
adjoining so acres on which there was
an old barnyard containing an accumu.
lation of % years manure. He applied
it to his crops which in turn gave great
returns, and this not only gave hin
notoriety as a good cultivator, but gave
him credit with monied men, who freely
rendered him all the funds he desired tt
buy stock with. After securing an i'm
mense crop of corn, he fed it to stool
and made another great quantity of val
liable manure, and so on, year afte
year. Mr.. j. has fed thousands of sheer
and vast numbers of cattle. 1t ha
been stated that in Is years of sheer
feeding, buying in the fall and selling
in the winter or spring, he never blu
once failed in getting pay for his feed
and handsome profit on the investment
This shows that his judgment must hav
been superior, and that the stock ha
his personal and undivided attention.
A wealthy stock farmer in Pennsyl
vania once told the writer that one drov
of cattle will half feed the next mean
ing that by applying the manure froI
one lot of cattle to the ground intende
for corn, the crop would be much larger
and that this increased yield would coz
almost nothing, while the extra burde
of stalks would certainly make the il
crease donation year after year. Aftt
L. g. L. IL 4 l..
nothing to feed stock, as they will liy
on the surplus. l believe it costs 3
cents per bushel to raise corn, when 20
only raise so bushel of ears to the acr
but when 80 bushels are raised, tt
cost is reduced to less than 10 cen
per bushel.-W. NJ. H.. IN County Gel
tieman.