Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-10

MANY farmer is kept poor by keep
ing too much stock. He would be pros
porous II the stock was of the right
kind. II does not pay TO keep COWS
through the winter that are dry pretty
much all the time. II does not pay to
keep over a lot of lean and fraotious
steers in the expectation that they will
make good working cattle by waiting
long enough. All such animals should
be sold TO those who have more food in
store than their present poor owners. A
miserable and melancholy lot of no.
breed sheep constitutes no more desira-
bic property, either. Their fieeoes are
not worth waiting for, and their mutton
is called such only by courtesy. They
are of no use TO q farmer but to help
keep him poor. .#
Good stock, superior stock, pays for
itself all the time. A herd Of COWS is
well worth wintering that will pay in
milk and butter many times more than
the cost of their keep. No other kind
ought therefore 10 be allowed on a farm.
No business man ever expects to make
headway against competition by holding
stock OF goods that Is of inferior value
and out Of the fashion; and farmer
ought TO observe the same rule, and
carry on his hands no stock that 10 not
OF the very sort to give him a good foot
ing in the produce market. He never
can get good milk, good butter, or good
beef from poor runts Of creatures whose
existence comes under the head of acci-
dent rather than design Superior stock
Is the only kind an enterprising and
thrifty farmer can afford to keep.
When cows show beyond question
that they can not give milk enough nor
milk good enough 70 pay for their sup
port and yield liberal profit beside, It
Is time they were disposed of on almost
any terms that will clear them off the
farm. IL is the same with all creatures
that are an incumbrance on the farm
instead Of profit; let them be put of
without delay, and let the so-oalled SEN
dment in the case be eradioated by
healthier considerations Of what conStl-
tuees thrifty and profitable farming.
This should be the touehstone every
where OF good farming, II it were
really made so, we should soon see an
end OF dawdling, routine, traditional
farming, and the infusion of evig0rous q
element such as moves the world Of
business aud carries life and activity in
10 every department.
There are, of course, many ways In
which a farmer can trace the sources Of
his unpr0sperous condition; but the
practice Of keeping on handi summer
and winter, . lot Of practically worth
less oAttle--for all cattle are worthless
that are not prodtable---is the moth and
the oanker that is surely eating out his
substance, II Is simply q question of
time how soon he Will sucoumb, for TO
be Acknowledged hopelessly poor d sub
mission. Werepeat, no farmer can AZ
ford to keep inferior cattle; rich man
may afford u, aud charge his indebted
ness TO whlni OF delusive beneYoleuce;
but the farmer who has his living 10
make of bis farm can not AFFORD II, nor
indeed can he afford TO keep any kind
Of cattle but the best. He owes II TO
himself TO clean out everything that Is
trash and worthless, and begin and
build up on a sound basis. The more
poor stock he keeps, the poorer he is in
consequence himself, - Massachusetts
PloUghmaH.